TURKISH MND REQUESTS BILAT WITH SECDEF AT SEDM

UNCLAS ANKARA 006349 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL TU SUBJECT: TURKISH MND REQUESTS BILAT WITH SECDEF AT SEDM ¶1. This is an action request. See para 4. ¶2. On October 17, 2005, Embassy received a diplomatic note confirming that Turkish Minister of National Defense Vecdi Gonul has accepted the U.S. invitation to the December 6-8 SEDM. Gonul requests a bilateral meeting with SecDef on the margins of that meeting. Following is the text of the diplomatic note. ¶3. BEGIN TEXT. 2005/ALGY/433616 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey presents its compliments to the Embassy of the United States of America and has the honour to inform that H.E. Mr. Vecdi Gonul, Minister of National Defense of the Republic of Turkey, who was invited by H.E. Mr. Donald Rumsfeld, U.S. Secretary of Defense, to the Southeastern Europe Defense SIPDIS Ministerial (SEDM) meetings to be held in Washington D.C. between 6-8 December 2005, will attend to the said meeting. The Ministry has been communicated that Minister Gonul would like to have a bilateral meeting with Secretary Rumsfeld during his stay. In that context, the Ministry has the further honour to kindly solicit the assistance of the Esteemed Embassy for the arrangement of such a meeting. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey awails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Embassy of the United States of America the assurances of its highest consideration. Ankara, October 13, 2005 END TEXT. ¶4. Comment: Post requests Department to convey MND Gonul's request to OSD and to facilitate a response. End comment. MCELDOWNEY