ISRAELI AMBASSADOR DESCRIBES TURCO-ISRAELI

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 007675

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/30/2020
TAGS: PREL TU IR IS
SUBJECT: ISRAELI AMBASSADOR DESCRIBES TURCO-ISRAELI
DISCUSSION ABOUT IRAN

Classified By: Ambassador Ross L. Wilson, E.O. 12958, reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d).


1. (C) The Israeli ambassador to Turkey advised us December
30 that Jerusalem has invited Turkish FM Gul to visit Israel
January 5. The Turkish government, which requested this
visit some time ago, should advise shortly on whether the
date is acceptable. The purpose of the visit will be to sign
documents with Israel and appropriate Palestinians regarding
the Erez Free Trade Zone in Gaza. According to the Israeli
ambassador, this signing may be a trilateral event or could
be done in stages -- with the Israelis in Jerusalem and later
with the Palestinians in Ramallah. In any case, Israel
understood that Gul would visit Ramallah for meetings with
the Palestinian Authority leadership. On the Israeli side,
Gul is being offered meetings with PM Sharon, as well as the
foreign and defense ministers and probably some event
involving the business community.


2. (C) The Israeli ambassador also commented on his
government,s recent work with Turkey regarding Iran. One of
Israel,s top Iran experts visited here in the fall to brief
Turkish government officials (in the MFA, the military, and
in other areas) on the status of Iran,s nuclear program, its
ballistic missile program, and support of Hizbollah and other
terrorist activity. Iran was also a major theme during the
December 22-23 visit here of Israeli Chief of Staff Lt. Gen.
Dan Halutz. Gen. Halutz also offered Israeli intelligence
regarding the PKK. According to the Israeli ambassador,
Turkish officials did not particularly argue with the
Israelis on the dangers, including to Turkey, of Iran,s
nuclear, ballistic and terrorist/destabilization support
efforts, but claimed that Iran,s alleged cooperation on the
Kurdish PKK terrorist threat limited what they could, as a
practical matter, do vis--vis Iran. To continue the
discussion, the Israeli embassy here is arranging another
visit by Israel-based officials to discuss Iran.
WILSON