RUSSIAN THREATS AGAINST MISSILE DEFENSE IN POLAND

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 000403 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/23/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR PL CZ RU TU SUBJECT: RUSSIAN THREATS AGAINST MISSILE DEFENSE IN POLAND AND CZECH REPUBLIC: TURKISH RESPONSE REF: A. STATE 21640 ¶B. ATHENS 0386 Classified By: Pol-Mil Counselor Carl Siebentritt for reasons 1.4 (b,d). ¶1. (C) Ambassador raised ref a points February 22 with MFA Deputy Undersecretary (U/S-equivalent) Haydar Berk, stressing unacceptable Russian threats to Poland and the Czech Republic even though Russia knows missile defenses based in those countries pose no threat to the Russian strategic arsenal. DCM also raised with MFA Director General for Policy Planning Altay Cengizer and Arms Control Deputy Director General Ahmet Muhtar Gun in the course of policy planning talks the same day. ¶2. (C) PolMilCouns followed up February 23 with DDG Gun, urging the Turkish government to make a public statement in support of Poland and the Czech Republic. Gun promised to share our points immediately with senior MFA officials and get back to us as soon as possible. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON