TURKISH PRT IN JOWZJAN STILL IN LIMBO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000119 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE, S/SRAP, SCA/A, EUR/RPM E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/21/2020 TAGS: PREL NATO MOPS MARR SUBJECT: TURKISH PRT IN JOWZJAN STILL IN LIMBO REF: STOCKHOLM 797 Classified By: Pol-Mil Counselor Anthony Godfrey, Reasons 1.4 (b,d) ¶1. (C) Summary: The Turks were disappointed with the inconclusive talks they held with the Germans and Swedes in Berlin on January 15 regarding security arrangements for the PRT Turkey intends to deploy to Jowzjan Province. The MFA said that the three countries will meet again in early February, together with NATO officials. Turkey may propose holding the talks on the margins of the February 4-5 NATO informal Defense Ministerial in Istanbul. Ankara's goal for the early February meeting is to reach an acceptable security arrangement for all involved so that Turkey can proceed with preparations for its PRT deployment. We are not optimistic that the parties, on their own, will be able to reach agreement. End Summary. ¶2. (C) MFA Afghanistan Desk Officer Burcin Gonenli briefed us on the January 15 talks among Turkey, Sweden and Germany regarding sercurity arrangements related to Turkey's plans to deploy a provincial reconstruction team (PRT) to Jowzjan province. Gonenli said that the parties did not come close to reaching an agreement on security arrangements at the Berlin meeting and that there was a fundamental disconnect between Turkey's vision of its PRT and the expectations of Sweden and Germany. He said there was apparently some "confusion" on the part of the Swedes regarding the Turkish "civilian PRT" model, even after Turkey gave Swedish SRAP Anna Karin Enestrom a thorough briefing during her visit to Ankara in mid-December. The Turks believe that there are some differences in views between the Swedish MFA and MOD on the issue and that while the MFA has been more encouraging, Swedish military officials have been more skeptical about Turkey's planned PRT deployment. He said the Turkish officials at the meeting came away with the impression that Swedish and German officials were questioning the validity of the Turkish "civilian PRT" model. ¶3. (C) Gonenli asserted that Turkey's civilian PRT model is an asset for NATO and that it remains important for Turkey to maintain this approach. Any proposal for Turkey's PRT to take on security resposibilities beyond protecting its own personnel is a "non-starter" as it would go against Turkey's fundamental approach in Afghanistan, Gonenli told us. He stressed that Turkey views its PRT as self-sufficient: a Turkish military contingent comprised of approximately 100 troops is already pre-positioned in Mazar-e-Sharf and would be responsible for the safety of the PRT personnel. Gonenli also stated that Turkey did not believe its PRT would create additional burdens for German and Swedish security forces in the region and is only looking to the Swedes or Germans to provide in extremis support. He noted that Turkey had offered to establish a PRT in Jowzjan because its security environment was more suitable for Turkey's civilian PRT approach. Turkey would welcome either the Swedes or Germans to continue their security activities in Jowzjan and Sar-e Pul, and pointed to the cooperation between Turkey's PRT in Wardak and U.S. forces in RC-East as a good example of how Turkey's civilian PRT model can fit into an ISAF regional command's security framework. The Turkish officials at the Berlin meeting shared a modified version of the "Memorandum of Instructions" established between RC-East and Turkey's PRT in Wardak as a basis for discussion, but the Swedes and Germans did not agree to the approach and apparently wanted Turkey to take on broader security responsibilities in Jowzjan beyond protecting its own personnel. ¶4. (SBU) The parties are planning to meet again the first week of February to continue discussions. While the venue has not yet been decided, Turkey expects that policy and military officials from Germany, Sweden, Turkey and NATO would attend. Gonenli believed the meeting would likely take place in Brussels, but said Turkey might propose to hold the talks on the margins of the Feb 4-5 informal NATO Defense Ministerial in Istanbul so that a deal can be hammered out at the political level. ¶5. (C) Gonenli also briefed us on GoT plans to establish a police training center similar to -- although larger than -- the one they established in Wardak, according to Gonenli, and will send a police training team to establish and staff the ANKARA 00000119 002 OF 002 center. Although the number of trainers will be more than the average Police Operational Mentoring Liaison Team (POMLT),the training team is not technically a POMLT as it will remain in place at the center and will not conduct mobile training. ¶6. (C) Comment: While increasingly frustrated with this deadlock, the MFA is holding out hope that an agreement will be reached with Germany and Sweden during the February meeting. Given the apparent fundamental differences among the parties, however, we are not optimistic that, on their own, they will succeed. End Comment. Jeffrey "Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.intelink.s gov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turkey"