USNAVEUR ADM MULLEN DISCUSSES IRAQ, BLACK SEA AND BILATERAL RELATIONS IN ANKARA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001953



SIPDIS



E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/25/2025

TAGS: PREL, MARR, MASS, TU, RO, BU, GG, UP, RS, IZ

SUBJECT: USNAVEUR ADM MULLEN DISCUSSES IRAQ, BLACK SEA AND

BILATERAL RELATIONS IN ANKARA





Classified By: Ambassador Eric S. Edelman for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).



1. (C) Summary: Having arrived from Iraq, USNAVEUR and Joint

Forces Command-Naples Commander ADM Michael Mullen provided

an upbeat assessment of the situation there to Turkish naval

(TNFC) and general staff (TGS) leaders during his visit to

Turkey March 22-24. The CHOD and DCHOD expressed cautiously

optimistic views of Iraq. On the Black Sea, CHOD GEN Ozkok

stated that while he was not opposed to NATO's expansion into

the Black Sea per se, he feared such a move could damage

NATO's relations with Russia and maybe Ukraine. TGS appeared

unaware of the extent of the problems American firms see in

the current attack helicopter tender. All of ADM Mullen's

interlocutors congratulated him for his nomination to be CNO,

while both TNFC and TGS leaders acknowledged that no CNO has

visited Turkey in 16 years. The Turks and the Mission

appreciated the visit as another step in improving US-Turkey

mil-mil relations. End Summary.



2. (C) In Ankara on March 22, Naval Forces Europe (USNAVEUR)

and NATO Joint Forces Command-Naples (JFC-N) Commander ADM

Michael Mullen attended a dinner hosted by Turkish Naval

Forces Commander ADM Ozlem Ornek, and on March 23 made an

office call on DCHOD GEN Ilker Basbug and met with CHOD Hilmi

Ozkok who also hosted lunch. March 23-24, ADM Mullen called

on Turkish naval commanders in Istanbul and on the Aegean

coast, and visited JFC-N's air component in Izmir. This

message reports the Admiral's meetings in Ankara.



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Iraq

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3. (C) ADM Mullen told his interlocutors that his visit to

Iraq just before arriving in Turkey left him much more

optimistic than his last trip there in October 2004. The

January 30 elections had had a more profound impact than he

had understood previously, he continued. The Iraqi security

forces were much more motivated now. And surprisingly, the

Iraqi people view the armed forces as they have for the past

80 years, as their protectors. ADM Mullen was confident that

the ISF would succeed.



4. (C) Basbug said having an ISF that was "sufficient and

efficient" was important for success in Iraq. ADM Mullen

responded that LTG Petraeus, the MSTC-I commander, reported

that the ISF is fighting much better with the coalition and

even carrying out their own operations. In many places, CF

now provides back-up for ISF. Another factor important for

success, Basbug added, would be for the new ITG to be

respected and accepted by the people, and govern efficiently.

ADM Mullen and the Charge provided an update, noting that the

Iraqis were close to an agreement. Regarding the status of

Kirkuk, Basbug noted that everyone cites Transitional

Administrative Law Art 58 (on returns),but one should not

forget Art 53 (defining the KRG area and creating a special

status for Kirkuk and Baghdad),he declared.



5. (C) Basbug credited this turn around to training. ADM

Mullen noted that, under his NATO hat, he was responsible for

the NATO Training Mission-Iraq. He expressed appreciation to

both Basbug and Ozkok for Turkey's recently increasing its

contribution to NTM-I. The mission was doing well, he

observed, with the UK running basic officer training program

and the military academy's resuming instruction. The new

Iraqi commandant of the academy was enthusiastic about

networking his institution with the outside world, something

impossible under Saddam. Basbug noted that Turkey had

offered leadership training for Iraqis in Turkey. ADM Mullen

undertook to check on the status on these offers, but

observed that Iraqis preferred to train in Iraq. Basbug

acknowledged that no Iraqi decision on out-of-country

training was likely before the new government was in place.



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Bilateral Relations

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6. (C) Ozkok observed that American initiatives in the Middle

East were "winning." "Your success is our security," he

declared. Despite the Mar. 1, 2003 parliamentary vote

preventing US troops from transiting Turkey to open a

northern front in Iraq (which Ozkok termed a "parliamentary

accident"),Turkey supported the US, such as with air space

access (including for cruise missiles, two of whom landed in

Turkey). "We shouldn't allow this (Mar. 1) to overshadow our

relations," he declared. We cannot only focus on the

problems when there are many good elements of our relations.

The political leadership was trying to focus on the good, he

observed. He thought military relations were generally good,

with "only one incident" providing a cloud (the July 4, 2003

arrest of Turkish military personnel in Suleymania),"and

even that is fading," he said. ADM Mullen agreed that it was

time to focus on ways to move forward in the relationship.



7. (C) ADM Mullen mentioned to Ozkok that a USN vessel would

participate in the Marmaris festival in April. Ozkok was

appreciative, noting that ship visits are useful economically

and they demonstrate to the public that the bilateral

relationship is sound. He also noted that public opinion was

increasingly hard to control.



8. (C) At lunch, ADM Mullen, the Charge and ODC-T Chief

MajGen Sutton all raised the recently released attack

helicopter tender with Ozkok, Basbug and TGS/J5 LtGen

Babaoglu, noting the considerable problems that American

companies have voiced and that have resulted in one

manufacturer's, Bell Helicopter, droping out of the

competition. They averred ignorance of the procurement

process, which is handled by a civilian procurement agency.

(Comment: Subsequently, Babaoglu invited MajGen Sutton to a

March 28 meeting to review the American companies' issues

with the tender.)



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Russian and the Black Sea

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9. (C) ADM Mullen noted that Russia had recently sent two

ships to participate in OAE and was deploying vessels to the

North Atlantic in numbers not seen for a long time. Ozkok

said that he had insufficient information to make a

definitive judgment about Russia, but that Ankara was

cautiously trying to cooperate with Moscow. In the Black

Sea, the risks were fewer than during the Cold War, but

Russia has yet "to live up to its commitments." (Comment:

Ozkok did not elaborate, but this is likely a reference to

Russia's Istanbul Commitments to reduce forces in the

Caucasus and Moldova.) He was generally cautious on Russia,

noting that Turkey wants to be friendly, but within limits.

In fact, there were not many bilateral military connections

between Russia and Turkey, with most of their contact coming

through the NATO-Russia Council. Bilateral relations were

mainly economic, he said.



10. (C) While NATO and the NRC are useful channels, NATO

cannot do everything, Ozkok continued. That was why Turkey

views regional cooperation as important. However, regional

cooperation should proceed in a manner that Russia does not

see as harming its interests. In the Black Sea, where there

is intelligence that smuggling is occurring, Turkey began

Operation Black Sea Harmony and is now inviting other

littorals to join. BLACKSEAFOR is growing and shows promise.

Turkey wants to create a secure environment in the Black

Sea. It is not opposed to NATO's eventually expanding into

the Black Sea, but does not want to damage the fragile

confidence Russia and the Ukraine have in the NRC and the NUC.



11. (C) ADM Mullen noted that SACEUR was anxious to support

Turkey's strategy of countering trafficking and smuggling in

the region through regional engagement. Turkey should lead

the effort, he said. NATO could help. OAE has been

effective in the Mediterranean. Expanding OAE to the Black

Sea was one possible approach. He invited Ozkok to let him

know how he could help, either as the JFC-N commander or as

CDR USNAVEUR.



12. (C) Ozkok observed that the Black Sea is the only region

where Russia still has the capability to maintain constant

operations. As OAE is an Article 5 operation, its expansion

into the Black Sea might be seen as insulting to Moscow -- an

indication that the Alliance has no confidence in Russian

forces.



13. (C) ADM Mullen observed that both Romania and Bulgaria

were anxious to have NATO expand its presence into the Black

Sea as quickly as possible. Ukraine was coming around to the

same view. Ozkok changed the subject, commenting that

Turkey's aim is to have a democratic region that would yield

stability and predictability. Georgia and Ukraine have

evolved in a democratic manner; Egypt, Saudi Arabia and

Pakistan have even had some positive movement toward

democracy. Nothing would be better for Turkey's security.



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NATO

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14. (C) ADM Mullen praised Turkey's support for NATO, both in

the quality of the officers it sends to NATO HQ positions as

well as its contribution to NATO missions, such as in the

Balkans where the Alliance has made a real difference. Ozkok

observed that in Kosovo, the international community needed

to find a way to transition to a permanent resolution. ADM

Mullen agreed that Kosovo was only "one incident away from a

disaster" politically, although the military situation was

good. "Time is the enemy," he said.



15. (C) ADM Mullen and Ozkok agreed on the need to better

educate Alliance political leaders on the new command

structure. They also agreed that the NRF concept was good.

ADM Mullen noted, however, that of the 18,000 troops under

his NATO command, only about 33% were available to respond to

a crisis.



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Moving On/Coming Back

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16. (C) All the Turks congratulated ADM Mullen on his

nomination to be the next CNO. Both sides were perplexed

that no CNO had visited Turkey in 16 years. ADM Mullen

thanked them and said he intended to come to Turkey again.



17. (C) Comment: ADM Mullen's Turkish counterparts were

pleased with his visit and especially with the opportunity to

develop a rapport with someone they expect to be a member of

the Joint Chiefs soon. They clearly were interested in

putting past difficulties over Iraq behind us and moving

forward cooperatively. They, and we, saw this visit as

another step in moving our bilateral military relations to a

more positive footing. End Comment.

EDELMAN