ARTICLE 98: GOT SAYS NEGOTIATIONS LIKELY EARLY IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 008534 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/22/2007 TAGS: PREL MARR PHUM TU SUBJECT: ARTICLE 98: GOT SAYS NEGOTIATIONS LIKELY EARLY IN 2003 REF: ANKARA 7591 AND PREVIOUS Classified by Acting Polcouns Nicholas S. Kass. Reason: 1.5(b)(d). ¶1. (C) Feza Ozturk, head of the MFA International Political Organizations Department, told Poloff November 21 that the GOT would likely be prepared to negotiate an Article 98 agreement with the USG following the December 12-13 EU Summit in Copenhagen. Ozturk said the GOT is wary of raising the profile of the issue while the EU considers Turkey's membership application, emphasizing that the USG should not/not make any public comments before the Summit about the GOT's willingness to reach an agreement. Ozturk said the MFA at the Undersecretary level had decided to support an Article 98 agreement, and had sent a letter to the Turkish General Staff (TGS) seeking its support. Ozturk said he would inform the Embassy of the TGS response, which he predicted would be favorable. ¶2. (C) Poloff observed that an Article 98 agreement should not affect Turkey's EU bid, particularly because the EU FMs at the September 30 GAC had given a green light for EU members to reach bilateral Article 98 agreements with the U.S., under certain guidelines. Ozturk said the issue had unfortunately been politicized by the press, which would interpret a pre-Summit Article 98 agreement by the GOT as a slight to the EU. He said he was confident an agreement could be reached quickly after the Summit. PEARSON