Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05ANKARA4765
2005-08-12 13:59:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:  

TURKISH VIEWS ON RENEWAL OF ISAF'S UN MANDATE AND

Tags:  MARR PREL AF TU IZ NATO UNSC 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 004765 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/11/2015
TAGS: MARR PREL AF TU IZ NATO UNSC
SUBJECT: TURKISH VIEWS ON RENEWAL OF ISAF'S UN MANDATE AND
INTERNATIONAL USE OF FORCE

REF: A. STATE 146276 (NOTAL)

B. ANAKRA 4186 (NOTAL)

Classified By: Acting DCM James R. Moore for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 004765

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/11/2015
TAGS: MARR PREL AF TU IZ NATO UNSC
SUBJECT: TURKISH VIEWS ON RENEWAL OF ISAF'S UN MANDATE AND
INTERNATIONAL USE OF FORCE

REF: A. STATE 146276 (NOTAL)

B. ANAKRA 4186 (NOTAL)

Classified By: Acting DCM James R. Moore for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Polmilcouns raised ISAF's UN mandate with MFA Deputy
Director General for NATO Affairs Fatih Ceylan on August 11
as instructed ref A. Ceylan said that some offices within
MFA had been discussing the use of force, mandates and
international legitimacy recently. His office has argued
that Turkey should avoid being overly rigid or legalistic in
its approach because "you never know when we (Turkey) might
need to do something." On the specific issue of whether
ISAF's UN mandate must be changed to allow expansion of
ISAF's security role, Ceylan said the mandate was technically
broad enough as is, although more explicit language in the
mandate would make the expansion of ISAF's role easier to
sell to the government and parliament. He was sure that
Turkey would not stand in the way of a consensus in Brussels.
Ceylan thought France and Germany would have reservations as
might some other allies. Winning the Germans over would be
key, he stated.


2. (C) Returning to Ceylan's comments on use of force,
polmilcouns asked what conclusions had been reached. Ceylan
emphasized that no decisions had been made, merely a number
of offices had gotten together to brainstorm. He had argued
the need to retain options in the event Turkey needed them
some day. He recalled the Kosovo crisis, how Turks had been
on the scene prior to UN or NATO action. Similar situation
could come up in the future, he said. Regarding mandates, he
thought parliamentary approval might suffice. Polmilcouns
observed that that might suffice domestically, but
parliamentary action alone would not provide international
legitimacy. Ceylan agreed.


3. (C) Comment: Regarding ISAF's UN mandate, it appears
Turkey would welcome -- but not require -- a change for ISAF
to take on an expanded security role. On the broader issue
of Turkey's use of force, Ceylan did not say what sparked the
internal discussions, but we suspect it was statements by the
Prime Minister and other senior government and military
leaders in the past few weeks about the PKK terrorist
organization and the prospects for "hot pursuit" into Iraq
(ref b). End comment.
MCELDOWNEY