TURKEY ON RUSSIA'S CFE CONCERNS AND HLTF

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 001370 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/04/2017 TAGS: KCFE NATO PARM PREL TU SUBJECT: TURKEY ON RUSSIA'S CFE CONCERNS AND HLTF REF: STATE 75293 Classified By: Pol-Mil Counselor Carl Siebentritt for reasons 1.4 (b,d) . ¶1. (C) We shared reftel points with MFA Deputy Director General for Arms Control and Disarmament Ahmet Muhtar Gun on June 1. Gun subsequently called us in on June 4 to provide MFA feedback in advance of the HLTF meeting. Gun reported that the Russians had circulated a second, more focused paper in Vienna proposing elements of a concluding document for the Vienna conference. For the MFA, Gun said, the second Russian paper is a "non-starter." Turkey's principal redline is any attempt to change or eliminate the CFE flank regime. The Russian paper mentions the flank issue in three places in a manner Turkey finds "outrageous." ¶2. (C) Turkey will press for a strong, unified allied position at the HLTF to head off divisive Russian tactics. The allies must be direct and frank with Russia on what can and cannot be done. The CFE regime must be preserved at all costs. At the same time, Gun stated, allies must be ready to discuss any areas in which Russia could be accommodated without harming core treaty interests. When asked about the Istanbul Commitments, Gun said the Germans had put forth a roadmap for reviewing those commitments with the Russians and offering faster allied ratification of the Adapted Treaty as the Russians fulfill the ICs. Gun saw value in such a tactic but agreed it should be discussed further among allies beforehand. ¶3. (C) Gun said his delegation will propose the following at the HLTF: -- allies may wish to consider circulating a paper to counter the Russian one; -- allies need to agree on the elements of a unified position, then press those points in public. Turkey is not opposed to a joint declaration, but at a minimum allies should come up with agreed building block points for the public. -- Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Poland, which are specifically named in the Russian paper, should take the floor and explain their positions. The rest of the allies should show strong support, including referring to positions already taken by the Baltic allies. -- Finally, if Russia goes through with its threat to withdraw from CFE, allies should be prepared to follow-up rapidly and constantly with each other. ¶4. (C) Gun said Turkey will also be consulting with Germany. He welcomed any additional U.S. thinking on CFE in advance of the HLTF meeting and requested consultations with DAS Karin Look on the margins. The Turkish delegation will arrive in Brussels early in the afternoon of June 6. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON