TURKEY'S VIEW ON UNESCO CULTURAL DIVERSITY VOTE

UNCLAS ANKARA 006324 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OPDC PREL SCUL TU BHUM ETRC UNESCO SUBJECT: TURKEY'S VIEW ON UNESCO CULTURAL DIVERSITY VOTE REF: A. STATE 170909 ¶B. ANKARA 5531 ¶C. STATE 184292 ¶D. ANKARA 6311 ¶E. STATE 192656 ¶1. PolCouns delivered ref E demarche on UNESCO Cultural Diversity Vote to Ambassador Sule Soysal, Director General for Overseas Promotion and Cultural Affairs on October 19. PolCouns explained U.S. concerns regarding the restriction of trade and the free flow of ideas that may occur. ¶2. Soysal pledged to pass on our request to the Turkish delegates in Paris. She personally did not believe that this convention was likely to prevent the free flow of ideas, and wondered out loud why the U.S. had voted against a relatively mild amendment proposed by the Japanese to ensure compliance with the UNESCO framework. ¶3. Soysal asserted that Article 20, paragraph 2, which ensures that the convention will not interfere with members' pre-existing international treaty obligations, likely responds to U.S. concerns. ¶4. The EU, said Soysal, expects a candidate country to vote along the same lines as it does. Should another EU member country issue a statement expressing understanding that the convention will not be used to restrict trade or the free flow of information, Soysal asserted that Turkey might be able to follow suit. MCELDOWNEY