PSI: MISSILE-RELATED TRANSFER TO IRAN VIA TURKEY

S E C R E T ANKARA 003053

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NP/CBM, EUR/SE, EUR/PRA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/31/2015
TAGS: PARM PREL ETTC MNUC TSPA IR TU MTCRE
SUBJECT: PSI: MISSILE-RELATED TRANSFER TO IRAN VIA TURKEY

REF: A. STATE 99755


B. ANKARA 2836

C. ANKARA 2816

Classified By: Acting DCM James R. Moore for reasons 1.4 b/d.


1. (S) MFA Acting Undersecretary Nabi Sensoy raised the
interdiction of missile-related items destined for Iran with
the Ambassador and PolMilCouns on the margins of a lunch in
honor of Senator Chuck Hagel May 31. Sensoy informed the
Ambassador that the GOT was running out of time to hold this
shipment and Turkey wanted China to take the shipment back
soon. He thought Turkey could hold onto the shipment for
about another week. He had already conveyed the same message
to the UK Ambassador. PolMilCouns informed Sensoy that
Washington thought Turkey might be able to use MTCR catch-all
export controls and that he would be talking to MFA officials
about it later in the day.


2. (S) PolMilCouns met with MFA Disarmament Department Head
Osman Yavuzalp that afternoon and provided ref A talking
points. Yavuzalp said Sensoy had instructed him following
the lunch to reiterate that the GOT was holding the shipment
now, but that it could not indefinitely. He hoped that the
Chinese would agree to take back the shipment soon. As a
member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, Beijing had
obligations that it should meet. He asked whether the USG
had any indication of Chinese authorities' thinking.
PolMilCouns responded that we were letting the British take
the lead with the Chinese and therefore had no information to
provide on Beijing's attitude. Nonetheless, missile
technology proliferation has been a difficult subject with
the Chinese over the years, and Turkey should consider ways
to deal with the shipment, such as using catch all controls,
if the answer from China was no.


3. (S) Yavuzalp undertook to inform Sensoy about the
specifics of our proposed course of action and to consult
with legal and other authorities about the technical
feasibility of that approach. However, he continued, MFA
still saw the Chinese option (taking back the shipment) as
the best alternative. The original British demarche had
mentioned a previous case of this occurring, and this gave
Ankara hope the same would occur with this shipment.
PolMilCouns observed that one precedent did not constitute a
pattern, and urged Yavuzalp to consider seriously an approach
that did not rely on China. PolMilCouns expressed the hope
that this matter could be favorably resolved prior to the
Prime Minister and Foreign Minister's meetings in Washington
June 8. Yavuzalp reiterated that he would consult with the
appropriate authorities on the catch all controls approach.
EDELMAN