CAUCASUS CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION CONFERENCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 005522 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/17/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV TU SUBJECT: CAUCASUS CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION CONFERENCE SPOTLIGHTS VISION FOR CHANGE AND THE CHALLENGE Classified By: Political Counselor Janice G. Weiner for reasons 1.4(b), (d) ¶1. (C) Summary. Representatives from Turkey and several neighboring countries met from September 15 to 17 in eastern Turkey to discuss opportunities for regional cross-border cooperation. The conference, which was co-sponsored by the Kars Municipality and the International Urban Development Association (INTA),was held in conjunction with the third annual International Caucasus Cultures Festival. Speakers were realistic about the hurdles impeding greater regional cooperation but remained optimistic about working through local authorities to build cultural and economic bridges where possible. Performances by artists from participating countries highlighted the cultural links within the region but also demonstrated the challenge that festering feuds present -- after the Armenian group played songs the Azeris claimed as their own and not Armenia's, the Azeris refused to perform. End Summary. ¶2. (C) The mayor of Kars, Naif Alibeyoglu, has been the driving force behind the annual Caucasus conference. His town is a 30-minute drive to the Armenian border and hosts the ruins of the ancient city of Ani, important to Armenia, Georgia, Turkey and other civilizations. Alibeyoglu, a member of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) may be Turkey's strongest proponent of opening Turkey's land border with Armenia, which has been closed since 1993. He at times has defied GOT policy and the still-testy sentiments of many Turks toward Armenia in his efforts to promote greater regional trade and boost the prospects for his poor, rural province. Alibeyoglu envisions Kars as a regional hub in the Caucasus, with the annual conference some day rivaling the Davos Economic Forum. Currently better known as the setting for noted Turkish author Orhan Pamuk's novel, Snow, Kars is not yet a threat to Davos. But the annual conference has succeeded in attracting attention to grass-roots opportunities aimed at nudging governments slowly toward greater regional cooperation that might revive links with strategic Central Asian markets and beyond. ¶3. (C) Dengir Mir Firat, AKP Vice Chairman, dodged addressing the Armenian border issue directly in his conference remarks by noting that "conflicts usually come from politicians, not the people." Given Turkey's location surrounded by divisive regions such as the Middle East, the Balkans and the Caucasus, Firat said Turkey cannot remain neutral and must play a role in finding solutions to pending disputes. The head of the MFA's South Caucasus Department, Suleyman Gokce, also addressed the "deep competition and differences of opinion" within the region and the steadying role Turkey has played. He specifically mentioned Turkey's relations with Georgia, Azerbajian and Armenia, and said that Turkey wants to help resolve frozen conflicts and bring progress to the area. Successful efforts like the Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan pipeline will build regional cooperation and stability, he noted, and local cooperation is often a good place to start. ¶4. (U) Kenan Altun, the AKP Deputy from Ardahan province which borders Georgia, echoed Mayor Alibeyoglu's call to open Turkey's brder with Armenia and seize opportunities forpeace. He reiterated the oft-heard call to leave issues of history (such as the 1915 Armenian massacre) to the historians, but claimed that the Armenian-American diaspora won't accept that approach. Calling the Caucasus a "transition corridor", he pointed out the inefficiencies of running highways, railways or pipelines around Armenia. ¶5. (U) Speakers from co-sponsor INTA and other NGOs proposed a variety of projects to develop regional contacts and cooperation. Revitalizing Ani, which rivaled Byzantium as one of the great Christian cities with over 100,000 inhabitants, as a major archeaological site is among the most promising efforts. According to Governor Ufuk Erden, preserving Ani is one of Turkey's cultural priorities. The crumbling remains of churches and mosques scattered across an open plain a stone's throw from Armenia are being charted and scanned with the help of the Global Heritage Fund (GHF),a California-based conservation group that invested $348,000 in revitalizing the Kars Historic District in 2005. The GHF is developing a master conservation plan and architectural design for Ani and the district that ideally would include sites in Armenia as well. Kars Municipality is also seeking additional funding from the EU ($2 million) and the World Bank ($500,000) for 2006 and 2007 revitalization projects. Other proposals for increased regional cooperation include organizing regional agricultural fairs and collaborative research projects, developing winter and summer sports festivals, and plugging Kars, which boasts a prominent castle, into the global chain of fortress cities like Edinburgh. ANKARA 00005522 002 OF 002 ¶6. (C) The conference and the cultural festival, which featured performers from the Estonia, Cuba, Sudan, Russia and Bangladesh as well as the Caucasus countries, succeeded in turning the spotlight again, however briefly, on Kars and Alibeyoglu's efforts to revitalize a neglected part of Turkey's rural northeast. By expanding the guest list to include representatives from Iran, Iraq, Serbia, Russia, Europe and the US, the mayor's outreach on behalf of his city and region may eventually raise awareness of the economic and cultural opportunities. As PolOff and the Russian First Secretary were waiting to depart, Alibeyoglu bemoaned the SIPDIS Azeris' refusal to perform due to a spat with the Armenian musicians and made an impassioned plea for the US and Russia to solve the Nagorno-Karabakh stalemate. Kars as a regional hub may seem like a long shot now, but Alibeyoglu's determination and persistence may even the odds in the long run. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON