TURKISH MFA CLAIMS ARMENIA WILLING TO DISCUSS NK

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 003764

SIPDIS

NSC FOR BRYZA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/07/2014
TAGS: AJ ARMENIA'>AM PBTS TU
SUBJECT: TURKISH MFA CLAIMS ARMENIA WILLING TO DISCUSS NK
AND OCCUPIED TERRITORIES WHILE DEFERRING FINAL STATUS
DETERMINATION

REF: BAKU 1179 (EXDIS)

(U) Classified by CDA Robert Deutsch, E.O. 12958, reasons 1.4
(b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: Turkish MFA Caucasus Department Head Murat
Adali portrays the June 28 meeting during the Istanbul NATO
Summit between Turkish FM Gul and ARMENIAn FM Oskanian, and a
follow-on trilateral meeting including Azerbaijani FM
Mammadyarov, as steps forward in resolving the Nagorno
Karabakh (NK) dispute and improving Turkish/ARMENIAn
relations. Adali claims ARMENIAn FM Oskanian is willing to
negotiate on NK and occupied territories while agreeing on a
process, but delaying a decision, on NK's final status.
Adali's upbeat assessment should be treated with caution.
End Summary.

MFA: Oskanian Will Agree on Final Status Process and Delayed
Decision


2. (C) Adali, who was present at both meetings, claims that
Oskanian agreed in principle to negotiate on NK and the
occupied territories while delaying final status
determination. Adali averred that Oskanian indicated this
willingness in his bilateral meeting with Turkish FM Gul and
repeated it the trilateral meeting. Instead of insisting on
a final status determination as part of negotiations on NK
and the occupied territories, Adali said Oskanian is willing
to agree to a process for final status determination, while
delaying the actual decision.


3. (C) Adali concedes that President Kocharian takes a
harder line than Oskanian on NK negotiations and that
Kocharian may reject deferral of final status determination.
According to Adali, the GOT is looking for ways to strengthen
Oskanian's hand in what Adali depicts as an internal debate
in the GOAM over how to settle NK. Adali offered no
persuasive explanation of why or how Oskanian would be able
to prevail over the Kocharian on this point.


4. (C) Adali said Oskanian pressed Gul to re-open the rail
line running through Turkey, ARMENIA and Azerbaijan, even
offering to allow trains to pass through ARMENIA without
charging transit fees.


5. (C) Adali said that in both meetings Oskanian called for
Turkey to play a greater role in resolving NK. According to
Adali, working-level GOT and GOAM diplomats will meet before
the end of July to follow up on the Istanbul meetings and
elaborate an NK "road map." Adali said the ARMENIAns prefer
to meet outside ARMENIA due to concerns about electronic
eavesdropping, presumably by the Russians. Adali predicted
another FM-level trilateral meeting in New York on the
margins of UNGA.


6. (C) Comment: Adali's upbeat assessment of the Istanbul
talks should be treated with caution. FM Mammadyarov did not
mention this supposed new ARMENIAn flexibility on a key point
in his readout to Ambassador Harnish (reftel). Over the past
months, the Turkish MFA has consistently exaggerated the
significance of ongoing Turkish-ARMENIAn diplomatic contacts.
End Comment.
DEUTSCH