UNCLAS ANKARA 005209

SIPDIS


STATE FOR EUR/RPM-LANGENKAMP, L/T-HOLLERAN, AND EUR/SE


E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PARM MARR PREL KTIA
SUBJECT: TURKEY PLANS TO DEPOSIT NATO INSTRUMENT OF
RATIFICATION ON ENLARGEMENT THIS FALL


REF: STATE 235543


Turkish MFA NATO Head of Department Bulent Meric told
PolMilOff August 15 that the seven bills to approve the
Accession Protocols for the new NATO members have been
approved in committee and are now before the full Parliament.
As a "priority" item, the bills should be considered
immediately upon resumption of Parliament October 1. If
approved, they would then have to be signed by the President
before being published in the Gazette. Then the instruments
of ratification would be submitted to the State Department.
However, because the bills are "priority," if the GOT calls
an extraordinary session of Parliament in September, the
bills would have to be considered during the extraordinary
session and cannot be deferred until October 1. In any case,
Meric believed the instruments of ratification would be
deposited by the end of October. Embassy will report on any
developments in this area.
EDELMAN