Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ANKARA4804
2006-08-17 15:00:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:  

TURKEY TO DECIDE ON UNIFIL PARTICIPATION AFTER

Tags:  PREL KPKO MOPS TU LE 
pdf how-to read a cable
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Dianne Wampler 08/17/2006 06:21:21 PM From DB/Inbox: Dianne Wampler

Cable 
Text: 
 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 04804

SIPDIS
CX:
 ACTION: POL
 INFO: PMA ECON AMB RAO FCS PA DCM MGT DAO CONS TSR

DISSEMINATION: POL /1
CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: AMB:RWILSON
DRAFTED: AMB:RWILSON
CLEARED: NONE

VZCZCAYI155
OO RUEHC RUEHZL RUEHAM RUEHGB RUEHLB RUEHEG
RUEHIT RUCNDT
DE RUEHAK #4804/01 2291500
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 171500Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8032
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 0832
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0716
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 0465
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 0326
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 1118
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1740
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 004804 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/17/2016
TAGS: PREL KPKO MOPS TU LE
SUBJECT: TURKEY TO DECIDE ON UNIFIL PARTICIPATION AFTER
AUGUST 20


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

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 004804

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/17/2016
TAGS: PREL KPKO MOPS TU LE
SUBJECT: TURKEY TO DECIDE ON UNIFIL PARTICIPATION AFTER
AUGUST 20


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


1. (C) Summary: Turkey will move toward a government
decision to approve a Lebanon deployment during the week of
August 21, following FM Gul's consultations in Israel on
Sunday, according to MFA DG for the Middle East Bozkurt Aran.
However, Aran told Ambassador on August 17 that this
decision will definitely require parliamentary approval. Gul
got strong encouragement to participate in the expanded
UNIFIL from PM Siniora. End Summary.


2. (C) Aran debriefed on Gul's August 16 visit to Beirut,
where he saw Siniora, Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri, the
foreign minister and Saad Hariri, as well as visiting foreign
and deputy foreign ministers of France, Malaysia, Pakistan,
Senegal and Qatar. Gul was reportedly struck by how calm and
confident Siniora appeared. On Hezbollah, Siniora reportedly
said that the organization will give the appearance of
withdrawing from the south. It had been agreed that there
will be no firing of weapons or carrying of weapons, and
fighters will go back to more civilian pursuits. Neither the
LAF nor UNIFIL would go very far searching for weaponry, but
anyone caught carrying arms in the south would be arrested
and their arms confiscated.


3. (C) Regarding the other meetings, Aran said that Nabih
Berri took a strongly anti-Israeli and anti-US tone. Hariri
fingered Syria and especially Iran as the real forces behind
Hezbollah. He predicted to Gul that the August 22 due date
Iran set for itself on the nuclear issue will be a pivot
point in the region and in Lebanon.


4. (C) Aran said Gul's party visited southern Beirut. While
obviously struck by the immense destruction there, Aran said
everyone noted that people did not appear sad, hopeless or
downcast. Gul was greeted by smiling people wherever he
went, and this forward-looking optimism apparently impressed
the Turks. Aran added that Hezbollah and Nasrallah appear to
be very strong. He said there no meetings with Hezbollah
figures.


5. (C) In Israel, Gul will meet with PM Olmert, FM Livni and
the defense minister, according to both Aran and the Israeli
ambassador here. Gul will also travel to Ramallah to meet
with Abu Mazen, but both the Israeli and Aran said there will
be no contacts with Hamas. The Israeli ambassador said that
Gul's visit has two purposes. First, to understand how
Israel views the expanded UNIFIL and the conditions under
which it will operate as part of moving toward a decision on
Turkish participation. Second, to dispel concerns in Israel
and in the US Congress about anti-Semitism in Turkey, which
spiked at the height of the Lebanon air campaign.


6. (C) Regarding the UNIFIL expansion, Aran said that the
government will meet early next week to review the results of
Gul's visit to Beirut, his Sunday visit to Israel, and the
UNIFIL Troop Contributing Countries (TCC) meeting Thursday in
New York. He said that both PM Erdogan and FM Gul intend for
Turkey to be in UNIFIL, and he expected a decision to
participate will come soon.


7. (C) Aran had asked Gul personally whether parliamentary
approval will be necessary; Gul reportedly replied yes and
added that it should not be a problem. Questions would arise
on two fronts: (a) why is Turkey sending forces abroad when
it can't protect Turks at home from PKK terrorist violence
and (b) won't intercession in southern Lebanon just free up
Israeli forces to carry out actions in Gaza. Aran repeated
what others have said about the importance of progress on the
PKK and restarting some kind of engagement on the
Israel-Palestine front to rebut these criticisms. Various
figures here also highlight the importance of diversity in
the expanded UNIFIL, including the presence of various
Islamic countries from different parts of the world.


8. (C) Ambassador commended FM Gul's careful approach on
UNIFIL participation, which also included reaching out to the
opposition leader in parliament before going to Beirut. He
said that the US hopes to see strong and effective Turkish
participation in the expanded UNIFIL. Referring to comments
made when Counselor Zelikow was here in late July about
Turkey's desire for a say in decisions about the force,
Ambassador observed that those countries which commit
earliest and with the largest forces will have the greatest
say as details are worked out.


9. (C) Ambassador also reiterated the US concerns about
Iranian overflights of Turkish territory that we have
expressed many times. Aran responded that Turkey is
vigilant, will continue to be so, and will continue to
respond to US concerns on the matter.

Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/

WILSON