TURKISH FM GUL, U/S TUYGAN ON BAKOYANNIS MEETING,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 003575

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/16/2021
TAGS: PREL TU GR CY IR IZ
SUBJECT: TURKISH FM GUL, U/S TUYGAN ON BAKOYANNIS MEETING,
CYPRUS, IRAN/IRAQ, BILATERAL RELATIONS

REF: ANKARA 3542

(U) Classified by Ambassador Ross Wilson, reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).


1. (C) Summary: In June 15 meetings with Ambassador,
Turkish FM Gul and MFA U/S Tuygan provided more details about
Gul's June 10 meeting with Greek FM Bakoyannis (reftel). On
Cyprus, Gul expressed interest in working to solve Turkey's
ports issue with the EU, adding that details and public
rhetoric surrounding any arrangement would be critical. Gul
said he sees signs of flexibility from Iran. On Iraq, Gul
said FM Zebari will visit Turkey July 3, and he had in
principle agreed to visit Baghdad. Gul and emphasized the
importance of his upcoming July meeting with the Secretary.
End Summary.

More Details on Gul/Bakoyannis Meeting
--------------


2. (C) Tuygan said Gul was caught off guard by Bakoyannis'
"superior" tone and her litany of Greek complaints about
Turkey in her remarks at the Turkish-Greek Media Conference
both attended. In his speech, Gul stuck with his prepared
remarks, which were designed to be positive. Notwithstanding
this, in every other respect, Tuygan felt the Greek side went
out of its way to create positive atmospheris, including in
the way Bakoyannis interactedwith Gul.


3. (C) In their private meeting, akoyannis went over at
length (excessive length, Tuygan thought) Greek complaints,
including especially on the Halki Seminary and the
Patriarchate. Gul replied that Turkey wanted to work
constructively on these issues but there are legal
constraints and domestic political resistance. Gul raised
the status of Muslims in western Thrace; Bakoyannis cited
Greek legal complications in addressing the issues.


4. (C) Gul warned Bakoyannis that continuing GOG allegations
of Turkish "genocide" of Pontic Greeks could create barriers
in Greek public opinion to improved bilateral relations. He
noted that although relations with Turkey and related
problems loom large in the Greek media, relations with Greece
are just one of many problems for Turkey, and not among the
most immediate or important. He reportedly told Bakoyannis
that 73 percent of Turks have a positive view of Greece, and
51 percent regard Greece as Turkey's biggest supporter in the
EU accession process -- more than any other country.


5. (C) The meeting concluded on a positive note, with
Bakoyannis telling Gul that Greece will continue to try to
help on Turkey's EU accession, including on Cyprus-related EU
issues. Tuygan said Turkey is pleased with the confidence
building measures announced during the meeting, but feels the
time has come for the two countries to address the underlying
issues in the Aegean.


6. (C) Gul emphasized to Ambassador his interest in building
strong, peaceful relations with Greece. His assessment was
that Bakoyannis is working to deflect domestic perceptions
that she is too close to Turkey and is playing to domestic
populist sentiment with her long-term political ambitions in
mind. He said Bakoyannis had invited him to Greece and he
wanted to go soon. Both he and Bakoyannis asked their under
secretaries to be more frequently in touch and report back to

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them jointly on the results when they next meet.

Cyprus
--------------


7. (C) Gul said Cyprus did not come up in his meeting with
Bakoyannis, except in passing, in the EU context. With the
Ambassador, he echoed public remarks in Luxembourg
complaining about EU members' unwillingness to stand up to
Cyprus. Gul said he could understand Cypriot intransigence,
but strongly objected to what he views as EU member states
accepting it.

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8. (C) Ambassador reiterated U.S. interest and willingness
to work with all parties on ideas about how to prevent the
ports and trade issues between Turkey and Cyprus from
hindering Turkey's EU accession. Ambassador noted that the
European Commission and others have been thinking about the
possibility of a simple, temporary arrangement. Gul
expressed interest, but said the domestic politics here are
getting harder. He also made it clear that the details of
any such arrangement would be critical, as would the public
rhetoric surrounding it.

Iran, Iraq
--------------


9. (C) On Iran, Gul assessed that the U.S. and Turkey are
working together well and constructively. Gul said he sees
signs of Iranian flexibility. Reflecting off Ambassador's
discussion with U/S Tuygan a day before on possible travel to
Tehran, Gul said he had discussed all the Iran issues with
Secretary Rice earlier in the day.

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10. (C) Gul briefly discussed Iraq and the need to support
the new GOI. He said that Iraqi FM Zebari would visit Ankara
for a series of meetings on July 3. Gul added that he had
been invited to Baghdad and had agreed in principle to go.
Gul emphasized the importance of re-starting trilateral
U.S./Turkish/Iraqi talks on the PKK.

Bilateral Relations
--------------


11. (C) Gul said he looks forward to meeting with the
Secretary on July 5. This meeting will be his number one

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priority during his trip to the U.S. He recognized July 4 is
a major U.S. holiday and some U.S. officials with whom he
would like to meet may be unavailable. If they are
available, Gul thought meetings with Secretary Rumsfeld and
NSA Hadley would be helpful. Tuygan said instructions about
the shared vision and structured dialogue paper had been sent
to the Turkish Embassy in Washington, but declined to
discuss the matter further; he hoped the launch could happen
during Gul's visit.

Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/

WILSON