TURKEY: SUDANESE PRESIDENT'S VISITS GARNERS HARSH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000148 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/23/2016 TAGS: PREL TU SU SUBJECT: TURKEY: SUDANESE PRESIDENT'S VISITS GARNERS HARSH PUBLIC CRITICISM REF: FIERST/MOORE 1/18/08 E-MAIL Classified By: PolCouns Janice G. Weiner for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: Sudanese President Bashir met with President Gul and Energy Minister Guler during his controversial January 21 trip to Ankara. President Gul urged Sudan to cooperate with the international community to find a solution to Darfur, pushing Bashir to make the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) work and to stop isolating himself and his government. The Turkish press openly criticized the GOT and Gul,s decision to host Bashir and scrutinized every aspect of the visit. While the Gul (and the GOT) appears to be testing how best to use his influence on the regional stage to play a helpful role in nudging problems toward better solutions, all were fully unprepared for the scale of Turkish and international ire. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Turkish Presidency/PM foreign affairs advisor Davutoglu briefed Ambassador January 22 on the Bashir visit. Per ref e-mail, Ambassador had been in touch with Davutoglu in advance of the talks to raise USG concerns about the appropriateness of receiving Bashir, and to pass on two suggestions. First, that Turkey urge Sudan to cooperate with the UNAMID force deployment, which Khartoum has been severely impeding through its actions on the ground. Second, that Turkey urge the Sudanese to ensure that the 2009 elections provided for under the Comprehensive Peace Accords (CPA) occur successfully, that planning for them go forward now, and that the CPA be successfully implemented. Ambassador also reminded Davutoglu of a suggestion by then-Deputy Secretary Zoellick to PM Erdogan at Sharm el-Sheikh in 2006 SIPDIS that Turkey consider participating in the UN peacekeeping mission in Sudan. GUL TELLS BASHIR TO WORK WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ¶3. (C) Davutoglu reported there was no discussion of Turkish peacekeeper for UNAMID, but that President Gul made the broader points that we suggested. The Sudanese leader disclaimed any interference in UNAMID's deployment and argued that Khartoum is cooperating fully with both the African Union (AU) and UN. Any problems, he suggested, stem from the government's insistence on sovereignty over Sudanese territory. Gul pushed back and urged Bashir to make UNAMID work and to stop isolating himself and his government. ¶4. (C) Regarding the CPA, the Sudanese reiterated a general commitment to the accords' success, according to Davutoglu. The Turks suggested opening a consulate in the southern capital of Juba, to which Bashir assented. Davutoglu also claimed that Ankara is prepared to consider another consulate in Darfur. The latter, he said, would give Turkey ground truth and insight into complex Darfur politics, which he argued his leaders must have before they could seriously consider offering peacekeeping troops for UNAMID. Davutoglu stated that a small number of Turkish logistics staff officers have recently been deployed in support of the AU mission and that delivery of Turkey's humanitarian aid is proceeding apace. ¶5. (C) In public remarks, Gul called for a solution to Darfur through peaceful means within the framework of Sudanese sovereignty and territorial integrity. Davutoglu said that Turkish leaders in person were much tougher, trying in a friendly way to put Bashir on the spot and make clear the need to change course. Gul suggested that Bashir develop a five-year plan for development and reconciliation in Darfur that would take into account the region's complicated water and migration history. BASHIR VISIT SPARKS UNFORESEEN CONTROVERSY ¶6. (SBU) The Turkish media scrutinized every aspect of the Bashir visit, characterizing him as the world's "bloodiest dictator" and "most controversial figure." The press labeled his failure to follow established protocol during the traditional head-of-state visit to the founder of modern Turkey Kemal Ataturk's mausoleum a "diplomatic scandal." President Gul drew criticism as well for choosing to host Bashir and his covered wife at the Presidential Palace. Many ANKARA 00000148 002 OF 002 mainstream newspaper columnists capitalized on the visit to challenge the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) foreign policy agenda; comparing Turkey's engagement with Sudan to that with Hamas and other pariah nations Syria and Iran. "Vatan" writer Gungor Mengi questioned whether the AKP and President Gul were basing their support for Bashir on mutually shared views of "fundamentalism" and Sharia law. ¶7. (C) MFA Africa Section Chief Aykut Kumaroglu defended the GOT decision, arguing Bashir is the leader of a legitimate government in the largest country in Africa. He underscored the GOT belief that engagement is essential to changing the behavior of rogue regimes. Kumaroglu admitted that previous presidents had rejected Bashir's requests; President Gul had "made the political decision" to allow him to come. Humanitarianism aside, economics played a factor as well. While in Ankara, Bashir received a full briefing from Energy Minister Guler on Turkey's energy sector capabilities. COMMENT ¶8. (C) The Turks appear to be testing how to use President Gul's influence on the regional stage to play a helpful role in nudging problems toward solutions. Though well intended, the Bashir visit is the latest in a series of GOT engagement efforts that have garnered criticism at home and abroad. Kumaroglu told us the Turkish Embassy in Washington was totally unprepared for the number of "friends of Turkey" who expressed their concern. Both GOT and Gul will have heard the clamor. Had not Greek PM Karamanlis' visit drawn public attention from Bashir, the debate over Turkey's foreign policy would likely have continued. End Comment. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey WILSON