TURKEY: SENIOR GENERAL ON KURDISH ISSUE,

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 002420 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/25/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR TU SUBJECT: TURKEY: SENIOR GENERAL ON KURDISH ISSUE, SECULARISM, AND IRAQ REF: A. ANKARA 2021 ¶B. ANKARA 2365 ¶C. ANKARA 2414 ¶D. 06 ANKARA 5610 ¶E. ANKARA 2282 Classified By: Acting Pol-Mil Counselor Christopher Rich, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: In his annual address to new cadets at the start of the Turkish Military Academy's academic year, Turkish Land Forces Commander General Ilker Basbug (widely expected to become CHOD in 2008 -- ref. a) warned against attempts to redefine "secularism." He cautioned Kurdish nationalists against efforts to seek constitutional protection of ethnic identity, including a push for Kurdish language use in schools. Basbug acknowledged the need for a comprehensive approach to address the Kurdish question, and blamed the GOT for failing to coordinate a systematic campaign to defeat the PKK. Emphasizing frustration over the PKK's ongoing presence in northern Iraq, he called for urgent U.S. and Iraqi action against the terrorist organization. As an apparent reminder not to take for granted Turkey's support for U.S. operations in Iraq, Basbug said that no solution for Iraq can be lasting without Turkey's support. End Summary ¶2. (U) Turkish media provided broad coverage of General Basbug's September 24 speech at the Turkish Military Academy. The bulk of Basbug's message focused on the ongoing struggle against the terrorist PKK. Basbug praised the Turkish armed forces' successful efforts, but underscored that the military alone cannot address the PKK challenge. He identified the PKK's success in recruiting new members as a key challenge, and stressed the need for further economic development in the Southeast. Security measures, he stressed, must be part of a wider effort that should include economic, "social-cultural" (including education and health),and "psychological" (i.e. information operations) elements to counter the PKK threat, and faulted the GOT for failing to orchestrate such a campaign. At the same time, Basbug also cautioned against efforts to "advance cultural differences for the sake of boosting freedom," singling out for criticism attempts to allow schools to teach in languages other than Turkish. Expressing fear that these efforts might lead Turkey to polarize along ethnic lines, Basbug implicitly blamed Kurdish nationalists and Turkey's EU bid for this trend. Frustrations Over U.S. Inaction Continue Unabated -------------- -------------- ¶3. (U) Basbug stated that one reason for Turkey's inability to better manage the PKK problem was the failure of the U.S. and Iraqi governments to take military action against the PKK in northern Iraq. "Now is the time for action, not just words" against the PKK, he stressed. Basbug also made the broader point that developments in northern Iraq have given "political, military, legal and psychological support" to the Kurds, and threaten to lead some Turkish Kurds to identify more closely with Iraqi Kurds than with Turkey. Linking perceived inaction against the PKK with overall USG policy in Iraq, Basbug warned that a solution in Iraq without Turkey's support cannot last. He cautioned that while Turkey does not have the power to directly affect the course in Iraq, it does "have the power to make the cost greater." Commentators were quick to underscore that this statement was a not-too-subtle signal that Turkish logistic support for U.S. operations in Iraq should not be taken for granted. Redefining Secularism: Don't Go There -------------- ¶4. (C) Although Basbug focused on Turkey's struggles against the PKK, he also echoed the main thesis in CHOD Buyukanit's August 27 Victory Day speech (ref b): the unitary and secular nature of the Turkish nation-state is under threat by "ethnic nationalists" (i.e. "Kurds") and "anti-secular forces" (i.e. the ruling "Islamists"). Basbug's comment that the definition of "secularism" (as written in the 1982 constitution) should not be open to debate has been widely interpreted as a warning against the ruling AKP's efforts to reform the 1982 constitution (written by the military following the 1980 coup),and the possible lifting of a ban on the wearing of headscarves in universities (ref c). Comment -------------- ¶5. (C) While warnings against "ethnic nationalists" and "anti-secularists" are not new for Turkish generals (Basbug made similar points at the same forum last year -- ref d), Basbug's speech is notable given the current political debate over introducing greater social freedoms following the July 22 elections. The military's world view, as presented in Basbug's speech, is in stark contrast with the GOT's goal of introducing greater individual freedoms - a goal President Gul has also articulated (ref e). Basbug's assessment that a comprehensive approach is needed to address the Kurdish issue is encouraging, but his warning against the use of "other languages" (Kurdish) in schools indicates that the military is trying to draw the line on what it can tolerate in terms of "social-cultural" tools to address the Kurdish question. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON