MFA CENTRAL ASIA CONSULTATIONS IN ANKARA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000488

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2022
TAGS: PREL PGOV TX AJ UZ TI AF KG TU
SUBJECT: MFA CENTRAL ASIA CONSULTATIONS IN ANKARA

REF: ANKARA 383

Classified by Deputy Polcouns Kelly Degnan for Reasons 1.4
(b,d)


1. (C) Summary: Turkey's approach to Central Asian countries
largely echoes ours: ensuring security and stability,
promoting democracy and human rights and fostering economic
development and integration. During broad consultations in
Ankara, SCA DAS Evan Feigenbaum and MFA interlocutors
explored opportunities for joint or complementary cooperation
in the areas of education, developmental assistance, regional
economic development and integration, and diversification of
energy supplies and routes. All agreed that Turkmenistan and
Uzbekistan offered the greatest challenges for effective
engagement. Both sides agreed that operationalizing these
ideas for cooperation is the next step. End Summary.


2. (SBU) SCA DAS Feigenbaum and Senior Advisor Robert Deutsch
conducted a full day of consultations with Turkish government
officials on tral Asia. They also met with representatives from
the Turkish General Staff, the Turkish International
Cooperation Agency (TICA),the Foreign Trade Undersecretariat
and the Ministry of Transportation (septel). They spoke with
businessmen, academics and intellectuals involved in Central
Asia. Following a breakfast roundtable with journalists, the
media covered the visit in a straightforward manner.

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Regional Challenges
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3. (C) MFA Deputy U/S Cevikoz characterized Turkey's approach
to Central Asia as the "Four Ds" -- Democratization,
Development, Diversification and Dialogue. Turkey's emphasis
on human rights and democracy has increased in recent years
and its trade and investment in the region continues to rise.
The GOT is pushing diversification beyond energy through
expanding transport links. Cevikoz cautioned that
calibrating dialogue with the region's leaders is vital; most
reject criticism and are paranoid of outsiders. U/S Apakan
emphasized the GOT's aim to integrate Central Asian countries
into the international community and into its grouping of
Turkic nations. Apakan asserted these countries are allergic
to multilateral cooperation and prefer bilateral approaches.
Cevikoz reported that the 9th "Turkic Summit" will be held in
Azerbaijan this year.


4. (C) DG Uman said Turkey considers Central Asia a
strategic region with huge natural resources. Like the U.S.,
the GOT supports independent, sovereign states moving in a
democratic direction, security, stability and regional
integration and cooperation. He characterized the region's
greatest challenges as slow democratization, a lack of human
rights, a difficult business and investment climate, poor
rule of law and meager education and health sectors. Uman
described the primary factors affecting regional stability as
ethnicity, porous borders and an uneven distribution of
wealth.


5. (C) DAS Feigenbaum outlined the USG's multi-dimensional
approach, involving security, economic development and trade,
democratic reform and human rights, regional economic
integration, education, energy and transnational issues such
as counter-narcotics. These issues are cross-cutting: better
border control leads to increased commerce, as well as
enhanced security; rule of law improves the investment
climate and improves trade even as it builds democratic
habits and institutions. He emphasized the policy as a focus

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on the countries themselves and not as part of a "great game"
with Russia and China. The aim of economic integration is
not just to connect Central Asia to the south, but in every
direction on the compass.

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Potential Areas for Cooperation
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6. (SBU) U/S Apakan and MFA agreed to explore opportunities
for joint and/or complementary cooperation in several areas,
including:

-- Education: The GOT has granted 18,000 university
scholarships to Central Asian students since 1991 and agrees
that this area is ripe for increased engagement, particularly
in Turkmenistan. U/S Apakan suggested specific cooperation
ideas, such as working with the GOT on its program to assist
Azerbaijan's diplomatic training school and perhaps expanding
it to Central Asian countries and sectors such and
politicians and engineers, and exploring ways to use the
joint university programs between Turkey and the U.S. (such
as the SUNY program) as a vehicle to include Central Asian
students. They also identified such areas as curriculum
development, expanding Turkish and American schools in the
region and increasing student exchanges. DAS Feigenbaum
suggested that SCA's regional education coordinator could
follow up with additional ideas.

-- Other developmental assistance: U/S Apakan and DG Uman
suggested that programs in the areas of health, agriculture
and vocational training could also be explored, particularly
between the Turkish International Cooperation Agency (TICA)
and USAID. DAS Feigenbaum urged MFA to encourage TICA to
engage withmproving the investment
climate and rule of law is important, and suggested exploring
joint U.S-Turkey business ventures. Senior Advisor Deutsch
briefed on regional economic integration efforts, including
the potential for regional hydropower cooperation. DG Uman
suggested that the Turkish-American Business Council explore
ways to collaborate with chambers in Central Asian countries,
perhaps in the context of public-private partnerships. They
also discussed increasing Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
(SMEs) loans and assistance, an area in which both TICA and
USAID are active.

-- Energy: Referring to the recent delegation led by EB A/S
Sullivan to discuss regional energy issues, both sides agreed
that oil and gas cooperation is vital.

-- Transnational Issues: U/S Apakan suggested that
counter-narcotics training could be an area for joint
cooperation.

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Turkmenistan
--------------


7. (C) Deputy U/S Cevikoz called the post-Niyazov era a new
beginning but cautioned that a prudent and careful approach
is necessary and change will be slow. DAS Feigenbaum said we
are proactive, but do not expect systemic change to come
overnight. He summarized recent U.S. diplomacy. DG Uman
believed the performance of the new Turkmen leaders should be
watched, not just the promises. The presidential election
process was questionable, although some Berdimuhammadov
statements were promising, e.g., on education. Turkey has
strong business interests there and some ongoing cooperation

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with U.S. businesses. Turkmenistan's educational sector is
in especially bad shape, Uman noted, particularly since the
government did not honor foreign diplomas nor allow students
to go abroad for education.

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Uzbekistan
--------------


8. (C) Uzbekistan has been a big disappointment for Turkey,
Uman said. With half the population of Central Asia, an
intelligentsia and constitutional structure and economic
opportunities, it should have been one of the most successful
states in the region. Uman, who served there as Ambassador
from 2000 to 2004, stated that no democratic channels exist.
Turkey's political relations with the GOU are almost frozen,
he added. DAS Feigenbaum reviewed the steps the U.S. has
taken over the last 20 months, and then noted the agenda for
his upcoming visit. Discussing the EU's strategy on engaging
Uzbekistan post-Andijan, Uman agreed with our message to the
EU not to confuse dialogue with substantive movement and said
Turkey has given the same advice. Admiring a USAID-program
in Uzbekistan that fostered community participation while he
was there, Uman criticized TICA for not doing similar
programs.

-------------- upport of an eventual
OSCE chairmanship but noted our concern that Kazakhstan is
not yet ready in terms of standards; the United States, he
said, was prepared to work with Kazakhstan to this end. Uman
cautioned that Kazakhstan continues to look to Russia for
consent on oil and gas concessions. Senior Advisor Deutsch
briefed on the hydropower potential of Kyrgyzstan and
Tajikistan to export electricity to South Asia. DG Uman said
Turkey should share its experience with the GAP project in
southeast Turkey.


10. (U) SCA DAS Feigenbaum has cleared this message.

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

WILSON