VZCZCXRO1947
PP RUEHDA
DE RUEHIT #1028/01 3371058
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 031058Z DEC 07 ZFF4
FM AMCONSUL ISTANBUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7712
INFO RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 7307
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 0048
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA PRIORITY 2323
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7713

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ISTANBUL 001028 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
BAGHDAD PLEASE PASS ERBIL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OREP PREL TU
SUBJECT: CODEL ROHRABACHER DISCUSSES KURDISH ISSUES, 
OUTREACH, BILATERAL RELATIONS 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary.  On November 26, CODEL Rohrabacher met ARI 
Movement founder Kemal Koprulu to discuss Kurdish issues in 
Turkey and Iraq.  The Congressman was joined by Congressman 
Louie Gohmert and former Chairman of the California 
Republican Party Shawn Steel.  Koprulu was accompanied by 
Rifat Saricaoglu, Acting Vice President of the Board of 
Trustees at Bilgi University.  Koprulu noted that in recent 
years, the Turkish government, military and people have come 
to distrust U.S. motives with regard to Northern Iraq and the 
Kurds, and urged the USG to engage in an enhanced public 
diplomacy effort to counter widespread conspiracy theories. 
Congressman Rohrabacher described his ideal scenario where 
the U.S., Turkey and Kurds in Northern Iraq could unite to 
combat Iranian influence in the region.  End Summary. 
 
Support for a Kurdish State? 
----------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Explaining that he likes to challenge conventional 
ideas with regard to internationally established boundaries, 
Congressman Rohrabacher asked what percentage of Kurds in 
Turkey would be in favor of creating an independent Kurdish 
state.  Koprulu noted that Southeast Turkey has poor 
infrastructure, is economically depressed, and that if Kurds 
in that region ever voted on such a referendum, they would 
vote with emotion.  Saricaoglu added there are 10-15 million 
Kurds in Turkey, a number difficult to estimate because of 
extensive intermarriage. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Koprulu argued individual provinces in southeast 
Turkey might be in favor of becoming part of a Kurdish state 
(e.g., Diyarbakir), but the result would not be unanimous. 
Saricaoglu mentioned Turkey's acceptance of a million Kurdish 
refugees at various times throughout the 1980s and 90s.  The 
majority of these are now Turkish citizens, grateful for the 
assistance Turkey provided them.  Saricaoglu argued that one 
possible long-term solution to the Kurdish question would be 
to allow some provinces in southeast Turkey a greater level 
of autonomy.  Koprulu cautioned the Turkish Government is 
very apprehensive about the idea of a Kurdish state and said 
any action would first involve extensive research. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Koprulu noted that during the last five years, 
senior officials in the Turkish Government viewed the concept 
of an independent Kurdish state as an idea proposed and 
supported by the French and German Governments.  During the 
last few years, however senior Turkish Government officials 
have started to believe the United States and Israeli 
Governments also support this concept.  Rohrabacher noted his 
belief that if the United States had to choose between 
supporting Turkey or the Kurds, the United States would side 
with Turkey.  He explained an ideal situation as one in which 
the Kurds view both the United States and Turkey as 
partners/allies and in which the three collectively unite 
against Iran and Iran's allies in the region. 
 
U.S. - Turkish Relations: Lack of Mutual Trust 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Former Chairman of the California Republican Party 
Shawn Steel asked about the state of Turkish-Israeli 
relations.  Koprulu responded that like U.S.-Turkish 
relations, Israeli-Turkish relations had suffered greatly in 
recent years.  In both cases the biggest problem is a serious 
erosion of mutual trust. Our bilateral mil-mil relationship 
is seriously damaged, he argued.  Many in the Turkish Army 
believe the U.S. military has played into the hands of PKK, 
and that the U.S. military supports the establishment of an 
independent Kurdish state (in Northern Itaq). 
 
¶6. (SBU) Congressman Gohmert asked why the Turkish Parliament 
did not let the U.S. move troops through Turkey as part of 
the invasion of Iraq.  Mr. Koprulu offered several reasons 
including bitter feelings stemming from the First Gulf War, 
Cyprus, the Armenian Genocide Resolution (AGR) and general 
disapproval of the U.S. Iraq policy, including the invasion. 
Turkey lost five to eight billion dollars during the first 
Gulf War due to lost trade and the closure of a major oil 
pipeline, Koprulu said.  After the Gulf War, the United 
States wrote off large amounts of foreign debt for other 
allies in the region, but not for Turkey.  Many leaders in 
Turkey feel that as a result, the 1990s were a lost decade 
for Turkey. 
 
Turkey feels betrayed and attacked by the U.S. on the Armenia 
issue and feels that the United States gave up on serious 
 
ISTANBUL 00001028  002 OF 002 
 
 
efforts to resolve the Cyprus situation and ceded this issue 
to the EU.  Congressman Rohrabacher explained he voted for 
the Armenian Genocide Resolution in the Foreign Relations 
Committee, but noted he might have considered voting against 
the resolution had Turkey allowed troops to pass through 
Turkey in 2003.  Finally Koprulu explained that opposition to 
U.S. Iraq policy pre-dated the invasion.  The Turks feel that 
they were not adequately consulted regarding the 2003 Iraq 
invasion, and take this as a signal that the United States 
does not value Turkey or consider it an equal partner on the 
international stage. 
 
Turkey and the West 
------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) Koprulu explained he is not a fan or an advocate of 
full EU accession.  He cited recent poll data that show the 
approval rating for the United States is under 10 percent, 
and that only 30 percent are in favor of joining the EU.  The 
Turkish mindset has shifted from a positive view of the 
United States to one of strong dislike, skepticism and 
betrayal.  At the same time the Turkish pblic is suffering 
from a lack of confidence, andtherefore is open to rampant 
conspiracy theories nd a degree of paranoia. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Congressmen Rhrabacher and Gohmert expressed 
amazement at themajor shift in attitudes toward the U.S. on 
the art of the Turkish public, and asked how it could e 
reversed.  Koprulu and Saricaoglu said that suc an effort 
would require a massive public diplomcy campaign, featuring 
education and exchange ofideas with Turkish young people. 
Many older Turk have already formulated their ideas about 
the Uited States. However, Turkey has a very large, youn 
population in the midst of formulating their ow opinions and 
impressions.  Additionally, the Tukish higher education 
system is only able to effctively educate 20 percent of the 
young people wo want to pursue a university education.  The 
United States has a window of opportunity to educate mre 
Turkish young people in the United States, esecially at the 
graduate level.  Turkey truly is t a turning point with 
respect to whether the population and the government continue 
to engage and cooperate with the western world or whether the 
country changes course and begins to look east, Koprulu 
argued. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Congressman Rohrabacher asked about public diplomacy 
efforts by the State Department and other senior government 
officials.  Koprulu argued current outreach efforts are 
insufficient.  The U.S. government needs to bring more 
officials from all levels to Turkey to engage the public on 
U.S. policy and counteract destructive conspiracy theories, 
he urged. 
 
¶10. (U) Codel Rohrabacher did not have an opportunity to 
clear this cable. 
WIENER