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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ISTANBUL 000791 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL TU AM IZ
SUBJECT: CODEL COSTELLO: GOT URGES HOUSE NOT TO PASS AGR 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary.  Turkish MFA Undersecretary (D Equivalent) 
Apakan and a group of parliamentarians, separately, urged 
Codel Costello to prevent passage of an Armenian Genocide 
Resolution, noting it would cause serious damage to 
US-Turkish relations.  Turkish officials also pressed the 
delegation for increased cooperation on combating the PKK in 
northern Iraq.  End summary. 
 
TURKISH PARLIAMENTARIANS: PUBLIC BACKLASH TO AGR 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) At an August 21 Consulate General-hosted event, the 
head of the Turkey-U.S. parliamentary friendship group Egemen 
Bagis cited two issues which could pose serious harm to 
relations: USG inaction against PKK terrorists in northern 
Iraq and possible passage of a House resolution on Armenian 
Genocide (AGR).  While Turkey appreciates what the United 
States has done in the past, it does not feel it is getting 
enough support in its current fight against the PKK, he 
lamented.  Noting that 75% of logistics destined for Iraq 
pass through Turkey's Incirlik Air Base and that Turkey is 
second only to the United States in number of casualties 
despite not having troops in Iraq, Bagis called upon the U.S. 
to do more to combat PKK forces using northern Iraq as a 
safehaven. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Turning to the AGR, Bagis described a GOT offer 
made two years ago to the GOAm, proposing a joint commission 
of historians, scholars and other subject matter experts be 
established to review the associated events of 1915-1916.  PM 
Erdogan even extended an invitation to his Armenian 
counterpart in order to discuss the commission's findings 
once its work was complete, he noted, but the GOAm has yet to 
respond.  Pointing out that a number of the delegation 
members had signed on as sponsors to the proposed AGR, Bagis 
urged them to reconsider, warning that passing this 
resolution would cause serious damage to the relationship and 
reaction of the Turkish people would be very negative.  While 
acknowledging these were not easy issues to deal with, 
Chairman Costello recognized Turkey's assistance and 
sacrifices with respect to Iraq and promised to share Bagis' 
concerns with congressional colleagues. 
 
TURKISH MFA: "AGR IS UNFAIR" 
---------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) At a separate August 21 event hosted by the Turkish 
MFA, Undersecretary Apakan reminded the Codel Of the many 
issues on which the United States and Turkey have shared 
interests, including: Iran, Middle East peace, Afghanistan, 
energy security and the preservation of the territorial 
integrity and political unity of Iraq.  He stressed Turkey's 
continued commitment to moving towards the West included EU 
accession and strong relations with the United States.  "To 
the extent it is successful in both of these, Turkey can play 
a more effective role as a stabilizer in the region," he 
asserted. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Referencing the Shared Vision Document signed in 
July 2006 and the third meeting of the Economic Partnership 
Commission held last February, Apakan stressed the importance 
of further enhancing US-Turkey cooperation.  He described the 
proposed AGR as the most significant obstacle to this 
prospect.  Reiterating Bagis' comments regarding the GOT 
proposal to establish a commission to study the events of 
1915-1916, Apakan claimed Turkey is ready to accept such a 
commission's findings as truth.  He pointed out that 70,000 
Armenians had come to Turkey to find work in addition to the 
40,000 Armenians living in Turkish society "that we accept as 
Turks."  Apakan urged the delegation members to re-think this 
resolution that is unfair to Turkey, the Turkish people and 
to US-Turkish relations at a time that Turkey is making every 
effort to cooperate on a host of issues, including Cyprus. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Congressman Costello assured Apakan that he had 
heard Turkey's concerns regarding Iraq, Iran and the PKK and 
that he agreed on the importance of maintaining a unified 
Iraq and pursuing a diplomatic solution vis-a-vis Iran. 
Regarding the AGR, Costello noted the resolution had been 
introduced many times before and has not come up for a vote. 
He acknowledged that many members of the delegation have 
large groups of Armenians living in their districts and 
recognized the need to go back and discuss this issue to 
promote a better understanding of how the vote could affect 
US interests.  To that effect, Costello pledged to 
communicate associated GOT concerns to congressional 
colleagues in Washington. 
 
 
ISTANBUL 00000791  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Codel Costello did not have an opportunity to clear 
this cable. 
WIENER