Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05ANKARA611
2005-02-02 17:59:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:  

USDP FEITH'S FEB. 1 MEETING WITH TURKISH NSC

Tags:  MOPS MARR PREL PTER TU IZ AF 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000611 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2015
TAGS: MOPS MARR PREL PTER TU IZ AF
SUBJECT: USDP FEITH'S FEB. 1 MEETING WITH TURKISH NSC
SECRETARY-GENERAL ALPOGAN

SIPDIS

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

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000611

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2015
TAGS: MOPS MARR PREL PTER TU IZ AF
SUBJECT: USDP FEITH'S FEB. 1 MEETING WITH TURKISH NSC
SECRETARY-GENERAL ALPOGAN

SIPDIS

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


1. (U) During their Feb. 1 meeting in Ankara, Under Secretary
of Defense for Policy Doug Feith and Turkish National
Security Council Secretary-General Amb. Yigit Alpogan
discussed the following issues:


2. (C) Iraq:

Alpogan analyzed the elections:

--"More or less successful."
--60% turnout hurts insurgents, as they are now fighting an
elected government, not an invading force.
--Sunni Arab turnout 9%; Shias and Kurds will need to share
power with Sunnis in ITG and drafting constitution.
--Iraqi Shias are Arabs and will not follow Iran; SISTANI and
his mentors opposed Khomeini. Iraqi Shias want their own
chance to run Iraq.
--U.S. and Turkey share goal of united Iraq. If Kurds try to
pull Kirkuk into Kurdistan, Iraq could disintegrate; thus we
must work together on Kirkuk issue so that Kirkuk retains a
"special status.". Recent statements by Barzani and Talabani
"are not helpful."

--USDP Feith responded that we shared Alpogan's strategic
point that Iraq must remain unified.


3. (C) Afghanistan:

--USDP Feith expressed U.S. appreciation for Turkey's role in
Afghanistan, including its taking over command of ISAF VII
this month.

--USDP Feith cited Karzai's continuing success in
consolidating his authority and defeating the warlords; both
Feith and Alpogan agreed Dostum remained a problem.

--Alpogan said Turkey shared USDP Feith's optimism and would
continue to work with us to bring stability to the country.


4. (C) NATO:

USDP Feith urged Turkey to work within NATO so that:

--Alliance's capabilities meet our commitments,
--Allies will not forbid officers in NATO billets from
participating in NAC-approved ops,
--Allies place as few caveats as possible on troops in NATO
ops.

Alpogan asked if the U.S. had any specific force generation
request of Turkey in this regard; Feith responded that Turkey
is not a problem, but may be part of a solution, especially
in terms of providing a PRT (Alpogan did not respond to this).


5. (C) PSI:

Feith welcomed active Turkish participation in PSI, and
encouraged Turkey to consider taking the lead on a PSI Black
Sea exercise. He outlined the practical,
non-institutionalized, decentralized nature of PSI. Alpogan
said NSC has not studied the issue to date but would take it
up. TU MFA rep reminded us that our refusal to support
Turkey's Core Group membership had held back Turkish
participation. Feith explained that PSI is an
action-oriented initiative; the real action is in the
Operational Experts Working Group.


6. (C) Common Security Assessment:

Feith asked Turkey to be one of our first allies to
participate in a new Common Global Security Assessment
initiative, in which U.S. friends and allies would come
together with us bilaterally to analyze common global
security problems to seek a common perspective. Alpogan
responded that Turkey would be interested, but as the
discussion would include the GWOT it would--from Turkey's
perspective--also need to include PKK/Kongra-Gel since the
group presents a serious threat to Turkey.


7. (U) USDP Feith cleared this cable.


8. (U) Iraq posts minimize considered.
EDELMAN