JUNE 13 GAERC DEMARCHE - TURKEY

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 003367

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/14/2015
TAGS: CM IR IZ LE PREL YI PARM TU EUN
SUBJECT: JUNE 13 GAERC DEMARCHE - TURKEY

REF: STATE 105235

Classified By: Polcounselor John Kunstadter; reasons: E.O. 12958 1.4 (
b,d).


1. (U) We delivered reftel demarche on June 13 to Turkish
MFA EU Political Affairs Department First Secretary Ege
Turemen; he provided minimal responses to the following
demarche topics.
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Kosovo
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He noted that the U.S. position remains the same as that
enunciated in an earlier demarche about the Balkans and
Kosovo.
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Iran
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He said Turkey would support permitting Iran to have a
peaceful nuclear power program.
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Lebanon
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He noted that Prime Minister Erdogan planned to visit Lebanon
June 15.
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Iraq
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Turemen said that Turkey wanted U.S. assistance to fight PKK
terrorism. On Iraq, he further stated that Turkey considers
it a milestone for Iraq to develop a constitution; supports
the political process; favors capacity building; urges Iraqis
to include Sunnis in the political process; hopes Iraqis work
to achieve a good Kurdish-Iraqi relationship; and urges
Turkish-Iraqi border security cooperation to fight terrorism,
noting the developments in Iraq will have repercussions
beyond that country.
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China
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He simply noted the U.S. position on the China Arms Embargo.


2. (C) Comment: Turemen's weak performance reflects both
the passive-aggressiveness of Turkey's policy harmonization
with the EU and the unwillingness of the MFA to take
forthright positions on many issues of key importance to the
U.S. End comment.
EDELMAN