TURKEY MOVES FORWARD (AGAIN) ON AEGEAN CBMS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 002730

SIPDIS

NOFORN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2025
TAGS: PREL MOPS MARR TU GR
SUBJECT: TURKEY MOVES FORWARD (AGAIN) ON AEGEAN CBMS

REF: A. ATHENS 1068


B. ANKARA 1900

Classified By: Political Military Affairs Counselor Timothy A. Betts fo
r reason 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: The CBMs announced during Greek FM
Molyviatis' visit to Turkey are on track after a temporary
freeze while TGS waited to see Athens' response to a
mid-April incident when a desecrated Turkish flag was placed
in the room of a Turkish cadet on an official exchange to the
Greek military academy. With a satisfactory apology and an
incident-free visit by TU navy cadets to the Greek naval
academy, TGS is prepared to move forward again. However,
there are a few backward steps on the horizon as well. End
summary.

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After a bumpy patch, CBMs back on track
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2. (C) Turkish General Staff (TGS) J-5 Greece/Cyprus Chief
RADM Mucahit Sislioglu told polmilcouns on May 11 that TGS
was again moving forward with the four CBMs announced during
the April visit to Ankara by Greek Foreign Minister
Molyviatis: A direct line between the two countries'
national air control centers, the exchange of military
personnel studying the other country's language, sports
activities between academies in each country, and disaster
response training and exercises. Sislioglu explained that
work on the last three of these were frozen following an
incident in Greece at the time of the Molyviatis visit when a
desecrated Turkish flag was found in the room of a visiting
Turkish cadet at the Greek military academy. CHOD Ozkok had
demanded in an April 20 speech a formal apology and a
thorough investigation from Greek authorities. Sislioglu
reported that a formal letter of apology from the Greek Army
Chief, a public pledge to find the perpetrators, and a
successful ("excellent," "perfect") visit by a group of TU
Navy cadets to the Greek naval academy this month had
convinced TGS to resume work on these CBMs. Sislioglu
intended to write the orders necessary the afternoon of May
11 to begin planning for the exchange/training activities.
(The Turks continued their work on equipping the Eskisehir
National Air Control Center to accommodate the agreed hot
line without any suspension.)


3. (C) In addition, Sislioglu noted that the Greek Army Chief
had several days earlier sent a formal invitation for Turkish
Land Forces Commander GEN Buyukanit to visit Greece. (DAO
Ankara reported earlier that Buyukanit's staff was already
preparing for the trip.) Also, Greece had invited the
Turkish navy to send a unit to a national exercise in the
Ionian Sea and Turkey had accepted. This would be the first
time in 30 years that the Turkish and Greek navies had
participated in an exercise outside of the NATO umbrella,
according to Sislioglu.

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More bumps to come
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4. (C) "Turkey is ready to do everything," Sislioglu
exclaimed. However, the Greek side seemed less eager, he
observed. The Greeks had recently approached Ankara to get
the Turks to rescind its acceptance of the invitation to
participate in an international air show at Tanagra AB this
September. (TGS had accepted and announced it would send the
TUAF aerobatics team to perform -- ref b.) Instead, the
Greeks said a static display would be preferable. Sislioglu
assumed this was because Greek authorities did not want to be
seen authorizing high performance Turkish aircraft to fly in
Greek territory. He said Turkey was pulling out of the air
show. "They should be careful that they only invite us when
they want us," Sislioglu opined.


5. (C/NF) Another potential problem Sislioglu relayed "in
confidence" was the Turkish Air Force's recommendation to TGS
that Turkey stop its practice since 2002 of filing Daily
Flight Schedules (DFS) of its Aegean flights with NATO. He
said TUAF argued that this unilateral gesture to the Greeks
has not only gone un-reciprocated but the Greeks continue to
complain publicly about the TUAF's refusal to file flight
plans. This situation makes it increasingly difficult to
explain the practice to the troops, TUAF reportedly
complained. Sislioglu said TGS was still staffing the TUAF
recommendation. He expected MFA would argue against
rescinding a practice in the Aegean at this time.


6. (C/NF) Polmilcouns argued that Turkey had worked hard on
the Cyprus issue and on its relations with Athens in recent
years. While the GOG may not have responded to Turkey's
filing DFS, neither had it taken any more provocative action
than it was taking before 2002. Complaints about TUAF
violations of the Athens FIR were not new, neither were the
Greek interception of TUAF fighters in the Aegean. Taking a
step backwards risked Turkey's ceding the moral high ground.
He urged Sislioglu to reject the request.


7. (C) Regarding recent Greek press stories alleging
historically high numbers of Turkish AF violations of the
Athens FIR and Greek airspace, Sislioglu asserted that Turkey
has returned to the pre-2003 level of 400-500 flights per
month in the Aegean. Sislioglu indicated that he monitors
the level of Turkish activity closely to ensure it stays
within TGS-determined bounds.

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Frustrations Normal
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8. (C/NF) Comment: Sislioglu has warned us before that Greek
complaints following the 2004 Olympics about increased TUAF
Aegean flights were increasingly irritating officers within
TGS. Nonetheless, we suspect that the frustration is more at
TUAF headquarters where senior leaders are growing
uncomfortable defending what they and their troops see as
Turkey's restraint in the face of continued provocation. The
decision to move forward on other CBMs following the flag
incident suggests this frustration has not yet reached the
same level in TGS. However, as even Sislioglu admitted,
Turks are an emotional people and Ankara, including the
military, is not above following emotions rather than reason.
We will need to continue to encourage TGS to reach out to
their Greek counterparts. End Comment.
EDELMAN