UKRAINE MUNITIONS: TURKEY WILL URGE UKRAINE TO

UNCLAS ANKARA 006230 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM PREL MASS UP TU NATO SUBJECT: UKRAINE MUNITIONS: TURKEY WILL URGE UKRAINE TO RATIFY NATO-PFP TRUST FUND, STILL UNDECIDED ON FUNDING REF: A. STATE 179279 ¶B. STATE 32708 (U) Sensitive but unclassified--please protect accordingly. ¶1. (SBU) On Oct. 3, PolMilOff called on MFA Head of Department for NATO Political Affairs Atilla Gunay to deliver ref a demarche. Gunay responded that Turkey will indeed urge the Ukrainian government to finalize the NATO-PfP Trust Fund implementing agreement with the NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency as soon as possible. ¶2. (SBU) We took advantage of this meeting to remind Gunay that Turkey had never responded to ref b request to provide additional funding to the NATO-PfP Trust Fund to destroy outdated Ukrainian munitions. Gunay said that while Ukraine is a high priority for the GOT, MFA has no funds available for the trust fund. However, MFA had asked the Defense Ministry and Turkish General Staff to contribute, and the matter now rested with TGS J5. ¶3. (SBU) We followed up with TGS J5 Branch Chief COL Kasim Erdem on Oct. 6 and again on Oct. 13, but Erdem reported that TGS has yet to make a decision on contributing funds. We will follow up with TGS shortly. MCELDOWNEY