DFM KIRAKOSSIAN UNDERWHELMED BY TURKISH JOINT

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 001371 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/CARC, EUR/SE E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/26/2021 TAGS: PREL PGOV AM TU SUBJECT: DFM KIRAKOSSIAN UNDERWHELMED BY TURKISH JOINT COMMISSIONS NON-PAPER REF: A. A) ANKARA 5471 ¶B. B) ANKARA 5562 Classified By: CDA A.F. Godfrey for reasons 1.4 (b,d) ¶1. (S) SUMMARY: DFM Kirakossian was unimpressed by Turkey's recent non-paper on joint commissions, viewing it as "a step backward" for Armenia's priorities. He resents Turkey's determination (as he sees it) to postpone any discussion on the broader issues of the current relationship until after a joint historical commission on the "genocide" question can do its work. Armenians see this as a Turkish ploy to defer indefinitely any engagement on the real, operational issues that matter most for Armenia: establishing normal diplomatic relations and opening the Turkish-Armenian border. END SUMMARY -------------- NEXT STEPS ON TURKISH-ARMENIAN DIALOG -------------- ¶2. (C) CDA and poloff met September 26 with Deputy FM Arman Kirakossian and MFA international security department head Armen Yedigarian (formerly Armenia's DCM in Washington) to sound out GOAM reaction to Turkey's recent non-paper on joint commissions (reftels). Kirakossian and Yedigarian have been the lead officials engaged in talks with Turkey. The two were fairly negative on Turkey's response to President Kocharian's April letter. The two diplomats complained that Turkey had not shown itself to be "serious" during bilateral discussions. Kirakossian said Armenia had made a very realistic proposal in April and Turkey's much-belated response was "a step backward." The Armenians' view was that the Turkish non-paper insisted that the work of a joint historical commission must precede any bilateral engagement on current issues. Kirakossian pointed out that the historical commission is pointless to the Armenian side; Armenians know the history very well and suffer (in their view) from no lack of clarity on the matter. If Turkey wants to explore this history, that's fine with Armenia, but not at all what Armenia hopes to get out of the bilateral dialog. Kirakossian also complained that Turkey had violated their agreement to keep the bilateral talks secret, commenting that Turkish press had widely reported and discussed the last round of meetings, while Armenian media had gotten no hint of the confidential talks from the GOAM. ¶3. (C) The GOAM wants to focus on present-day concerns where tangible progress can be made, while setting off to one side painful questions of historical interpretation. He repeated the GOAM line that there should be no pre-conditions to normal diplomatic relations or opening the border. Kirakossian and Yedigarian see no indication anything like this that is what Turkey has in mind. Quite the contrary, they see the historical commission as a delaying tactic. Turkey could brandish the fact of any such historical commission as evidence to European and American interlocutors that it is "talking with Armenia" and thereby wriggle away from international pressure. Kirakossian sees no point in accommodating the Turkish desire for a joint historical commission unless Turkey shows some willingness also to engage with Armenia on issues that Armenia cares about. He said that the GOAM does not require grand measures from Turkey right away. Starting with small steps that could build confidence and momentum would be perfectly appropriate. He mentioned, for example, as a first step toward opening the border, Turkey might agree to allow diplomatic passport-holders or certain third-country nationals (he mentioned American citizens) to cross the border. Kirakossian was not optimistic, however, that Turkey would agree. ¶4. (C) Kirakossian acknowledged that he had not yet had the opportunity to discuss the Turkish non-paper substantively with FM Oskanian, nor had Oskanian with President Kocharian. The officials would need to discuss the proposal in more depth and formulate a reply to Turkey. Kirakossian assured us that Armenia would indeed reply to the non-paper and he reiterated several times his readiness to meet again with Turkish officials, to seek a fruitful way forward. ¶5. (C) We pointed out that Turkey's non-paper did not actually exclude the possibility that discussions of contemporary matters could proceed in parallel with a joint historical commission. We urged Armenia to respond to Turkey in a constructive way, that would keep the discussion going and move the debate in the direction Armenia hoped, rather than assume at the outset that Turkey YEREVAN 00001371 002 OF 002 was unwilling to meet Armenia halfway. Kirakossian said again he was ready to meet any time with the Turkish side to pursue further engagement. GODFREY