Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ANKARA6446
2006-11-17 16:01:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:
TURKEY SUSPENDS MILITARY RELATIONS WITH FRANCE
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C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 006446
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/17/2026
TAGS: MARR PREL FR TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY SUSPENDS MILITARY RELATIONS WITH FRANCE
OVER ARMENIA ISSUE
Classified By: DCM Nancy McEldowney for reasons 1.4 (b and d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 006446
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/17/2026
TAGS: MARR PREL FR TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY SUSPENDS MILITARY RELATIONS WITH FRANCE
OVER ARMENIA ISSUE
Classified By: DCM Nancy McEldowney for reasons 1.4 (b and d)
1. (C) Summary: Turkish Land Forces Commander General Ilker
Basbug told journalists November 15 that Turkey has frozen
military relations with France because of the French National
Assembly's October 12 vote on the Armenian genocide issue.
The announcement caused surprise at the French Embassy in
Ankara, which is concerned about the impact on the joint ISAF
Central Region Command in Kabul. A senior MFA official
claimed the military suspension had been coordinated within
the government and would not affect NATO operations. The
announcement is an example of military assertiveness under
CHOD Buyukanit and, according to French contacts here, is
likely to solidify opposition in France to Turkey's EU bid.
End Summary.
2. (U) In November 16 press accounts, Basbug was quoted as
saying "Relations with France in the military field have been
suspended" after the French National Assembly approved a
legislative bill making it a crime in France to deny the
"so-called Armenian genocide." Answering reporters'
questions, Gen. Basbug also reportedly stated that high-level
military visits between France and Turkey have ceased.
3. (C) French Embassy Counselor Brice Roquefeuil told us his
embassy was taken by surprise by Basbug's statement and is
very concerned about the effect on what the French consider
to be a high level of military cooperation with their NATO
ally. Up to now, Roquefeuil said, the damage to bilateral
relations caused by the French assembly's vote on the Armenia
bill had been managed reasonably well by PM Erdogan's office
and the MFA. He speculated that Basbug's statement was not
fully coordinated within the GOT and added that Turkey had
already refused French participation in joint exercises and
had denied port visit requests. A potentially more troubling
impact of the freeze, he feared, might be felt in
French-Turkish military cooperation in Afghanistan, where
French, Italian, and Turkish forces rotate command of ISAF's
Kabul Central Region command.
4. (C) Roquefeuil recalled that France faced a similar
suspension imposed by Turkey in 2001, when France officially
recognized an Armenian genocide; it took two years for the
countries to return to their previous level of military
cooperation. He warned that Basbug's statement would not
help Turkey in its bid for EU membership. The French
government, he said, was under political pressure not to
support Turkey's membership and such action by the TGS would
certainly be used by Turkey's opponents.
5. (C) MFA Deputy Undersecretary Refat Akgunay claimed to
Charge November 17 that Basbug's statements had been
coordinated in advance with the MFA. (Comment: Mid-level MFA
officials with whom we spoke, including Akgunay's Deputy
Director General for NATO affairs, professed no prior
knowledge of Basbug's remarks. End Comment) Akgunay added
that the suspension of mil-mil ties with France was purely
bilateral and would not affect cooperation in NATO
activities. "The French have a price to pay," he stated.
6. (C) A former Turkish military officer with access to
senior TGS officers told us that the French assembly vote on
Armenia had affected Turkish decisions about the level of
Turkish troop commitments and speed of deployment to Lebanon
under UNIFIL. He stated that military equipment purchases
could also be affected; defense tenders with French
participation (e.g. South Africa's Denel helicopter, with
40-60% French content, was one of two finalists in the attack
helicopter tender) were at risk. A contact at the
Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM) confirmed that
procurement decisions might be affected, although it is not
clear if existing tenders would be included. We understand
that non-military commercial sales to Turkey, including a new
communications satellite for Turksat valued at $200 million,
are so far unaffected by the military freeze. A French
military attache confirmed to us that France had been
"dis-invited" from participating in Turkey's biannual
International Defense Industry Fair, to be held in Ankara in
May 2007.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/
WILSON
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/17/2026
TAGS: MARR PREL FR TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY SUSPENDS MILITARY RELATIONS WITH FRANCE
OVER ARMENIA ISSUE
Classified By: DCM Nancy McEldowney for reasons 1.4 (b and d)
1. (C) Summary: Turkish Land Forces Commander General Ilker
Basbug told journalists November 15 that Turkey has frozen
military relations with France because of the French National
Assembly's October 12 vote on the Armenian genocide issue.
The announcement caused surprise at the French Embassy in
Ankara, which is concerned about the impact on the joint ISAF
Central Region Command in Kabul. A senior MFA official
claimed the military suspension had been coordinated within
the government and would not affect NATO operations. The
announcement is an example of military assertiveness under
CHOD Buyukanit and, according to French contacts here, is
likely to solidify opposition in France to Turkey's EU bid.
End Summary.
2. (U) In November 16 press accounts, Basbug was quoted as
saying "Relations with France in the military field have been
suspended" after the French National Assembly approved a
legislative bill making it a crime in France to deny the
"so-called Armenian genocide." Answering reporters'
questions, Gen. Basbug also reportedly stated that high-level
military visits between France and Turkey have ceased.
3. (C) French Embassy Counselor Brice Roquefeuil told us his
embassy was taken by surprise by Basbug's statement and is
very concerned about the effect on what the French consider
to be a high level of military cooperation with their NATO
ally. Up to now, Roquefeuil said, the damage to bilateral
relations caused by the French assembly's vote on the Armenia
bill had been managed reasonably well by PM Erdogan's office
and the MFA. He speculated that Basbug's statement was not
fully coordinated within the GOT and added that Turkey had
already refused French participation in joint exercises and
had denied port visit requests. A potentially more troubling
impact of the freeze, he feared, might be felt in
French-Turkish military cooperation in Afghanistan, where
French, Italian, and Turkish forces rotate command of ISAF's
Kabul Central Region command.
4. (C) Roquefeuil recalled that France faced a similar
suspension imposed by Turkey in 2001, when France officially
recognized an Armenian genocide; it took two years for the
countries to return to their previous level of military
cooperation. He warned that Basbug's statement would not
help Turkey in its bid for EU membership. The French
government, he said, was under political pressure not to
support Turkey's membership and such action by the TGS would
certainly be used by Turkey's opponents.
5. (C) MFA Deputy Undersecretary Refat Akgunay claimed to
Charge November 17 that Basbug's statements had been
coordinated in advance with the MFA. (Comment: Mid-level MFA
officials with whom we spoke, including Akgunay's Deputy
Director General for NATO affairs, professed no prior
knowledge of Basbug's remarks. End Comment) Akgunay added
that the suspension of mil-mil ties with France was purely
bilateral and would not affect cooperation in NATO
activities. "The French have a price to pay," he stated.
6. (C) A former Turkish military officer with access to
senior TGS officers told us that the French assembly vote on
Armenia had affected Turkish decisions about the level of
Turkish troop commitments and speed of deployment to Lebanon
under UNIFIL. He stated that military equipment purchases
could also be affected; defense tenders with French
participation (e.g. South Africa's Denel helicopter, with
40-60% French content, was one of two finalists in the attack
helicopter tender) were at risk. A contact at the
Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM) confirmed that
procurement decisions might be affected, although it is not
clear if existing tenders would be included. We understand
that non-military commercial sales to Turkey, including a new
communications satellite for Turksat valued at $200 million,
are so far unaffected by the military freeze. A French
military attache confirmed to us that France had been
"dis-invited" from participating in Turkey's biannual
International Defense Industry Fair, to be held in Ankara in
May 2007.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/
WILSON