TURKISH MFA SAYS EU NOT LOBBYING AGAINST ARTICLE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 002390 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/14/2004 TAGS: MARR PREL PHUM TU SUBJECT: TURKISH MFA SAYS EU NOT LOBBYING AGAINST ARTICLE 98 AGREEMENT REF: A. SECSTATE 92117 ¶B. ANKARA 2317 (U) Classified by Polcouns John Kunstadter; reasons 1.5 b and d. (C) In response to reftel A, we asked Feza Ozturk, head of the MFA International Political Organizations Department, whether the EU has approached the GOT on the issue of signing an Article 98 agreement with the USG. Ozturk said the EU has not raised the issue with the GOT since August 2002, when EU-candidate Romania's decision to sign an Article 98 agreement led to EU demarches to the GOT and other governments around the world. He said the GOT is not facing outside pressure to delay an agreement, and repeated reftel B arguments that higher-level MFA officials believe the GOT should delay an agreement due to the conflict in Iraq. PEARSON