TURKEY/GREECE: SOLDIERS TAKE THE LEAD IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 006388

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/SE, USNATO FOR KEMP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/09/2016
TAGS: PREL MOPS TU GR
SUBJECT: TURKEY/GREECE: SOLDIERS TAKE THE LEAD IN
IMPROVING AEGEAN RELATIONS

REF: A. A) IIR 6 898 0376 06


B. B) IIR 6 837 0020 07

Classified By: A/DCM Dan Sreebny, reasons 1.4 (b and d)


1. (C) Summary: The November 1-4 visit to Athens by
Turkey's Chief of General Staff (CHOD) Gen. Yasar Buyukanit,
the first such visit in at least 32 years, is the most
high-profile of recent firsts in Turkish-Greek military
cooperation. Buyukanit reportedly discussed extending Aegean
confidence building measures and the creation of new combined
Turkish-Greek operational units under NATO. Following the
visit, Turkish and Greek air force units participated in a
November 6-10 disaster relief exercise in Ankara. Coast
Guard chiefs of both countries will also meet in the next few
weeks. The high-profile military exchanges come at a time
when bilateral political relations remain stalled over EU
accession, Cyprus, and disputes over the Halki Seminary and
the Muslim minority in Thrace. End Summary.

The Turkish CHOD's "Friendship Attack"
--------------


2. (C) Gen. Buyukanit's three-day visit to Athens, in which
he met with his counterpart, Greek CHOD Admiral Panayiotis
Chinofotis as well as Defense Minister Evangelos Meimarakis,
reciprocated Chinfotis' first ever Greek chief of staff visit
to Ankara on July 27-28. Buyukanit had previously visited
Greece in 2005, the first Chief of Turkish Land Forces to do
so, a point underscored in laudatory Ankara press accounts of
this latest trip, which portrayed a confident and exuberant
commander-in-chief quoting Ataturk and praising Greek
hospitality. The Turkish press reported positive
atmospherics, describing the landmark visit a "friendship
attack" on the Greek capital.


3. (U) The TGS released a statement listing the topics
discussed in Athens, including:

-- evaluation and expansion of already agreed to confidence
building measures in the Aegean;

-- creation of a new, joint committee at the Chief of Defense
level for the Balkan states which would meet periodically "to
promote regional security and discuss military issues." The
first meeting is expected to take place in Thessaloniki in
early 2007.

-- creation of joint Turkish-Greek operational unit within
NATO to participate in peacekeeping operations;

-- creation of a Turkish-Greek army unit to participate in
NATO Response Force (NRF) operations as needed;

-- exchange of personnel in NATO deployed naval units;

-- creation of a combined disaster relief/humanitarian aid
task force;

-- exchange of working visits for armed services commanders;

-- exchange visits among personnel serving in Turkish-Greek
border units in Thrace;

-- illegal immigration; and

-- regional security issues related to the Middle East, and
Iraq.

Low-Key Spin in Ankara
--------------


4. (C) Ankara officials have treated the visit in a low-key
manner. The MFA Northeast Mediterranean affairs office
downplayed the significance of the meetings, painting them as
the next incremental step in a gradual process of improvement
in Turkish-Greek ties that began as far back as 1999, after
the arrest of PKK terrorist leader Abdullah Ocalan and
reciprocal humanitarian support following severe earthquakes

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in both countries. Buyukanit's trip is not likely to hasten
scheduling of the visit to Athens later this year by FM Gul,
whose potential visit would be in keeping with an agreement
to have foreign ministers visit the other country in
alternate years.


5. (C) One MFA official familiar with Aegean issues told us
he was optimistic that renewed discussion of confidence
building measures would decrease chances for accidents
involving military vessels and aircraft in disputed waters
and air space. An incdent in May 2006 involving F-16s from
both countries operating in close contact resulted in a
mid-air collision and the death of the Greek pilot.
"Dogfights" between Turkish and Greek aircraft and close
encounters between both nations' naval vessels operating in
the Aegean continue. As recently as late October, we viewed
video footage reportedly taken by a sailor from the deck of a
Greek frigate showing a Turkish F-4 approaching the ship's
bow head on and passing very close down the ship's port side
approximately 15 feet above the water.


6. (C) On the creation of joint Turkish-Greek units under a
NATO framework for peace-keeping or for the NATO Response
Force (NRF),an MFA official with responsibility for NATO
issues was at a loss to describe to us anything about the
proposals. As of November 8, he had not yet seen the
official report of the talks from TGS.


7. (C) Ankara observers outside of government point out that
Buyukanit's visit did nothing to address the underlying land
and sea border dispute issues in the Aegean. Well-known
academic on Turkey-Greece relations Huseyin Bagci commented
privately to us that Bukuyanit had little choice but to go to
Athens after Adm. Chinofotis' visit to Ankara. Nevertheless,
the visit did push the ball forward, and was the kind of
visit that only a senior military officer of Bukuykanit's
stature could pull off because the Turkish public has far
more trust in the military than it does in its civilian
political leadership not to sell short Turkey's interests, he
said. Bilkent Professor Hasan Unal, another knowledgeable
Aegean commentator, suggested to us that reported proposals
for the formation of joint military units under a NATO
umbrella were the most significant result of the visit.

Disaster Relief Exercise and Coast Guard Chiefs Meeting
-------------- --------------


8. (C) Turkey and Greece Air Force elements conducted their
first ever joint natural disaster relief exercise November
6-10 in Ankara. The Greek contribution to the exercise
consists of 15 Air Force personnel. A bilateral search and
rescue exercise to be held in the Aegean with navy and air
force units from both countries, proposed for the same dates
(ref a) did not materialize. Greek Coast Guard Chief Vice
Admiral Elias Sionides accepted an invitation from his
Turkish counterpart, Rear Admiral Can Erenoglu, and the two
are expected to meet for the first time in a matter of weeks
to discuss coordination on search and rescue operations in
the Aegean and the issue of human trafficking (ref b).


Comment
--------------


9. (C) Buyukanit's visit to Athens stands in stark contrast
to the inability of the political leadership on either side
of the Aegean to close on the long sought visit of Greek PM
Karamanlis to Turkey. Aegean confidence building measures
can only help reduce the likelihood of fatal encounters
there. We are less optimistic that the joint military units
will be easily organized, but the fact that the two sides can
consider such cooperation is encouraging. Buyukanit is doing
well to support his western flank as Turkey faces increasing
challenges to the east.

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

WILSON