DAS KENNEDY URGES TURKEY TO SEIZE OPPORTUNITY FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 002663

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/06/2015
TAGS: PREL AM TU
SUBJECT: DAS KENNEDY URGES TURKEY TO SEIZE OPPORTUNITY FOR
DIALOGUE WITH ARMENIA

(U) Classified by Ambassador Eric Edelman, E.O. 12958,
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: During her May 2-3 visit to Turkey, DAS
Kennedy urged Turkish MFA officials, National Security
Council Secretary General Alpogan, and parliamentarians to
seize the opportunity for dialogue presented by the exchange
of letters between PM Erdogan and President Kocharian. MFA
Caucasus/Central Asia DG Akinci characterized Kocharian's
letter as non-responsive and repeated the standard MFA
position that Armenia had to first make concessions on
occupied Azeri territory and explicitly recognize the Kars
Treaty borders between Turkey and Armenia. Alpogan, and to
some extent MFA U/S Tuygan, appeared open to a more
constructive response. Alpogan suggested that Kocharian's
intergovernmental dialogue proposal could encompass
simultaneous discussions of history, diplomatic relations and
border questions. End Summary.

DAS Kennedy: Seize the Opportunity
--------------


2. (U) With her official interlocutors, as well as during a
roundtable with parliamentarians and a press conference,
DAS Kennedy urged Turkey to use the letter exchange between
PM Erdogan and President Kocharian as an opportunity to
resume bilateral dialogue. She noted that President Bush's
April 24 statement had favorably mentioned the PM's
proposal for a joint historical study. She pointed out that
the current bilateral impasse and various recent
international pronouncements on Armenian genocide have put
Turkey on the defensive.

MFA DG Akinci: Kocharian Letter Not Responsive
-------------- --


3. (C) Akinci speculated that FM Oskanian was the real
author of President Kocharian's April 25 reply to PM
Erdogan's letter. Akinci said the April 25 letter "does not
respond to our demands." Akinci claimed the GOAM is behind
genocide resolutions in countries like Poland and Slovakia.
He defended Ottoman treatment of Armenians in
1915 and gave DAS Kennedy a dossier containing the texts of
the Erdogan and Kocharian letters, and related press
stories. (Note: The press stories all suggested Erdogan,s
interest in pursuing rapprochement with Armenia. The dossier
suggested either that 1) the MFA itself relied on press
reporting to divine Erdogan,s intentions or 2) deliberately
wanted to underline Erdogan,s positive inclinations toward
Armenia. End Note)


4. (C) Akinci said the GOAM has never directly told the GOT
that it recognizes the Kars Treaty borders. Kennedy
noted the U.S. has raised this several times with the
Armenians and they acknowledged the current borders. Most
recently, the new Armenian Ambassador in Washington had noted
to her a public statement in which FM Oskanian had publicly
referred to the borders defined by the 1921 Kars Treaty.
Caucasus Department Head Adali said that during eight rounds
of negotiations, his Armenian counterparts said they
recognize the Turkish border, but said they cannot explicitly
accept the Kars Treaty because they do not want to compromise
their claims in other territorial
disputes.


5. (C) Akinci emphasized measures Turkey has taken to ease
bilateral relations and scoffed at the notion that Turkey is
"blockading" Armenia. He argued that 40,000 Armenians are
working illegally in Turkey, there is open bilateral trade
via Georgia, and there are five weekly charter flights
between the two countries. "Perhaps these measures would be
appreciated more if they were reversed; we could always
deport them" he added.


6. (C) Kennedy told Akinci the USG role is not to take
sides on genocide claims and counterclaims, but to
encourage bilateral rapprochement. Noting recent genocide
resolutions in Poland, she told Akinci the GOT
should find a way to get out ahead on relations with Armenia,
otherwise it will be constantly on the defensive.
The USG is pleased at the GOT's statement that it is
positively evaluating Kocharian letter. Kennedy noted the
Armenian proposal for an intergovernmental commission and
strongly suggested the GOT find a way to build on it. She
urged that Turkey be as positive as possible in its reply to
Kocharian.


7. (C) Akinci twice recalled that the Turkish/Armenian
border had been closed due to Armenian attacks on
Azerbaijan and added that "they must give us a reason" to
re-open it. Azerbaijan is "as Turkish as Turkey, and it is
impossible to separate these issues. If they make one
gesture on this, we will respond," he said, "but they have
not made one gesture." Kennedy replied that this will come
through successful OSCE negotiations between Armenia and
Azerbaijan; Turkey should not hold its dialogue with Armenia
hostage to the Armenia/Azerbaijan dispute. She again urged
Akinci to think seriously about how to respond to the
Kocharian letter. Akinci said the GOT has not rejected the
letter, but Armenia needs to make a gesture on occupied Azeri
territory. Kennedy noted that the N-K Minsk negotiations were
tackling this difficult set of issues and were at the best
stage since the Key West process. Ambassador Mann is deeply
involved in this effort and will be glad to brief Turkey on
progress.

More Positive Approach by NSC's Alpogan, MFA U/S Tuygan
-------------- --------------


8. (C) In contrast to Akinci, Alpogan appeared to understand
and accept the opportunity the exchange of
letters presents. Alpogan told Kennedy he would recommend
accepting Kocharian's proposal for an intergovernmental
dialogue, perhaps with separate subcommittees dealing with
history, bilateral relations and border issues. Alpogan
expressed optimism that Turkey could work more easily with
the GOAM than with the Armenian diaspora. Kennedy urged him
to pursue this course and confirmed GOAM,s strong interest
in moving ahead with Turkey rather than having its national
security subordinated to the varying diaspora agenda. (Note:
New U.S. Armenian Ambassador to the U.S. called on Kennedy
prior to her visit to Ankara to underscore this point. If
Armenia could secure a diplomatic breakthrough with Turkey it
would shelve its genocide campaign, he claimed.)


9. (C) MFA U/S Tuygan told Kennedy it was important to
prevent an Armenian genocide resolution in the U.S.
Congress. Kennedy replied that the U.S. Administration
opposes any such resolution as unhelpful to the ability of
the two sides to focus on rapprochement now, not on what
happened in the past. She urged Tuygan to seize the
opportunity the letter exchange presents and focus on
bilateral dialogue. She noted that rapprochement would
also be a positive in Turkey's relations with the EU. Tuygan
acknowledged the point and said Turkey's EU relations should
not be clouded by extraneous issues like this.


10. (C) Comment: Alpogan,s more positive and bold vision on
this issue (as well as Cyprus - septel) underscore the value
of a high-level reception in Washington when he visits in
June. End Comment.


11. (U) DAS Kennedy cleared this cable.
EDELMAN