PSI: TURKEY'S FEEDBACK ON RECENT OPERATIONAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 002039

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/08/2010
TAGS: PARM PREL TU
SUBJECT: PSI: TURKEY'S FEEDBACK ON RECENT OPERATIONAL
EXPERT GROUP MEETING


Classified By: Pol-Mil Counselor Timothy Betts, reason 1.4 b/d.


1. (C) Summary: Turkish officials at both TGS and MFA have
given us positive reviews of the recent PSI Operational
Experts Group (OEG) meeting in Omaha. Turkey plans to host
an air/ground/sea exercise in May 2006. TGS claims it now
has the lead on PSI, but we have not heard this elsewhere.
Therefore, until the Turks work this out, we will need to
stay in contact with both MFA and TGS. End Summary.


2. (U) Pol/Mil Counselor and EXBS Advisor met on April 6
with BG Haldun Solmazturk, Department of Disarmament and
International Security, Turkish General Staff Headquarters
who served as head of the Turkish delegation during the
recent PSI OEG meeting in Omaha, Nebraska. Solmazturk said
that he was very impressed with the coordination and
information exchanged during the experts meetings. The
meeting cleared up the last questions the Turks had about the
initiative. Ankara is now fully committed to PSI.


3. (U) Solmazturk informed EmbOffs that, while Turkey did
offer assets for the upcoming Spanish PSI exercise, the
current exercise scenario does not require their
participation. Although Turkey now will not be actively
participating in either the Portuguese or Spanish led PSI
field exercises this spring, they do intend to send observer
teams to both and to participate in the table-top command
post component of the Spanish exercise.


4. (SBU) Solmazturk stated that Turkey committed in Omaha to
hosting a PSI exercise in May 2006. This exercise will be a
multi-mission exercise focusing on coordinating activities
between land, sea, air, intelligence and command and control.
Solmazturk believes that this would be an excellent way to
test the passing of information from the various activities,
while also displaying the need for close coordination between
the forces involved. He also intends to include a media day
to raise the awareness of activities to stem the flow of
illegal items in Turkey. Solmazturk has instructed his staff
to have the ground work completed on this exercise for
presentation at the next OEG meeting in Denmark in July.
This timetable has the added advantage of completing initial
work on the exercise before the August TGS transfer season
when he and members of his staff might be reassigned.


5. (C) Solmazturk informed EmbOffs his office will now serve
as the focal point for Turkish activities. (Comment: If true,
this is a change from the past when MFA was the lead contact
and could increase the level of active participation by
Turkey in PSI activities.)


6. (C) During an equally positive but less detailed
discussion of the Omaha OEG meeting with Pol/Mil Counselor,
MFA officials did not/not say TGS would now have the lead.
They reiterated concern about Turkey's lack of membership in
the Core Group and their hope that either Turkey will be
included in the Core Group or the Core Group will be
abolished soon. Solmazturk said nothing about the Core Group.


7. (C) Comment: TGS is clearly enthused about PSI, more so
than MFA which has painful memories of the interagency
struggle to win GOT participation in the initiative. We will
need to maintain communications with both until they reach a
consensus on which agency has the lead. End Comment.

EDELMAN