TURKISH AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES U.S.-TURKISH RELATIONS

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 DAKAR 001435

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/SE, INR/B AND AF/W
PARIS FOR POL - D,ELIA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/09/2017
TAGS: PREL KDEM KISL PINR PTER SOCI SG TU
SUBJECT: TURKISH AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES U.S.-TURKISH RELATIONS


Classified By: POLITICAL OFFICER OSMAN N. TAT FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (
D).


SUMMARY
--------------

1. (S) During Embassy,s Dakar Fourth of July celebrations,
PolOff had a candid discussion with Turkish Ambassador Yalcin
Kayaerensoy (strictly protect) on the Turkish people,s
continued anger over the capture of its soldiers in July
2003, Turkey,s upcoming July 22 election, the rise of
nationalism and the United States, unwillingness to assist
with the fight against the PKK. END SUMMARY.


2. (S) Underlining that Turkey had been an ally of the
United States since 1952, Ambassador Kayaerensoy stated that
the shockwaves and resentment from the July 2003 capture of
11 Turkish military personnel in Northern Iraq and their
subsequent mistreatment were still reverberating around the
country. He went on to say that even within the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, this event is still a major source of anger
towards the United States: &We have stayed quiet up until
now and tried not to reflect our anger to the outside world,
but the way our soldiers were treated remains unacceptable.8
He added that Americans still do not understand that
Turkey,s soldiers are considered sacrosanct by the Turkish
people and that an attack on them is an attack on the country
as a whole. When asked whether or not this would lead to a
reassessment of Turkey,s relations with the United States,
the Ambassador demurred. However, he added that the shock of
the &abductions8 was doubled due to the fact that the
United States, Turkey,s long standing ally, had been the
perpetrator. The Ambassador did not buy into the argument
that this was a case of mistaken identity.

THE RISE OF NATIONALISM AND NEW MARKETS
--------------

3. (S) Directly following the previous comments, Ambassador
Kayaerensoy maintained that the European Union,s treatment
of Turkey as well as the United States, unwillingness to
deal with the PKK is leading to a marked rise in nationalism
within Turkey. He feels that this nationalism will be
reflected by the entry into parliament of the Nationalist
Action Party (MHP) following the July 22 elections. On
French President Sarkozy and the EU, he said: &At least
Sarkozy is honest and expresses what all the other European
leaders are afraid to say.8 He went on to opine that the
ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) was doing whatever
the Americans and the Europeans wanted in order to further
personal agendas: &Come on, what have they really done
since they have been in power? They keep falling over
themselves trying to enter the European Union. How much more
rejection can a nation endure?8


4. (S) Highlighting that Turkey has been party to every
major European treaty since the founding of NATO, he
rhetorically asked &what does it actually mean to be
European anyway, and why are we being rejected when we have
met every obligation that was forced upon us? And don,t
forget that from the 1600,s onwards the Ottoman Empire
expanded westwards and not towards the Middle East. We have
been an integral part of the European continent for
centuries.8 As a result of the distinct rise in tensions
between Turkey and its traditional allies and partners, he
mused that Turkey must now look for new markets and allies
and included Iran on list of potential countries. Ambassador
Kayaernsoy also warned that many in Turkey, where, he
wistfully pointed out, the United States remains less popular
than in many Arab nations, are under the impression that the
United States, unwillingness to assist Turkey in its fight
against the PKK is not only hypocritical but extremely
dangerous: &You went into Iraq claiming to fight a war
against terror, and yet you do not help us to fight the PKK
who has been responsible for the death of over 30,000
people.8

ELECTIONS -- A PREDICTION
--------------

5. (C) Ambassador Kayaerensoy thinks that only three parties
have a chance of passing the 10 percent barrage to take their
place in the next parliament. The AKP will once again come
out as winners although he envisages a reduced majority to
around the 300 seat range. The Republican People,s Party
(CHP) will come in second, and the MHP will come in third.
Additionally, he expects that 30 or so independent
candidates, mainly from Turkey,s predominantly Kurdish
Southeastern region, will enter the parliament. Under this
scenario he has no idea what kind of government will emerge

DAKAR 00001435 002 OF 002


but expects that some sort of coalition is inevitable. He
does not think that Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul will become
President as the AKP will not have enough votes to elect him.


6. (C) BIO NOTE: Ambassador Kayaerensoy has been in Dakar
close to five years, and he expects to return to an as yet
unknown job in Ankara after the elections. END BIO NOTE.


7. (U) Visit Embassy Dakar,s SIPRNET Web site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/af/dakar.
JACOBS