TURKEY PURSUES BTC SECURITY WITH NEIGHBORS

UNCLAS ANKARA 001992 SIPDIS SENSITIVE USDOE FOR CHUCK WASHINGTON USDOC FOR 4212/ITA/MAC/OEURA/CPD/DDEFALCO NSC FOR BRYZA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EPET MARR MASS TU GG AZ BTC SUBJECT: TURKEY PURSUES BTC SECURITY WITH NEIGHBORS REF: A. ANKARA 1306 ¶B. BAKU APRIL 4 E-MAIL ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Turkey is interested in moving forward on inter-governmental security arrangements in anticipation of the BTC pipeline going into operation later this year. It has been responsive to requests from BTC. Georgia remains the weak link in assuring timely and adequate preparations. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) On April 5, GOT MFA Officer Basak Tug briefed Energy Officer on status of BTC intergovernmental security arrangements. 1) In response to a formal request from BTC Corp, the three countries will meet for a security implementation committee meeting in Baku April 26. Tug said Turkey would send Energy and MFA Undersecretaries. 2) At the end of this week, MFA will receive a delegation from BTC and BP to advance preparations for an Inter-Governmental Committee on BTC security ahead of starting to fill the pipeline. According to Tug, MFA would convene a domestic meeting of security representatives in advance of receiving the delegation. She said that Turkey and Azerbaijan had appointed its representatives to the IG Committee, but Georgia had not yet done so. The GOT urged Georgia to move forward on this at recent meetings in Ankara. Tug said upon convocation of the IG Committee, the three governments would need to approve the BTC security protocol. 3) Tug said the other aspect of security would be assuring attention to human rights; she said that GOT was not sure how or whether the three countries would coordinate this aspect. ¶3. (SBU) Comment: Despite construction delays, BTC line fill will start soon in Baku, so the countries need to hustle in putting in place adequate security coordination. Turkey appears willing to play a key role in assisting its two country partners in implementing security coordination. There may be a role for the USG in offering training or facilitating assurance of appropriate security. GOT officials were receptive to going over security planning with a visiting DOD consultant last January. EDELMAN