VZCZCXRO4442
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDE RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIHL
RUEHIK RUEHKUK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR
RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHAK #1371/01 1551354
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 041354Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2392
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001371 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR H 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER MOPS IZ TU
SUBJECT: CODEL NELSON AND CONGRESSIONAL STUDY GROUP ON 
TURKEY WITH TURKISH PARLIAMENTARY SPEAKER ARINC 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Turkish Parliamentary Speaker Bulent Arinc 
met May 28 with Codel Nelson and the Congressional Study 
Group on Turkey.  Arinc focused his remarks on the solid, 
longstanding bilateral relationship between the U.S. and 
Turkey as well as Turkish concerns about the situation in 
Iraq and the presence of the terrorist PKK in northern Iraq. 
Arinc warned that the Turkish public supports taking direct 
military action against the PKK presence in Iraq if the U.S. 
and GOI fail to do so and that Turkey "could not be held 
accountable" if forced to take action to defend itself.  END 
SUMMARY 
 
¶2. (U) During the hour-long joint meeting, Speaker Arinc told 
Codel Nelson and the Congressional Study Group that Turkey 
places a high value on the bilateral relationship and the 
many official U.S. delegations it receives.  Arinc urged the 
U.S. to be "honest" in its relationship with Turkey but he 
praised the long-standing friendship and cooperation between 
the two countries, starting in the 1950s in Korea and 
extending to the Balkans, Afghanistan and the Middle East, 
and expressed the hope this cooperation would continue. 
Arinc emphasized to his visitors that Turkey is a modern and 
peaceful country, despite the current political crisis and 
regional problems. 
 
¶3.  (U) Representative Whitfield said the United States also 
values its friendship with Turkey and noted that Members of 
Congress and the United States government are committed to 
strengthening relations between our two countries.  He 
acknowledged the challenges that continued violence and 
political instability in Iraq and lack of progress toward a 
settlement in Cyprus continue to pose to Turkey as the July 
22 election nears.  Whitfield also expressed support for 
Turkey's bid to join the European Union and offered to help 
however possible in that effort.  Senator Nelson called his 
delegation's trip a symbol of the esteem and value we place 
on the bilateral  relationship, and said the purpose of their 
visit was to gain a better understanding of mutual views and 
differences on world events, including Iraq. 
 
¶4.  (U) Arinc said the GOT believes ethnic differences and 
religions should be respected in a democracy, and expressed 
the hope that developments in Iraq would not threaten the 
long-term stability of  Turkey.  However, he added Turks are 
watching great loss of life in Iraq, including those of U.S. 
troops, and are concerned about increasing divisions within 
Iraq.  Arinc noted Turkey believes that a referendum in 
Kirkuk would be damaging to the entire region.  Acknowledging 
that the debate over U.S. involvement in Iraq continues in 
Congress, he said that the U.S. should have confidence in 
Turkey.  It shares Iraq's geography and history.  It 
understands Iraq and knows the way toward a peaceful 
democracy.  Turkey is a reliable ally and should not be 
exchanged. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Arinc said Turkey is especially sensitive to PKK 
terror and to its own territorial integrity.  The U.S. has 
not implemented its promises on the PKK and this impacts 
domestic politics in Turkey.  Referring to the recent 
terrorist attack in Ankara as well as to Turkish troops 
killed fighting the PKK, Arinc said that an action plan 
should be implemented to counter the threat and lamented the 
lack of concrete results produced by the TU-US-IZ trilateral 
process after eight months.  Developments in Iraq, he went 
on, upset the Turkish people and this gives rise to 
anti-American sentiment in Turkey.  Arinc, however, 
emphasized that there is no general, systematic 
anti-Americanism in Turkey.  Regarding a cross-border 
military operation to attack PKK camps, Arinc said a majority 
of Turks are in agreement about it.  He knows U.S. concerns, 
but said Parliament is ready for the authorization.  He said 
Turkey "should not be held accountable" for such a decision, 
since it is losing soldiers right now. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Rep. Whitfield responded that some in Congress 
share Turkey's concern about the U.S. military unwillingness 
to take on the PKK.   Senator Nelson expressed appreciation 
for Turkish support in Afghanistan.  He understood Turkey's 
frustration with being asked to hold back on going into 
northern Iraq.  Nelson also conveyed sympathy for the recent 
terrorist attack in Ankara and noted that fifty U.S. soldiers 
from his own state of Nebraska had died in Iraq.  However, 
Sen. Nelson urged that any GOT action against the PKK in Iraq 
be based on a common plan with the U.S. 
 
¶7. (U) Codel Nelson and the Congressional Study Group on 
Turkey have cleared this message. 
 
 
ANKARA 00001371  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON