TURKEY WILL CLOSELY STUDY AUSTRALIAN AMENDMENT TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 006376 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/08/2016 TAGS: PHUM PREL UNGA UNAUS CU TU SUBJECT: TURKEY WILL CLOSELY STUDY AUSTRALIAN AMENDMENT TO CUBA RESOLUTION REF: A. STATE 184156 ¶B. STATE 182099 Classified By: Political Counselor Janice G. Weiner for reasons 1.4(b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Ambassador delivered ref a points to Turkish MFA Deputy Under Secretary Ertugrul Apakan November 8. Ambassador stressed the importance the USG gives to ensuring the Cuba resolution reflects the abuses suffered by the Cuban people as a result of their own government's actions and policies and expressed our hope that should Turkey decide it must support the overall resolution on Cuba, that it be certain to also support the Australian-proposed amendment. Apakan responded that while Turkey intended to vote for the resolution, he took the Ambassador's points and pledged to look closely and urgently at the proposed Australian amendment. ¶2. (C) We also provided a copy of ref a points to MFA Latin America desk officer Ayse Zeybek November 8, following up on our November 7 discussion based on ref b points. Zeybek did not reply substantively on the Australian amendment, but indicated that Turkey planned to vote in favor of the resolution. She added that Turkey would be coordinating its position on the resolution with the European Union, as it and other accession states routinely have done. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON