Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ANKARA1233
2007-05-21 14:56:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:
GLOBAL INITIATIVE TO COMBAT NUCLEAR TERRORISM:
how-toVZCZCXYZ0002 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHAK #1233 1411456 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 211456Z MAY 07 FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2204 INFO RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ASTANA PRIORITY 0013 RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS PRIORITY 8085 RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 5553 RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA PRIORITY 6668 RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA PRIORITY 0152
C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 001233
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/21/2022
TAGS: PREL PTER KNNP ETTC CY TU
SUBJECT: GLOBAL INITIATIVE TO COMBAT NUCLEAR TERRORISM:
TURKEY DOWNGRADING ITS PARTICIPATION
Classified By: Pol-Mil Counselor Carl Siebentritt for reasons 1.4 (b,d)
.
C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 001233
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/21/2022
TAGS: PREL PTER KNNP ETTC CY TU
SUBJECT: GLOBAL INITIATIVE TO COMBAT NUCLEAR TERRORISM:
TURKEY DOWNGRADING ITS PARTICIPATION
Classified By: Pol-Mil Counselor Carl Siebentritt for reasons 1.4 (b,d)
.
1. (C) MFA Arms Control Deputy Director General Ahmet Gun
called us and Russian polcouns Dimitri Zykov in on May 21 to
notify us officially of the Turkish government's decision to
lower its level of participation in the Global Initiative
based on Cyprus' admission as a partner. Speaking on
instructions, Gun made the following points:
-- The GOT is disappointed that its entreaties to the GI
co-chairs, including Gun's conversations with U/S Joseph and
Russian Deputy FM Kislyak, that the admission of Cyprus would
force Turkey to reconsider its own participation, went
unheeded.
-- The admission of Cyprus, in the GOT's view, contravenes
language in the Ankara statement on importing political
disputes into the GI and is contrary to Ankara's
understanding from the Rabat and Ankara GI meetings that new
partners would be admitted by consensus.
-- Admitting Cyprus to the GI will, in the GOT's view, only
encourage "southern Cyprus" intransigence vis-a-vis
settlement of the Cyprus question.
2. (C) Accordingly, Gun stated, Turkish participation in the
upcoming GI meeting in Astana will be at the level of second
or third secretary, likely from Turkey's embassy there.
Turkey will decide on its participation in future technical
activities on a case-by-case basis. The Turkish government
has also decided to cancel its workshop on information
sharing against nuclear terrorism planned for 2008 and part
of the GI workplan.
3. (C) When asked about the upcoming U.S. seminar for law
enforcement officials in Miami, Gun opined that the GOT would
not participate. He said that the MFA is in the process of
notifying other GOT agencies of its decision to downgrade
Turkish government participation in Global Initiative events.
4. (C) We and the Russian expressed disappointment at the
Turkish decision and our hope that Turkey would continue to
participate to the degree possible in GI activities. Zykov
reported that the Cyprus government had assured Russia that
it would not use GI activities to raise the Cyprus dispute,
unless Turkish officials did so first. Gun replied that the
GOT is not likely to reconsider its decision, expressing his
personal disappointment that the co-chairs had chosen to
ignore a key national issue for Turkey.
5. (C) Comment. We have no official word that the ten
Turkish national police officers scheduled to attend the June
workshop in Miami have canceled their participation, but we
believe it is likely they will once the MFA's official
decision becomes widely known. End Comment.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/
WILSON
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/21/2022
TAGS: PREL PTER KNNP ETTC CY TU
SUBJECT: GLOBAL INITIATIVE TO COMBAT NUCLEAR TERRORISM:
TURKEY DOWNGRADING ITS PARTICIPATION
Classified By: Pol-Mil Counselor Carl Siebentritt for reasons 1.4 (b,d)
.
1. (C) MFA Arms Control Deputy Director General Ahmet Gun
called us and Russian polcouns Dimitri Zykov in on May 21 to
notify us officially of the Turkish government's decision to
lower its level of participation in the Global Initiative
based on Cyprus' admission as a partner. Speaking on
instructions, Gun made the following points:
-- The GOT is disappointed that its entreaties to the GI
co-chairs, including Gun's conversations with U/S Joseph and
Russian Deputy FM Kislyak, that the admission of Cyprus would
force Turkey to reconsider its own participation, went
unheeded.
-- The admission of Cyprus, in the GOT's view, contravenes
language in the Ankara statement on importing political
disputes into the GI and is contrary to Ankara's
understanding from the Rabat and Ankara GI meetings that new
partners would be admitted by consensus.
-- Admitting Cyprus to the GI will, in the GOT's view, only
encourage "southern Cyprus" intransigence vis-a-vis
settlement of the Cyprus question.
2. (C) Accordingly, Gun stated, Turkish participation in the
upcoming GI meeting in Astana will be at the level of second
or third secretary, likely from Turkey's embassy there.
Turkey will decide on its participation in future technical
activities on a case-by-case basis. The Turkish government
has also decided to cancel its workshop on information
sharing against nuclear terrorism planned for 2008 and part
of the GI workplan.
3. (C) When asked about the upcoming U.S. seminar for law
enforcement officials in Miami, Gun opined that the GOT would
not participate. He said that the MFA is in the process of
notifying other GOT agencies of its decision to downgrade
Turkish government participation in Global Initiative events.
4. (C) We and the Russian expressed disappointment at the
Turkish decision and our hope that Turkey would continue to
participate to the degree possible in GI activities. Zykov
reported that the Cyprus government had assured Russia that
it would not use GI activities to raise the Cyprus dispute,
unless Turkish officials did so first. Gun replied that the
GOT is not likely to reconsider its decision, expressing his
personal disappointment that the co-chairs had chosen to
ignore a key national issue for Turkey.
5. (C) Comment. We have no official word that the ten
Turkish national police officers scheduled to attend the June
workshop in Miami have canceled their participation, but we
believe it is likely they will once the MFA's official
decision becomes widely known. End Comment.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/
WILSON