FORMER GREEK PM PROPOSES SELECTIVE EXTENSION OF

UNCLAS ATHENS 001629

SIPDIS

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SIPDIS
FOR EUR/SE

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TAGS: PGOV TU GR TURKEY
SUBJECT: FORMER GREEK PM PROPOSES SELECTIVE EXTENSION OF
GREEK TERRITORIAL WATERS

REF: ATHENS 1475 AND PREVIOUS

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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.