CODEL COSTELLO: GOT URGES HOUSE NOT TO PASS AGR

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ISTANBUL 000791 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL TU AM IZ SUBJECT: CODEL COSTELLO: GOT URGES HOUSE NOT TO PASS AGR ¶1. (SBU) Summary. Turkish MFA Undersecretary (D Equivalent) Apakan and a group of parliamentarians, separately, urged Codel Costello to prevent passage of an Armenian Genocide Resolution, noting it would cause serious damage to US-Turkish relations. Turkish officials also pressed the delegation for increased cooperation on combating the PKK in northern Iraq. End summary. TURKISH PARLIAMENTARIANS: PUBLIC BACKLASH TO AGR -------------- --- ¶2. (SBU) At an August 21 Consulate General-hosted event, the head of the Turkey-U.S. parliamentary friendship group Egemen Bagis cited two issues which could pose serious harm to relations: USG inaction against PKK terrorists in northern Iraq and possible passage of a House resolution on Armenian Genocide (AGR). While Turkey appreciates what the United States has done in the past, it does not feel it is getting enough support in its current fight against the PKK, he lamented. Noting that 75% of logistics destined for Iraq pass through Turkey's Incirlik Air Base and that Turkey is second only to the United States in number of casualties despite not having troops in Iraq, Bagis called upon the U.S. to do more to combat PKK forces using northern Iraq as a safehaven. ¶3. (SBU) Turning to the AGR, Bagis described a GOT offer made two years ago to the GOAm, proposing a joint commission of historians, scholars and other subject matter experts be established to review the associated events of 1915-1916. PM Erdogan even extended an invitation to his Armenian counterpart in order to discuss the commission's findings once its work was complete, he noted, but the GOAm has yet to respond. Pointing out that a number of the delegation members had signed on as sponsors to the proposed AGR, Bagis urged them to reconsider, warning that passing this resolution would cause serious damage to the relationship and reaction of the Turkish people would be very negative. While acknowledging these were not easy issues to deal with, Chairman Costello recognized Turkey's assistance and sacrifices with respect to Iraq and promised to share Bagis' concerns with congressional colleagues. TURKISH MFA: "AGR IS UNFAIR" -------------- ¶4. (SBU) At a separate August 21 event hosted by the Turkish MFA, Undersecretary Apakan reminded the Codel Of the many issues on which the United States and Turkey have shared interests, including: Iran, Middle East peace, Afghanistan, energy security and the preservation of the territorial integrity and political unity of Iraq. He stressed Turkey's continued commitment to moving towards the West included EU accession and strong relations with the United States. "To the extent it is successful in both of these, Turkey can play a more effective role as a stabilizer in the region," he asserted. ¶5. (SBU) Referencing the Shared Vision Document signed in July 2006 and the third meeting of the Economic Partnership Commission held last February, Apakan stressed the importance of further enhancing US-Turkey cooperation. He described the proposed AGR as the most significant obstacle to this prospect. Reiterating Bagis' comments regarding the GOT proposal to establish a commission to study the events of 1915-1916, Apakan claimed Turkey is ready to accept such a commission's findings as truth. He pointed out that 70,000 Armenians had come to Turkey to find work in addition to the 40,000 Armenians living in Turkish society "that we accept as Turks." Apakan urged the delegation members to re-think this resolution that is unfair to Turkey, the Turkish people and to US-Turkish relations at a time that Turkey is making every effort to cooperate on a host of issues, including Cyprus. ¶6. (SBU) Congressman Costello assured Apakan that he had heard Turkey's concerns regarding Iraq, Iran and the PKK and that he agreed on the importance of maintaining a unified Iraq and pursuing a diplomatic solution vis-a-vis Iran. Regarding the AGR, Costello noted the resolution had been introduced many times before and has not come up for a vote. He acknowledged that many members of the delegation have large groups of Armenians living in their districts and recognized the need to go back and discuss this issue to promote a better understanding of how the vote could affect US interests. To that effect, Costello pledged to communicate associated GOT concerns to congressional colleagues in Washington. ISTANBUL 00000791 002 OF 002 ¶7. (SBU) Codel Costello did not have an opportunity to clear this cable. WIENER