SWEDEN'S CONCERNS ON TURKISH PRT IN JOWZJAN,

C O N F I D E N T I A L STOCKHOLM 000797 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/23/2019 TAGS: PREL NATO MOPS MARR AF EUN SW SUBJECT: SWEDEN'S CONCERNS ON TURKISH PRT IN JOWZJAN, AFGHANISTAN REF: STOCKHOLM 796 Classified By: CDA Robert Silverman for reasons 1.4 (B) & (D). ¶1. (C) Sweden officially welcomes the possibility of Turkey launching a PRT in Jowzjan Province (Ref A),which the Swedes currently patrol, though Stockholm is increasingly concerned over Ankara's unwillingness to take responsibility for provincial security and force protection for civilians traveling outside the planned Turkish camp, according to Carl Magnus Ericsson of the MFA International Security Policy Department. Germany, which has overall responsibility for RC-North, is consulting with Sweden and Turkey on the issue. There needs to be "a clear division of labor to ensure there will not be any security gaps," Ericsson told POL Counselor in a December 21 meeting. ¶2. (C) MFA has asked MOD to review the Turkish PRT plans ) as well as our own draft MOU on life, security and mobility support for USG civilian personnel (ref A). MAJGEN Berndt Grundevik, Sweden's Army Chief of Staff, recently told Army Attache that the Swedish military and the Germans in RC-North welcome the Turks and their offer, but only if they adopt a "comprehensive approach" to all aspects of running the province, "from security to development." The Swedish military does not want to have to "augment the Turks." ¶3. (C) Comment: We assess that Turkish plans with respect to security and force protection will increasingly impact Sweden's position on the force protection requests in our own MOU. SILVERMAN