TURKEY AGREES WITH U.S. POSITION ON CLUSTER

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 000146 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/24/2017 TAGS: MOPS PARM PREL NATO TU SUBJECT: TURKEY AGREES WITH U.S. POSITION ON CLUSTER MUNITIONS REF: STATE 06667 Classified By: Pol-Mil Counselor Carl Siebentritt, reasons 1.4 (b/d) ¶1. (C) The GOT shares U.S. concerns about efforts to restrict cluster munitions (CM) outside of the framework of existing weapons conventions, according Dr. Selcuk Sancar, Advisor, MFA Department of Arms Control and Disarmament. In response to our explanation of the U.S. position and inquiries contained reftel, Sancur told us January 23 that Turkey had not received an invitation to attend the February 22-23 CM meeting in Oslo. She said that the MFA follows this issue closely and would consider accepting an invitation to the meeting if one were to be received, but she hastened to clarify that Turkey would not be an active participant in such a meeting. ¶2. (C) Sancar added that the Turkish position on the CM issue is quite close to the U.S. position outlined reftel. Turkey is concerned about the implications of a legally binding treaty restricting the use of CM and fears potential restriction of military capabilities and the effects on potential allied operations. The MFA is against holding discussions of such a treaty outside the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW),Sancar explained. On the other hand, Sancar emphasized, Turkey "wholeheartedly" understands the humanitarian concerns raised by the use of these weapons. ¶3. (C) Regarding Turkey's willingness to engage on future bilateral military-to-military talks on CM, Sancar speculated that the Turkish side would wish to see clear objectives agreed upon in advance. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON