FORMER GREEK PM PROPOSES SELECTIVE EXTENSION OF

UNCLAS ATHENS 001629 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS FOR EUR/SE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV TU GR TURKEY SUBJECT: FORMER GREEK PM PROPOSES SELECTIVE EXTENSION OF GREEK TERRITORIAL WATERS REF: ATHENS 1475 AND PREVIOUS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY. ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Former PM Costas Simitis has proposed that Greece move to extend its territorial waters as part of a broader policy of pressing for an all- round settlement of the Aegean dispute with Turkey. Simitis, in a June 18 newspaper article, argued that a selective extension would not impede free passage for international shipping. He also said that Greece wins little by delaying a dialogue with Turkey and has every reason to wish to see a detailed Turkish roadmap on achieving EU accession criteria. Action is needed now, Simitis concluded, because doing nothing would only exacerbate the increasing disinterest of Greece's EU partners in seeing a settlement of the Greek-Turkish dispute. Not a new argument, the "selective extension" argument is part of a recent flurry of proposals (reftels) in reaction to the GoG's failure to demonstrate progress in the long-running Greek-Turkish Aegean talks. End Summary. ¶2. (U) Former socialist PM Costas Simitis has proposed "selective extension of Greek territorial waters" in the Aegean as part of a package of "pressuring" Turkey to abide by EU accession criteria. Writing for the June 18 Sunday edition of "Ethnos" newspaper, Simitis suggested that this extension of territorial waters would have to be selective in order for Greece to avoid "shutting down the seas" and allow "freedom of navigation for all ships of all nations." Simitis argued that this selective extension of territorial waters, bringing Greek seas to the maximum width of 12 nautical miles allowed under the Convention of the Law of the Sea in some areas, and out to 8 or 10 miles elsewhere, would secure this "free transit passage" -- and win Greece the support of maritime nations, like the U.S. and the UK, in its dispute with Turkey over delimiting the continental shelf of Greek Aegean islands. (Note: Simitis did not address Turkey's long-standing "casus belli" threat, should Greece extend its waters to 12 miles. End Note.) ¶3. (U) Simitis also argued that the GoG should not delay in "putting pressure" on Turkey to deliver a specific roadmap detailing its actions in meeting EU accession criteria. In the short term, Greece should strive to settle what Turkey says is a "sea border dispute" between the two countries by ultimately referring the case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. Simitis criticized those who maintain that delaying a dialogue with Turkey is to Greece's advantage, and warned that EU members are increasingly disinterested in the problems of Greek- Turkish relations. Furthermore, Simitis suggested that there is little room for a Greek veto upon Turkey's EU bid; said he: "A veto you exercise at the beginning or the end [of a process]. The one chance was lost [in December 2004], the other is theoretical." ¶4. (SBU) Comment: Simitis' article comes in the wake of a proposal by former President Costis Stephanopoulos for Greece to submit "the totality" of Aegean problems to the ICJ for a final settlement (reftel). Most commentators criticized the Stephanopoulos proposal, and the Karamanlis administration reacted in its usual cautious manner. The Simitis article has seen similar treatment. Proposals for the selective extension of Greek territorial waters have been broached in the past, but without gaining any traction. Rehashing old Aegean proposals by PASOK leaders and others appears to be a favorite pastime these days, a reaction perhaps to the GoG's failure to show any progress or initiative in the Aegean technical talks with Turkey, which recently held its 34th experts meeting.