Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ANKARA551
2006-02-08 15:46:00
SECRET
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:  

MARINE CORPS COMMANDANT GENERAL HAGEE WITH TGS AND

Tags:  MARR MOPS PREL PGOV TU IZ SY 
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S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000551 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/SE, NEA/I, NEA/ARNJ

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/06/2016
TAGS: MARR MOPS PREL PGOV TU IZ SY
SUBJECT: MARINE CORPS COMMANDANT GENERAL HAGEE WITH TGS AND
TLFC ON IRAQ AND BILATERAL COOPERATION

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

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000551

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/SE, NEA/I, NEA/ARNJ

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/06/2016
TAGS: MARR MOPS PREL PGOV TU IZ SY
SUBJECT: MARINE CORPS COMMANDANT GENERAL HAGEE WITH TGS AND
TLFC ON IRAQ AND BILATERAL COOPERATION

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


1. (S) BEGIN SUMMARY: US Marine Corps Commandant General
Michael Hagee outlined for Deputy Chief of the Turkish
General Staff (TGS) General Isik Kosaner and Turkish Land
Forces Commander (TLFC) General Yasar Buyukanit in separate
meetings on Feb. 2 the Iraqi Coalition's progress to stand up
Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) that are increasingly able to
assume primary responsibility for keeping order. In response
to concerns over the absence of ISF forces south of the
Turkish border to prevent terrorists from crossing over,
Hagee emphasized that standing up an ethnically-mixed ISF and
border police force, and ensuring a sovereign, unified Iraq
are the best ways to beat the terrorists. Hagee underscored
the continued importance of intelligence-sharing and asked
for Turkey's influence with Syria to control its border with
Iraq. He invited Turkey to send officers to observe US
training programs -- particularly those modeled on the Iraq
experience, with a focus on IEDs, and offered joint exercises
at the platoon-level. Characterizing his recent visit to the
US as excellent, GEN Buyukanit looked forward to a reciprocal
visit by GEN Schoomaker this year. GEN Kosaner noted TGS
concerns with Iran's nuclear plans and emphasized that any
solution must have the support of the Iranian people. END
SUMMARY.

--------------
US COMMITTED TO SUCCESS IN IRAQ
--------------


2. (S) GEN Buyukanit opened by commenting that a Jan. 2006
report by the (US) National Security Advisory Group entitled
"The U.S. Military - Under Strain And At Risk" portrayed the
state of the US military as poor. Gen Hagee responded that
US military morale is high and both the US Army and US Marine
Corps are busy, battle-hardened and positive about the
progress they are making in Iraq. Noting the mood in Al
Anbar province, Hagee said ISF forces had taken over security
control of several sections of Fallujah, even drafting,

executing and critiquing their own security operation.
Buyukanit responded that there was not a single ISF soldier
just south of Turkey's border with Iraq and that there are
only Kurdish forces in northern Iraq. Hagee stated that
Iraqis want to control their entire border. He noted
Coalition efforts to ensure the ISF does not represent any
particular ethnic group and recounted his conversations with
several ISF brigade commanders who were dedicated to the
support of Iraq and not their particular ethnic group. Hagee
emphasized to both Kosaner and Buyukanit the importance of
seeing the political process through. President Bush is
committed to a stable Iraq and to keeping US forces there to
train the ISF and put the military under a
democratically-elected civilian government. There is not
timeline for a US withdrawal, which will be dependent on the
Iraqis' timing, he said.


3. (S) PKK: Kosaner and Buyukanit separately complained that
the PKK moves into and out of Turkey from camps just on the
Iraqi side of the shared border and noted the difficulty of
controlling the mountainous border. Hagee told Kosaner that
in Iraq intelligence had proved to be more important than
kinetic action by helping to target the right people. He
emphasized the continued importance of our
intelligence-sharing program. Calling the PKK a threat to
the Iraqi government as well as Turkey, Kosaner agreed that
bilateral intelligence-sharing was very good but said the
exchange of information was not enough to solve the problem.


4. (S) Syria: At TGS and TLFC, Hagee called Iraq's border
with Syria the greatest security problem. The Coalition is
working with the Iraqi border police to establish border
posts and to help them patrol the borders with Syria, Jordan
and Saudi Arabia. Syria's help is needed, however, to stop
the flow of fighters over the border. Hagee asked Kosaner
for Turkey's intervention with Syria to control its border.

-------------- --------------
INCREASED EXCHANGES KEY TO STRONG MIL-MIL RELATIONS
-------------- --------------


5. (SBU) Reiterating an offer made during his 2003 visit to
Turkey, Gen Hagee extended to both Kosaner and to Buyukanit
an invitation for Turkish troops to observe and/or
participate in training in the US at Camp Le Jeune or
Twenty-Nine Palms. He highlighted a 30-day training program
that incorporates lessons learned from Iraq, with an emphasis
on improvised explosive devices (IEDs),and noted that
Turkish participation would be useful for US troops, who
could gain from Turkey's understanding of the Arab culture,
attitudes and village life. Kosaner acknowledged the value
of training exchanges, including his own US training in 1971
during the Vietnam War. He suggested that the details of
such an exchange be worked out at the action officer level.


6. (SBU) In addition to training, Hagee offered to do joint
exercises at the platoon level. Saying that it would be
difficult to train at the brigade or company level at this
time, Hagee said that smaller exercises would be possible,
either in Turkey or the US. Kosaner raised concerns about
training along coastal areas given Turkey's extensive
tourism, to which Hagee responded that extensive Marine
activity in Iraq and Afghanistan made land-based training
equally important and welcomed the possibility of training
inside Turkey. Kosaner agreed this is an worth exploring.

--------------
DEFENSE INDUSTRY COOPERATION DISMAL
--------------


7. (SBU) Turning to another historic area of cooperation,
Hagee said the defense industry cooperation relationship
needed work. He emphasized to both Kosaner and Buyukanit the
importance of our two militaries' being able to fight
together and to use each other's platforms, and raised the
specter of a Turkish military with technology that can talk
to its Allies. Kosaner agreed on the importance of
interoperability.

--------------
FEARS OF A NUCLEAR IRAN
--------------


8. (S) Regional security issues are a concern for Turkey,
Kosaner said, listing the Hamas election win and Iran's
nuclear plans in specific. He expressed his hope that the
Iranian nuclear stand-off could be solved peacefully, "as you
did in North Korea, without any activity." Kosaner continued
that "success" is the ultimate objective but it must be
"lasting, under control, and accepted by all people," and not
in a way that will lead to later problems or new clashes. He
warned against disturbing the "delicate balance" in the
region. Hagee agreed on the importance of diplomacy to
resolve the issue, and underscored the need for international
participation in the solution.

--------------
REBUILDING THE RELATIONSHIP
--------------


9. (SBU) Both Kosaner and Buyukanit emphasized the strength
of the bilateral mil-mil relationship -- and to say that they
could not speak for the civilian government. Kosaner
welcomed the series of high-level USG visitors and said that
it was his job and theirs to keep our bilateral relationship
strong. He recounted Turkey's extensive support for
democratic efforts in Afghanistan, including, most recently,
Turkey's decision to host a PRT in Wardak, and looked forward
to future cooperative efforts to build peace around the
world. Hagee noted that the planned March visit of CJCS Gen
Pace indicated the importance of the bilateral relationship
to the US. Buyukanit opined that it was easy to establish
friendships at a high level but important to reach the
civilian population. Recognizing the possibility of residual
ill will on the part of both US and Turkish citizens,
Buyukanit urged public statements by high-level USG officials
in support of the relationship. He expressed hope that CJCS
Pace would make public statements in Turkey.

--------------
PARTICIPANTS
--------------


10. Turkey:

General Yasar Buyukanit, Commander, Turkish Land Forces
General Ergin Saygun, Chief of Staff, Turkish Land Forces
Major General Adem Huduti, J-4 Chief of Logistics, Turkish
Land Forces
Major General Nazim Altintas, J-5 Chief of Plans and Policy,
Turkish Land Forces

US:

General Michael Hagee, Commandant, US Marine Corps
Lieutenant General Emerson Gardner, Deputy Commander
Sergeant Major John Estrada, US Marine Corps
Major Frank Latt, Aide de Camp to General Hagee


11. General Hagee did not have an opportunity to clear this
cable.
WILSON