COG COMPLAINS OF EXCLUSION FROM PSI EXERCISE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 002625 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/10/2021 TAGS: CY PGOV PREL PARM TU SUBJECT: COG COMPLAINS OF EXCLUSION FROM PSI EXERCISE "ANATOLIAN SUN" REF: A. NICOSIA 00685 ¶B. STATE 56944 (NOTAL) Classified By: DCM Nancy McEldowney for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) We do not believe that it would be productive to approach the GOT again to invite Cyprus to the May 24-26 PSI exercise "Anatolian Sun" at this late date, as recommended ref a. We agree with Embassy Nicosia that Turkey will not issue this invitation. ¶2. (C) In October, Turkey requested the USG provide a list of countries appropriate to invite to this exercise. We included the Republic of Cyprus on our response in December. While the GOT accepted almost all of our suggestions then and more recently (ref b),it has not been willing to invite Cyprus. We followed up with MFA on May 10; officials were aware of press reports that Cyprus wished to be included, but Ankara was not prepared to invite the ROC. The GOT's focus was on having a successful exercise, we were told, and Turkey did not want to detract from this by creating a domestic controversy over Cypriot involvement. ¶3. (C) To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time Cyprus has expressed an interest in observing this exercise, despite being present at discussions of the exercise at every quarterly Operational Experts Group (OEG) meetings since Ankara announced it would host this exercise in April, 2005. Other countries have approached Turkey at the OEG to request invitations and have received them; we are not aware that the ROC has tried. ¶4. (C) We were surprised that the GOC complained about the map issue (Turkey's initial briefings to the OEG included a map showing a divided Cyprus, prompting Cyprus and Greece to walk out of one meeting last year). For the March exercise planning meeting and the April OEG meeting in Miami, Turkey cropped the maps in its presentation to exclude the island. ¶5. (C) We recommend that Embassy Nicosia be authorized to inform the GOC that -- The USG did ask that Cyprus be invited to "Anatolian Sun." -- Although the GOT decided against extending an invitation, it did address Cypriot objections to the map and that issue appears resolved. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON