TURKEY: U/S BURNS' MEETING WITH PRESIDENT GUL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002466

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT. FOR P AND EUR/SE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/04/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY: U/S BURNS' MEETING WITH PRESIDENT GUL


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


1. (C) SUMMARY: President Gul emphasized the GOT's wish to
strengthen Turkish-U.S. ties during a September 19 meeting
with U/S Burns. He wants to work closely with us on upcoming
meetings of the Iraq Expanded Neighbors process and on Middle
East peace. Gul noted the PKK as a major impediment to
improved ties between Turkey and Iraq, as well as with Iraqi
Kurds. He hopes the Iraqis will realize they have far more
to gain from improved ties with Turkey than from continued
tolerance of a PKK presence in northern Iraq. Gul expressed
trepidation about the negative impact of congressional
passage of an Armenian genocide resolution (AGR) on
Turkey-U.S. ties, underscoring that it would take years to
repair the damage. He also conveyed Turkey's frustration
with the continued isolation of Turkish Cypriots and asked
for U.S. help in encouraging the EU to increase its economic
engagement with northern Cyprus. END SUMMARY

U.S.-Turkey Relations Very Important
--------------


2. (C) During a meeting in Ankara September 19, President Gul
told U/S Burns that the bilateral relationship between the
U.S. and Turkey is extremely important. Although it has been
truly tested over the past five years, its strong basis of
shared values over five decades would see it through
difficult times. Democratic values are flourishing in
Turkey; Turkey is, in fact, a model for the Middle East
region in this regard, though he would never say that
publicly. Turkey will continue to do what it can to
encourage the spread of democracy and our shared values
throughout the region. Gul expressed appreciation that
President Bush had been the very first foreign leader to call
with congratulations after his election as president. He
praised the Strategic Vision document he and Secretary Rice
signed last year, noting that officials in both Turkey and
the U.S. have worked hard to improve and strengthen the
bilateral relationship. Burns expressed the USG's strong
desire to continue strengthening our bilateral ties and said
that we look forward to greatly increasing our engagement,
including an upcoming visit by the Secretary to Istanbul for
the Iraq Expanded Neighbors ministerial and planned visits by
PM Erdogan and President Gul to Washington.

Coordinating on MEPP, Iraq...and the PKK
--------------


3. (C) Burns said that although critics see Abu Mazen and PM
Olmert as too weak to achieve peace, the U.S. is working hard
to organize a serious Middle East peace conference. Noting
that Turkey is a serious player in the region, he added the
USG hopes to work with it. Our Middle East experts will meet
prior to the conference. Gul said all countries in the
region seem to trust the Turks and urged us to utilize them
to press the Palestinians and others for peace, an effort the
GOT would indeed support.


4. (C) U/S Burns expressed the hope that when ministers
gather in Istanbul for the Iraq Neighbors meeting, they will
gain a greater appreciation for Turkey's struggle against the
PKK and give Turkey additional support in that fight. The
U.S. strongly supports Turkey on this issue and will continue
to try to find ways to do more. Burns urged Gul to consider
meeting with Iraqi President Talabani and to engage directly
with Massoud Barzani and Kurdish Regional Government (KRG)
officials to discuss this issue and others of common
interest. Gul responded that the PKK issue remains a barrier
to improved Turkish-Iraq relations, as well as Turkey's ties
to Iraqi Kurds. GOT officials understand the internal
political problem Iraqi Kurdish leaders face in countering a
group such as the PKK that shares a common ethnicity.
Turkish companies have a strong economic presence in northern
Iraq and there is a natural affinity between Kurds and Turks.

ANKARA 00002466 002 OF 003


Gul said Iraqi Kurdish leaders must consider this calculus
in determining where their best interests lie and who their
true friends are. Gul stated that Turkey has the military
capability to stop PKK attacks emanating from northern Iraq,
but that it does not want to damage Iraq or Turkey's
relations with it.


5. (C) If, Gul claimed, Iraqi Kurdish leaders could make some
serious gestures to counter the threat the PKK presence
inside Iraq poses to Turkey's security, this would resonate
throughout Turkey. Turks remember well how Barzani himself
was threatened by the PKK many years ago -- were it not for
Turkish tanks, Barzani very likely would have been killed by
PKK forces fighting their way into Erbil. Turkey is now
looking for the same kind of support from Barzani and the
KDP. U/S Burns agreed that KRG officials must make a greater
effort on the PKK and said that the U.S.-TU-IZ trilateral
process to counter the PKK needs to be more active as well.
Referring to news reports that a cousin of FM Babacan serving
in the Turkish military had been killed the previous night in
the southeast, Burns conveyed his condolences and expressed
his sympathy with Turkey's continued struggle against terror.

AGR Threatens to Destroy Everything
--------------


6. (C) U/S Burns said the Administration is working hard to
oppose any Armenian genocide resolution in Congress. He
noted Secretary Rice had spoken with House leadership.
Former Secretaries of State and Defense will sign joint
letters opposing such a resolution. He admitted that the
resolution could come to a vote at any time, adding that,
despite the Administration's best efforts, it very well could
pass. Gul expressed appreciation for Administration efforts
to date and emphasized that at such a critical juncture, when
Turkey and the United States need to increase bilateral
cooperation to achieve important goals, passage of an AGR
threatens to destroy "everything between us," including all
the progress we have made in the past two years. It would
require many years to repair the damage.


7. (C) Burns said he had heard that FM Babacan and his
Armenian counterpart FM Oskanian may meet on the margins of
UNGA next week. He urged the GOT to reach out to Armenia --
establish diplomatic relations, open the border -- in order
to create a new dynamic in the bilateral relationship and
help stem the Congressional resolution's momentum. He
assured Gul that the U.S. would urge the Government of
Armenia to meet Turkey halfway. Gul responded that the GOT
is not happy with the abysmal state of its bilateral
relationship with its neighbor to the east. Turkey, however,
has made many gestures that Yerevan has not reciprocated.
Gul assured Burns that the GOT seeks to be "problem-solvers"
on this issue; the Armenians need to take a similar "big
picture" approach.

Cyprus: We Were Cheated
--------------


8. (C) U/S Burns expressed continued USG support for UNSYG
Ban-Ki Moon's efforts to reignite talks between Turkish and
Greek Cypriots on a comprehensive Cyprus settlement and asked
Gul's advice on how best to move forward. Gul responded that
Cyprus is a frustrating issue for Turkey. It had supported
the Annan Plan, only to see the Greek Cypriots reject it. He
recalled as well the words of then-EU Enlargement
Commissioner Guenther Verheugen in the aftermath of the Greek
Cypriot vote against the Plan -- "We were cheated." Gul said
the EU has forgotten its promises to end Turkish Cypriots'
economic isolation and he asked that the U.S. continue to
urge the Europeans to make good on them. Burns said the U.S
would continue to work on behalf of a Cyprus settlement, and
would encourage UNSYG Ban toward that end.


ANKARA 00002466 003 OF 003



9. (U) U/S Burns has cleared this cable.

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

WILSON