Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ANKARA2211
2006-04-21 11:49:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:
TURKISH MFA FRUSTRATED WITH TECHNICAL TALKS AND
how-toVZCZCXRO0597 PP RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHAK #2211 1111149 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 211149Z APR 06 FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5017 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J-3/J-5// PRIORITY RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU//TCH// PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY RUEUITH/TLO ANKARA TU PRIORITY RUEHAK/TSR ANKARA TU PRIORITY RUEHAK/USDAO ANKARA TU PRIORITY RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 002211
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/2021
TAGS: PREL TU CY
SUBJECT: TURKISH MFA FRUSTRATED WITH TECHNICAL TALKS AND
SRSG MOELLER
Classified by DCM Nancy McEldowney, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 002211
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/2021
TAGS: PREL TU CY
SUBJECT: TURKISH MFA FRUSTRATED WITH TECHNICAL TALKS AND
SRSG MOELLER
Classified by DCM Nancy McEldowney, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Summary: MFA officials have contacted us twice in
the past week to express concerns over the direction in which
they see intercommunal technical talks headed and over SRSG
Moeller. We have encouraged the MFA to keep their concerns
out of the press and urged that they improve communication
with Moeller. End Summary.
Concerns About Technical Talks, Moeller
--------------
2. (C) MFA Cyprus Department Head Muftuoglu called us April
13 to express concern that Greek Cypriots are trying to
"hijack" the talks and include what the MFA considers final
settlement issues. Muftuoglu also said that, in the MFA's
opinion, SRSG Moeller was continuing to make "grave
mistakes." The MFA conveyed a similar message to all P-5
embassies. We urged the MFA to look for ways to support for
the talks and the UN, and to keep doubts about Moeller quiet.
3. (C) On April 20, at his request, we went to the MFA to
speak with Muftuoglu's boss, Northeastern Mediterranean
Affairs DDG Bilman. Bilman and other MFA officials had just
returned from the "TRNC," where they met face-to-face with
Talat for the first time since his February heart bypass
surgery.
4. (C) Bilman expressed three concerns. First, he said he
expressed concern about where discussions between Moeller,
Turkish Cypriot representative Pertev and Greek Cypriot
representative Tzionis were headed. They were supposed to
determine the modalities of the technical talks, but instead,
according to Bilman, the SRSG was continuing to discuss how
to restart overall negotiations, an area that Bilman called
beyond Moeller's mandate.
5. (C) Second, Moeller was casting doubt on the legality and
viability of the Annan Plan as the basis for overall
settlement. Moeller's statements so concerned Talat,
according to Bilman, that he sent an April 4 letter to the
SYG asking whether the SYG still backed the Plan and expected
Greek Cypriots to state their proposed changes to the Plan
with clarity and finality. (We e-mailed on April 21 a copy
of the letter to the Department, Embassies Athens and
Nicosia, USUN and USEU.)
6. (C) Finally, Moeller had talked about "Cypriotization"
of the Cyprus issue and not wanting "external powers" --
meaning Turkey -- to have a role.
7. (C) Bilman said the Turkish side is restraining itself,
but he thought Moeller should be relieved of his duties. He
said the Turkish side will not do anything for now, pending
an answer from the SYG to Talat's letter.
8. (C) We urged Bilman to open a direct channel of
communication with Moeller, so the MFA can directly relay
their concerns and directly hear his perspective. Bilman
said the MFA has had no face-to-face contact with Moeller
since an early March meeting in Istanbul.
9. (C) Comment: Erosion of the Annan Plan and attempts to
cut them out of Cyprus issues are anathema for the Turks, and
they will react badly if they become convinced that either is
happening. For now, they have managed to keep their renewed
concerns about the talks and Moeller out of the Turkish
press. However, if the Turkish side perceives these problems
are continuing, they could go public in a way that will sour
the technical talks. End Comment.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/
WILSON
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/2021
TAGS: PREL TU CY
SUBJECT: TURKISH MFA FRUSTRATED WITH TECHNICAL TALKS AND
SRSG MOELLER
Classified by DCM Nancy McEldowney, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Summary: MFA officials have contacted us twice in
the past week to express concerns over the direction in which
they see intercommunal technical talks headed and over SRSG
Moeller. We have encouraged the MFA to keep their concerns
out of the press and urged that they improve communication
with Moeller. End Summary.
Concerns About Technical Talks, Moeller
--------------
2. (C) MFA Cyprus Department Head Muftuoglu called us April
13 to express concern that Greek Cypriots are trying to
"hijack" the talks and include what the MFA considers final
settlement issues. Muftuoglu also said that, in the MFA's
opinion, SRSG Moeller was continuing to make "grave
mistakes." The MFA conveyed a similar message to all P-5
embassies. We urged the MFA to look for ways to support for
the talks and the UN, and to keep doubts about Moeller quiet.
3. (C) On April 20, at his request, we went to the MFA to
speak with Muftuoglu's boss, Northeastern Mediterranean
Affairs DDG Bilman. Bilman and other MFA officials had just
returned from the "TRNC," where they met face-to-face with
Talat for the first time since his February heart bypass
surgery.
4. (C) Bilman expressed three concerns. First, he said he
expressed concern about where discussions between Moeller,
Turkish Cypriot representative Pertev and Greek Cypriot
representative Tzionis were headed. They were supposed to
determine the modalities of the technical talks, but instead,
according to Bilman, the SRSG was continuing to discuss how
to restart overall negotiations, an area that Bilman called
beyond Moeller's mandate.
5. (C) Second, Moeller was casting doubt on the legality and
viability of the Annan Plan as the basis for overall
settlement. Moeller's statements so concerned Talat,
according to Bilman, that he sent an April 4 letter to the
SYG asking whether the SYG still backed the Plan and expected
Greek Cypriots to state their proposed changes to the Plan
with clarity and finality. (We e-mailed on April 21 a copy
of the letter to the Department, Embassies Athens and
Nicosia, USUN and USEU.)
6. (C) Finally, Moeller had talked about "Cypriotization"
of the Cyprus issue and not wanting "external powers" --
meaning Turkey -- to have a role.
7. (C) Bilman said the Turkish side is restraining itself,
but he thought Moeller should be relieved of his duties. He
said the Turkish side will not do anything for now, pending
an answer from the SYG to Talat's letter.
8. (C) We urged Bilman to open a direct channel of
communication with Moeller, so the MFA can directly relay
their concerns and directly hear his perspective. Bilman
said the MFA has had no face-to-face contact with Moeller
since an early March meeting in Istanbul.
9. (C) Comment: Erosion of the Annan Plan and attempts to
cut them out of Cyprus issues are anathema for the Turks, and
they will react badly if they become convinced that either is
happening. For now, they have managed to keep their renewed
concerns about the talks and Moeller out of the Turkish
press. However, if the Turkish side perceives these problems
are continuing, they could go public in a way that will sour
the technical talks. End Comment.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/
WILSON