IRAQ: TURKS PLEASED WITH KORUTURK'S WASHINGTON

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 004187

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/18/2015
TAGS: PREL PTER ETRD IZ TU SY US
SUBJECT: IRAQ: TURKS PLEASED WITH KORUTURK'S WASHINGTON
CONSULTATIONS, URGE "PERSISTENCE" WITH SYRIA

REF: A. STATE 129619 (NOTAL)

B. ANKARA 3844

C. STATE 133156 (NOTAL)

Classified By: Counselor for Political-Military Affairs Timothy A. Bett
s for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) On July 13, PolMilCouns and PolMilOff called on MFA
Deputy Director General Safak Gokturk to get the Turkish
assessment of the July 5-6 Washington visit of the GOT's
Special Envoy for Iraq, Amb. Osman Koruturk (Gokturk
accompanied Koruturk). Gokturk characterized the meetings as
positive and commented that Turkish-U.S. cooperation has now
moved beyond mutual statements of principles to a new,
"operational" stage. He believed that the two sides will
work more closely together in Iraq, especially on Sunni
outreach (according to Koruturk himself, the key to the
process--ref b). The Turks perceived greater interest from
the USG on Sunni outreach; Gokturk pointed to the Secretary's
May 15 visit to Iraq as the first major manifestation of
this. He urged our embassies in Baghdad to cooperate closely
in this effort.


2. (C) Gokturk noted Koruturk's discussion with NEA A/S Welch
(ref c),in which Koruturk related Turkey's experience with
Syria in 1998. According to Gokturk, Koruturk advised us to
create a step-by-step mechanism to ensure Syrian cooperation,
and to be "persistent and persevere" with the SARG.
PolMilCouns responded that Turkey was only able to create
such a mechanism after massing troops and tanks on the Syrian
border, forcing Syria to change its actions (i.e., expel PKK
leader Abdullah Ocalan); currently, international pressure
has not yet produced a similar change in Syrian actions. The
Syrians well know what steps they need to take to decrease
the pressure on them: Cease support for Iraqi former regime
elements, cease interference and support for terrorism in
Lebanon and the PA.


3. (U) Iraq REOs minimize considered.
MCELDOWNEY