CORDIAL ISTANBUL GOVERNOR EXTENDS PROMISE OF ANY

C O N F I D E N T I A L ISTANBUL 000922 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/11/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER TU SUBJECT: CORDIAL ISTANBUL GOVERNOR EXTENDS PROMISE OF ANY REQUIRED SECURITY ASSISTANCE REF: ANKARA 2440 Classified By: Consul General Sharon A. Wiener for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary. Istanbul CG Sharon Wiener requested and received a meeting with the Governor of Istanbul to stress the need for appropriate security measures at the U.S. Consulate in the event the Armenian Genocide Resolution (AGR) passes the full House. The CG also expressed condolences for the deaths of 15 Turkish security personnel in the Southeast over the previous 36 hours. The Governor received the CG warmly and promised full and open cooperation with the Consulate to ensure safety of lives and property. He noted with satisfaction that he and the Consul General had similar views on the AGR and fight against terrorism. End summary. ¶2. (C) CG met October 9 with Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler, whose office has direct overall responsibility for GOT protection of the Consulate. In the event the AGR passes the full House, the Governor promised all necessary security precautions to protect the Consulate, its staff and American citizens. He said his office and the deputy governor responsible for security would plan and coordinate security with the Consulate's Regional Security Office (RSO). He pledged to stay in touch with the Consul General. Clearly, he said, it would be possible to tolerate democratic protests, but the GOT would not permit threats to lives and property. The government would take precautions wherever protests occur; they would share information with RSO that was developed in advance of such demonstrations. Guler said his office would consider more in the way of protection as events warranted. If the AGR passed the full House, he suggested a further meeting to facilitate communication and to consider further security steps. Protests, he said, would be kept at a safe distance from the Consulate entrances. ¶3. (C) On October 15, 2007, Vice Governor Ergun Gungor followed up on the Governor,s commitment and discussed with the RSO additional security measures for the consulate. The Vice Governor promised continued police support with the deployment of both uniformed and plain clothes personnel and will discuss with Sariyer Police, the consulate's local Turkish National Police (TNP) station, the need for temporary barriers to control any potential demonstrations outside our facility. ¶4. (C) The Governor pointed out that the Southeast attacks killing Turkish security forces took place on Kadir or "Night of Power" when Muslims believe the first verses of the Koran were revealed to Muhammad. The timing made a greater impact than had the attacks occurred on an ordinary night. The Turkish public gives high importance to U.S.-Turkish relations. Its perception that the PKK receives support from Northern Iraq, where the U.S. has a presence, damages public trust in the U.S. If the U.S. fails to visibly act against the PKK, the public will have no trust in the security cooperation agreement Ankara signed with Iraq September 28 (Reftel). Describing the situation as "most frustrating," Guler nevertheless said no government can withstand this kind of public pressure for long. He spoke of the need for retribution against Kurdistan Regional President Barzani and Iraqi President Talibani if they do not help in the fight against the PKK in Northern Iraq. ¶5. (C) The Governor noted with satisfaction that he and the Consul General had similar thoughts and feelings about the AGR. An AGR passed by the U.S. House will only heighten anti-Armenian feeling in Turkey; this, he said, would be a tragedy. Turkey had never made its children enemies of Armenia. The events of 1915 were matters for historians and intellectuals to debate, he said. Guler drew attention to the coincidence of timing for the resolution before the House International Relations Committee and the deaths of 15 Turkish security forces in Turkey's fight against PKK terrorists, musing it seemed the attacks could have been planned to exacerbate AGR-related tension. The perception of Turks regarding America contrasted with that of Europe. Turks always felt confident the United States would not let long term relations be soured. Recent PKK-related deaths coupled with the situation in Northern Iraq have shaken public trust in Turkey's strategic partner. WIENER