WEOG ROTATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 005764 SIPDIS IO/SHA PLEASE PASS TO SASHA MEHRA E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/08/2014 TAGS: OPDC PHUM PREL TU SUBJECT: WEOG ROTATION REF: STATE 209853 Classified By: Classified by Deputy Political Counselor Charles O. Blah a, E.O. 12958, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). (U) 1. As requested, Embassy Ankara delivered reftel text to the GOT's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on September 29. (C) 2. International Political Organizations Head of Department Murat Ates later confided that he was working on an official response regarding the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) from Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul to Secretary Powell. While the document is still a work in progress, Ates affirmed that Turkey supported the idea of a rotation on the (CHR) but the current Canadian-Dutch proposal would only give Turkey six years on the committee in a twenty-year period while countries such as Portugal and Spain would be able to serve for 11 years. Based on criteria using population size, GNP, contributions to the U.N. and the past membership of the country on the CHR, Ates believes that a formula should be devised that would give Turkey an opportunity to serve more years on the CHR. EDELMAN