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. -------------- Regional Challenges -------------- ¶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 ANKARA 00000488 002 OF 003 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. -------------- Potential Areas for Cooperation -------------- ¶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. -------------- 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 ANKARA 00000488 003 OF 003 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. -------------- 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. 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