U.S.-TURKEY POLICY PLANNING CONSULTATIONS: DATE

UNCLAS ANKARA 000206

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

SECSTATE FOR S/P AND EUR/SE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL TU US
SUBJECT: U.S.-TURKEY POLICY PLANNING CONSULTATIONS: DATE
CONFIRMED, PROPOSED AGENDA


1. (U) This contains an action request: please see para 8.


2. (U) Turkish MFA Deputy Director General for Policy
Planning Atilla Gunay informed us that the Turkish side
accepts the proposed date of February 22 for bilateral policy
planning talks. Ambassador Altay Cengizer, who will shortly
take over the Director General position for policy planning,
will lead the talks for the Turks (Cengizer, the outgoing
adviser for FM Gul, is well-versed on U.S.-Turkish relations
and will accompany the Minister to Washington this weekend).


3. (U) We understand as well that Mr. Waxman plans to spend
February 23 in Istanbul, meeting with think tanks and NGOs.


4. (U) We explained how talks usually proceed from the USG
point of view -- four to six hours of talks, including a
working lunch, with topics and which side will take the lead
agreed in advance. That coincides with how the Turks prefer
to proceed as well.


5. (SBU) In terms of topics, we sketched out S/P's proposals
-- democracy/good governance, nonproliferation, energy, and
Russia/Central Asia/the Caucasus. DDG Gunay, in consultation
with Ambassador Cengizer, proposed the following expanded
list:

--Introduction: Working methods of policy planning units of
the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the US Department
of State
--Priorities of Turkish and American Foreign Policy
--Relations with the EU
--Kosovo
--Middle East (to include Palestine - Israel, Lebanon and
Iran)
--South Caucasus
--Central Asia and Afghanistan
--Energy Security
--BMENA, Democratization and Good Governance
--Relations with China and the Future of China

Gunay said they intended to include nonproliferation under
the democratization heading.


6. (SBU) The Turkish proposal is ambitious, but broadens the
field to include some current Turkish priorities - notably,
the Middle East. Given the current focus in this region, we
strongly support including the Middle East and Iran as an
opportunity to both lay out our thinking on these topics and
draw the Turks out. The proposed addition of China shows the
Turks are thinking farther afield.


7. (SBU) These talks could not be more timely. They form a
cornerstone of the Strategic Dialogue agreed by Secretary
Rice and FM Gul last July, and come as Turkey faces a year of
difficult domestic and regional politics. It is also a year
with potential pitfalls in U.S.-Turkish relations and having
the opportunity to address a range of issues where both our
countries have much at stake - and where we would benefit
mutually from cooperation - will be key.


8. (U) Action request: Please provide feedback on the
proposed Turkish agenda soonest so we can have a focused
agenda in place before February 22.

Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/

WILSON