SCENESETTER FOR JUNE 14 VISIT OF GENERAL SCHWARTZ TO TURKEY

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 003352



SIPDIS



SIPDIS

NOFORN



E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/2026

TAGS: MOPS, PREL, PARM, TU, IZ, IR, AJ, AF

SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR JUNE 14 VISIT OF GENERAL SCHWARTZ

TO TURKEY



Classified By: Ambassador Wilson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).



Summary

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1. (C) We look forward to your visit. Turkey is a strong

ally in the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT),facilitating the

distribution of critical supplies and fuel to the coalition

in Iraq and supporting the NATO Training Mission (NTM-I)

there; publicly calling on Iran to comply with its IAEA

commitments; and pressuring Syria and Hamas to renounce their

support for terrorism. Later this year Turkey will take over

command of ISAF-Central (with France and Italy) and open its

first Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Afghanistan.

But there are challenges. Bilateral defense industry

cooperation is on the decline. An enhanced Turkish security

presence along the Iraqi border to combat an increase in PKK

terrorist activity has raised concerns that Turkey might act

unilaterally across the border into Iraq, which we have

discouraged.



2. (S/NF) Turkey is a key player in a number of issues that

come under your command, chiefly connected to OIF and the

GWOT:



--58% of all supplies flowing into Iraq by air use the

multi-directional cargo hub at Incirlik Air Base.



--25% of sustainment fuel for the coalition flows over the

Turkey-Iraq border crossing at Habur Gate, as do many other

key supplies for our troops downrange.



--We are now in informal discussion with the GOT to use

Turkish roads and ports to retrograde excess equipment and

material from Iraq. Retrograding equipment via Turkey would

provide an additional LOC to CENTCOM, relieve congestion at

Kuwait, and ensure a more secure route. You should urge the

Turkish General Staff (TGS) to continue to work with us on

this issue.



--Turkey has signaled its interest in working with us on

repairing Nasosnaya Air Base in Azerbaijan; you should seek

senior Turkish military confirmation and sell them on the

concept.



--The Turkish military had allowed us to use Incirlik as a

refueling stop for Operation FUNDAMENTAL JUSTICE detainee

movement operations since 2002, but revoked this permission

in February of this year. We understand OSD and JCS have

been discussing whether to approach Turkey to seek to reverse

this decision. We recommend that you do not raise this issue

with TGS pending clarification from Washington on what

approach State/OSD/JCS/NSC wish to take. END SUMMARY.



Bilateral Relationship Improving

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3. (S) During her April 25 visit to Ankara, Secretary Rice

and FM Gul announced our intention to set up a formal and

regular senior-level strategic dialogue consultative

mechanism. The goal was to signal progress toward restoring

confidence and strengthening our ability to work together in

ways helpful to our goals in the region and in Turkey itself.

We are now negotiating the final touches of our "Strategic

Partnership" document, which should be made public soon. We

have restored bilateral dialogue through many senior level

visits over the past ten months. We have shifted our

dialogue on Iraq from one dominated by Turkish whining about

the PKK and Kirkk to one of constructive collaboration

politically and logistically in support of our efforts there.



A PARTNER IN GWOT

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Iraq

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4. (SBU) Turkey's agreement to allow the use of its territory

as a logistical hub has been a crucial asset in our Iraq

operations. Two-thirds of gasoline and diesel fuel shipments

(3 million gallons per day) for the Iraqi people and 25% of

sustainment fuel for the coalition crosses into Iraq through

the Ground Line of Communication at Habur Border Gate. Since

Turkey approved the use of Incirlik Air Base as a cargo hub

to support coalition operations in Iraq in May 2005, over 152

million pounds of equipment has been shipped to US troops.

58% of all equipment provided to our troops in Iraq by air

pass through Incirlik. Six C-17 aircraft now deliver from

Incirlik the amount of supplies it took 9-10 planes to

deliver from Germany. Additionally four KC-135 tanker

aircraft based there since 2003 have run 2800 refueling

sorties, delivering 192 million pounds of fuel in support of

Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Turkey has four personnel assigned to NTM-I in Iraq and,

under this rubric, has trained 57 Iraqi military officers in

Turkey. Iraqis have pledged to send officers to at least

seven additional courses this year.



Retrograde

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5. (SBU) On behalf of CENTCOM, we are informally coordinating

with TGS and the MFA with respect to gaining Government of

Turkey approval to use Turkish roadways and sea ports to

retrograde excess equipment and material from Iraq.

Retrograding equipment via Turkey provides an additional LOC

to CENTCOM, relieves congestion at Kuwait, and is a more

secure route. On May 26, TGS informed us that TGS and MFA

are supportive of the retrograde concept. They requested

that formal notification be made via diplomatic channels

since the Government of Turkey is the approval authority.

Additionally, they stated that our request to be exempt from

customs fees, taxes and surcharges would require further

discussion with Customs officials. The formal notification

should occur soon. You should express your appreciation for

TGS's initial support and ask for their continued support

once the formal request is presented.



Afghanistan: Good New Story

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6. (SBU) Turkey has twice successfully led the International

Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, most

recently from February to August 2005. Later this year, it

will take over joint command of ISAF-Central in Kabul for a

two-year period, and will open its first PRT in the

neighboring province of Wardak. PM Erdogan visited

Afghanistan in spring 2005 and subsequently increased

Turkey's pledged assistance ten-fold to $100M. This will be

allocated in $16M increments for five years to build schools,

hospitals, medical clinics and drinking water wells

throughout the country. Four hospitals have already been

constructed. The GOT provides counter-narcotics training in

Turkey to Afghan security forces and will initiate such

training in Afghanistan this year under the auspices of the

Wardak PRT. President Karzai demonstrated his gratitude for

Turkey's assistance by participating in a March

counter-terrorism conference at Turkey's NATO Center of

Excellence for the Defense Against Terrorism.



PKK

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7. (S/NF) The PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party, which seeks to

carve off the primarily Kurdish portion of eastern Turkey by

force of arms) has intensified its terrorist campaign in

Turkey: over 150 Turkish security forces have died so far in

2006, a dozen in the past two weeks alone. This violence has



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increased pressure on the GOT to take decisive measures to

cope with the problem, including attacking PKK strongholds in

northern Iraq, which the organization uses as a command,

control, and logistics base to infiltrate Turkey and carry

out attacks. Turkey wants the new government in Iraq to take

immediate, concrete steps to limit PKK freedom of action in

the country. The PKK's isolated location, the long list of

priorities facing the GOI, and the attitudes of Kurdish

authorities in northern Iraq make this complicated.



8. (C) Secretary Rice told GOT leaders April 25 that the U.S.

will reinvigorate trilateral (U.S.-Turkey-Iraq) discussions

on the issue. While recognizing that the insurgency prevents

coalition troops from engaging the PKK in Iraq, the GOT

remains frustrated at its inability, and U.S. unwillingness,

to stop attacks by people coming from the other side of its

border.



9. (S) If you are confronted with this issue, you can point

to significant efforts the USG is undertaking to ameliorate

the PKK threat:



--Sharing of sensitive intelligence on PKK activities within

Turkey, which have led to successful Turkish COIN operations.



--MNF-I surveillance flights over PKK camps in northern Iraq,

which have also had a salutary effect interms of psyops.



--An intelligence fusion cell which meets weekly in Ankara to

pass information to the Turkish military on PKK activities.



--A new initiative to work with Turkey on building law

enforcement cases against PKK operatives in Europe.



OTHER KEY ISSUES

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Iran

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10. (S) Secretary Rice personally informed Foreign Minister

Gul May 31 of the U.S. initiative to join with the EU-3 in

negotiations with Iran's representatives once Iran fully and

verifiably suspends its enrichment and reprocessing

activities. Deputy National Security Adviser Crouch followed

up with discussions in Ankara June 4. Official and public

reaction to this initiative has been uniformly positive. The

GOT has publicly supported this move and called upon the

Iranians to respond positively. Turkish officials have taken

a tougher line on Iran since the U.S. Ambassador to the IAEA,

Greg Schulte, provided in-depth briefings and consulted with

Turkey in February. Gul has told visiting Congressional

delegations that Iran's nuclear weapons aspirations are the

single most important problem facing Europe and the Middle

East, and he has emphasized the need for a united and

decisive international approach. Ankara has called on Tehran

to cooperate with the IAEA, adopt full transparency on its

nuclear programs, and resume negotiations with the EU-3, most

recently in Erdogan - Ahmadinejad encounters in Baku and Bali

and during an early May visit by Iranian National Security

Adviser Larijani.



An Opening on Nasosnaya?

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11. (C) As part of a continuing effort in the Caucasus, the

U.S. and allies continue to promote collective assistance to

Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia. A recent proposal -- the

upgrade of Nasosnaya Airfield located outside of Baku -- has

not taken hold with our Turkish counterparts (at least not in

Ankara). Over the past 2-3 years, the idea of upgrading the

airfield has been briefed in several venues (the Caucasus

Working Group and the South Caucasus Clearing House).

Additionally, the idea of a joint venture among allies to



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perform the upgrade has been informally sent to the TGS J5 on

several occasions. While the military has not responded to

our entreaties in Ankara, the Turkish DATT in Baku (a

one-star general) recently told us that Turkey is

enthusiastic about working with us on Nasosnaya. A push at

the senior levels within TGS might help break this proposal

loose. Any interest you can promote during your visit would

be beneficial.





Defense Industry Cooperation Declining

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12. (SBU) Defense industry cooperation, once the strongest

aspect of our military-to-military relationship, is in

decline. No U.S. firm has won a direct commercial sale since

Boeing was awarded a contract for an Airborne Early Warning

and Control (AEW&C) aircraft in 2002. In 2004, three tenders

(UAVs, Main Battle Tanks, and attack helicopters) were

canceled. Two U.S. firms, Boeing and Bell, were interested

in a second attack helicopter tender, but declined to

participate due to onerous liability and technology transfer

requirements. (Several non-US firms did submit bids.)

Sikorsky may choose not to participate in a tender for 54

utility helicopters for the Turkish Armed Forces and Forestry

Service for the same reason, and Raytheon may bow out of

contention for an aircraft trainer tender. Both in Ankara

and in Washington, U.S. firms and the USG have raised the

technology transfer and liability concerns with Turkey's

Ministry of Defense and Defense Industry Undersecretariat

(SSM). Despite both Turkish military and government

insistence that it wants US competition in these tenders, SSM

has resisted making the necessary changes to the tenders to

ensure it.



Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at

http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/



WILSON