TURKEY ALARMED ABOUT AFGHANISTAN; ASKS FOR U.S.

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 001344 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/01/2017 TAGS: PINS PREL AF TU SUBJECT: TURKEY ALARMED ABOUT AFGHANISTAN; ASKS FOR U.S. INTERCESSION Classified By: DCM Nancy McEldowney, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) MFA Undersecretary Apakan contacted Ambassador on May 31 to register Turkey's concern about developments in northern Afghanistan and to seek U.S. intercession. He said that conditions have deteriorated, especially in the north. Tension is rising and clashes have occurred between the central government and factions associated with Dostum. Local police have fired on demonstrators in the north, claiming six dead and forty wounded. Apakan said Karzai attributes responsibility for the unrest to Dostum. Afghan authorities are reportedly saying he should be arrested or sent to Turkey. Uzbeks and Turkomans are being subject to violence, said Apakan, and this is irritating Turkish public opinion. He made clear that Turkey likes Karzai and appreciates his positive role, but the manner of his approach to Dostum in not proper. Tensions, he said, now need to be controlled and reduced. ¶2. (C) Apakan asked that the U.S. intervene with the Afghan authorities and urge them to turn away from confrontation and calm tensions. He said Turkey knows Dostum has negative attributes and sometimes causes problems, but this matter needs to be handled sensitively to preserve stability in Afghanistan. ¶3. (C) Ambassador undertook to relay the GOT's concerns and request. He asked if Turkey has taken this issue up in Kabul. Apakan replied affirmatively; instructions had been sent to the Turkish ambassador in Kabul to intercede with both sides. He said MFA personnel could fill out for us in the coming days their picture of developments, but that he had called the Ambassador directly given the urgency of taking steps to calm the situation, restore public order and ensure the relevant parties act responsibly. ¶4. (C) We followed up June 1 with MFA Deputy DG for South Asia Babur Hizlan, who said that Turkey is concerned about the situation and believes Karzai should more properly turn his attention to the south (i.e., the Taliban) rather than the north. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON