RELATIONS WITH TURKEY BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 001352

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN, EUR/ACE, EUR/PGI, EUR/SE, DRL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID AM
SUBJECT: RELATIONS WITH TURKEY BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT
FOLLOWING PRESS REPORTS, BORDER CONFERENCE



1. (U) Sensitive But Unclassified. Please treat
accordingly.

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SUMMARY
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2. (SBU) The last-minute decision by the Turkish delegation
not to attend a conference on regional archaeological and
tourism issues, a report in the Armenian press regarding
visa regimes and a widely circulated transcript of a Turkish
newscast hurled the issue of Turkey-Armenia relations back
into the public spotlight June 15-16. The public reaction
by Armenian politicians and legislators was relatively
quiet. Armenian MFA contacts, however, suggested that they
expected an increase in rumors and public debate on the
issue in advance of the NATO Summit in Istanbul. End
summary.


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GYUMRI-KARS SYMPOSIUM CONTINUES WITHOUT TURKS
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3. (SBU) Despite the last-minute decision of Turkish
participants not to attend the event, the Gyumri-Kars
Historic Preservation and Cultural Tourism Symposium was
held in Gyumri June 15-16. Organizers originally planned
the event as a week-long meeting co-hosted in the
communities of Gyumri, Armenia and Kars, Turkey to explore
issues of preservation and tourism as they affect local
economic development. The symposium was scaled back the
prior week due to the failure of the Turkish organizers to
obtain "government permission to participate in and co-host
the event." Armenian MFA representatives, originally
scheduled as part of the seminar, declined to attend the
event following the announcement by Turkish organizers.
U.S. Ambassador John Ordway opened the session and was
joined by representatives of other diplomatic missions
accredited to Armenia. USAID financed portions of the event
through implementing partner the Academy for Educational
Development (AED). Local media reports of the event made
reference to the absence of the Turkish side but stopped
short of criticizing the GOT decision or casting the seminar
as politically charged.


4. (SBU) The Armenian organizers told the Embassy that they
still plan to travel to Kars in mid-July as tourists to
complete portions of the originally planned program. Their
research trip will focus on archaeological preservation
issues and applications for regional tourism. (Note: The
region was part of the Russian Empire in the nineteenth
century. Archaeologists point to Kars and Gyumri as prime
examples of strikingly similar architecture and urban
landscapes from the period that are relatively well
preserved and have promising applications in the tourism
sector. End note).


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NEWSPAPER REPORT ON TURKISH VISAS PANICS MFA, TRAVELLERS
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5. (SBU) There was considerable speculation around Yerevan
June 16 following a newspaper report in local daily Haykakan
Zhamanak claiming that the GOT had modified visa procedures
for Armenians. According to the article, the GOT would no
longer issue visas to Armenians at the airport in Istanbul
nor at the Georgia-Turkey border. The article suggested
that the GOT was making the move in retaliation for
statements made in the U.S. Congress regarding Turkey's role
in the events of 1915. Post checked-in early June 16 with
the Armenian MFA, which was understandably worried about the
report and totally unaware of such a change. The MFA
initiated a call to contacts in Ankara on the issue mid-day.
The MFA's Turkey Desk Officer reported to us late June 16
that her counterpart in Ankara denied that the MFA had ever
made such a statement. The MFA released a statement to the
press the evening of June 16 (carried by a majority of news
outlets that evening and the next day) stating that there
has been no change in procedures for Armenians getting visas
at Istanbul airport or at the Georgia/Turkey border.


6. (SBU) Post contacts at Yerevan's Zvartnots Airport report
that the Yerevan-Istanbul charter flight and Armavia flight
left for Turkey June 16 per normal procedures and loaded
with Armenian passengers hoping to secure a visa at the
Istanbul airport. While contacts at the airport reported
that they were spooked by the June 16 newspaper article,
they said that the airline or airport had not been
instructed to date to modify their normal procedures for
Armenians traveling to Turkey.


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NTV TRANSCRIPT INCITES SPECULATION AMONG POLICYMAKERS
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7. (SBU) An unofficial translation of a June 16 Turkish NTV-
MSNBC television report suggesting that the GOT was making
preparations to open a border checkpoint connecting Turkey
and Armenia inspired a flurry of working-level consultations
within Armenia's MFA in Ankara June 17. According to the
article, the Turkish MFA had instructed government agencies
to prepare the Akyaka checkpoint for eventual opening prior
to the NATO summit in Istanbul. The Armenian MFA was
reportedly verifying the information with counterparts in
Ankara on June 17 while at the same time fending off calls
from local NGOs and reporters looking for a GOAM statement
on the issue.
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COMMENT
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8. (SBU) The recent buzz around Yerevan regarding Armenia-
Turkish relations and the series of media reports are
reminiscent of the surge in speculation that occurred during
the Summer of 2003. One important difference, however, is
the effort of local media and analysts to link the timing of
these developments or rumored developments to a particular
event -- the upcoming Istanbul summit. It appears likely
that the trend towards speculation will continue as the
Istanbul meeting approaches. The extent to which increased
bureaucratic level GOAM-GOT contact will advance their
bilateral agenda or merely annoy the two parties remains to
be seen. End comment.
ORDWAY