TURKEY: AMBASSADOR AND MFA U/S APAKAN DISCUSS

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001138 SIPDIS EUR/SE, NEA/I, S/CT, EUR/RPM, EUR/ERA E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/18/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV ENRG NATO EUN TU SUBJECT: TURKEY: AMBASSADOR AND MFA U/S APAKAN DISCUSS ENERGY POLICY, C/T COOPERATION, EU RELATIONS, AND CYPRUS REF: A. STATE 64530 ¶B. ANKARA 1046 ¶C. ANKARA 1100 Classified By: Ambassador Ross Wilson, Reasons 1.4 (b,d) ¶1. (C) Summary: During a June 18 meeting with MFA U/S Apakan, Ambassador urged Turkey to encourage Iran to accept the P5 1 package (ref a),sought MFA's assistance in modernizing U.S.-Turkish cooperation in counterterrorism, and recommended Turkey do more to develop a coordinated message on Nabucco and related energy matters. He also encouraged Apakan to focus soon on the Iraq/regional investment conference discussed at the April Economic Partnership Commission meeting and noted staff discussions regarding the EPC action plan. Apakan expressed support for the P5 1 package and pledged to urge his Iranian counterpart to accept the package (details reported via septel),offered to consult with his colleagues on upgrading counterterrorism cooperation, and agreed on EPC follow-up. Apakan expressed deep frustration over Turkey's relationship with the EU, the EU's inability to appreciate Turkey's geo-strategic importance, and disconnects on Nabucco/energy, NATO-EU, and Cyprus. Apakan said he wanted to engage in a more meaningful dialogue with the EU as a whole, rather than the regular, pro forma Troika meetings. End Summary. Modernizing C/T Cooperation -------------- ¶2. (S) Following up DHS Secretary Chertoff May 28 meetings in Ankara (ref b),Ambassador stated that the US would like to make bilateral cooperation in counterterrorism more intense, more ongoing, and more interactive. Ambassador characterized the current relationship as one of exchanging notes. This was not an effective way to combat terrorism. Among other examples, Ambassador cited the very slow sharing of intelligence following the Turkish National Police raid on an Al Qaida cell in Gaziantep in January, which compromised its usefulness in going after the cell's affiliates. Cooperation by memo is not the way we work anymore with other Allies. Our intense and interactive intelligence sharing against the PKK is a model of how we should work. Ambassador emphasized that Turkey and the US share a mutual interest in improving our cooperation on counterterrorism and asked Apakan for his support. Apakan agreed that our counterterrorism cooperation 
should be "upgraded" and offered to discuss this issue with relevant "technical agencies." Clarifying Turkey's Energy Policy -------------- ¶3. (C) Ambassador urged the MFA to help clarify and explain Turkey's policy on Nabucco and on its approach regarding gas from Iraq's Akkas field. He noted reports he had seen from Western Europe characterizing Turkey as an obstacle in the Nabucco project. Ambassador also said he had personally heard sharply divergent messages from the GOT on Turkey's approach to Iraqi natural gas from Akkas. The MFA has expressed support for bringing Akkas gas via the Arab Gas Pipeline through Syria to Turkey and Europe. Energy Minister Guler and senior BOTAS reps, however, were vocal in their opposition to any Syrian route and insist Akkas gas should come directly to Turkey, although no infrastructure currently exists. Ambassador noted that there is competition for access to Iraqi gas. Turkey needs to be clear about what it wants, and US Special Envoy for Eurasian Energy Gray's July 10-12 visit to Turkey is an opportunity to clarify its energy policy and ways we can work together. ¶4. (C) Apakan took the point on the need to be clearer on Turkey's energy policy, and said the GOT is working hard to refine its policy coordination. He reiterated Turkey's general approach: energy is a strategic issue in Turkey-EU relations, and Turkey wants to work in a helpful way with the EU. It wants to be an energy hub and transit country and is seeking to obtain gas from Azerbaijan, Iraq, and Turkmenistan to the EU. He acknowledged there may be competing messages from different elements in Turkey, but attributed them to commercial versus political concerns. He looked forward to ANKARA 00001138 002 OF 002 Special Envoy Gray's visit. Iraq: Regional Trade and Investment Conference/Action Plan -------------- -------------- ¶5. (C) Ambassador noted discussions (ref c) with MFA Iraq Coordinator Ozcelik regarding the Iraq/regional investment conference that was discussed at the EPC. He urged that planning get started on this and noted that a bilateral Turkey-Iraq investment conference being planned for Istanbul in the fall could dovetail with a Turkey-US effort. Ambassador noted discussion between the embassy and MFA staff on the EPC action plan. Apakan agreed regarding the investment conference and said he would look into action plan preparations. EU, Cyprus, and NATO-EU -------------- ¶6. (C) Apakan launched into a long set of complaints about the EU. Misunderstandings on energy are one example, Apakan said, and there is an effort within the EU to "bad mouth" Turkey, particularly on the part of Cyprus. NATO-EU relations are another area where Turkey is portrayed as "the bad guy." Contrary to accusations in Europe that Turkey refuses to allow negotiations on Cyprus to move forward due to domestic political problems, Apakan said Turkey strongly supports the work now underway. "Talat is on his own," and Turkey is keeping a distance from, but expressing support for his negotiations. Only on security where Turkey's status as a guarantor power comes into play does Turkey have strong views; all other issues should be worked out by the two sides in Cyprus. ¶7. (C) Turning to NATO-EU relations, Apakan said Turkey's concerns are broader than Berlin Plus or the Nice Implementation Document; it's fundamentally about being recognized as an important contributor. Apakan complained about the EU's "consistent misreading" of Turkey's policy, and its inability to appreciate Turkey's geo-strategic importance. He pointed to Turkey's contributions in peace and stability in the Balkans, Middle East, Iraq and Afghanistan and elsewhere, and contrasted this with the little Cyprus has done in the international arena. Apakan expressed deep frustration with the EU's treatment of Turkey in the accession negotiations, in particular the "freezing" of twelve chapters of the acquis by Cyprus and France. Apakan said Turkey's opponents within the EU are also trying to cut Turkey's "vital line of communications" with the West at NATO. Ambassador reiterated the need for more effective and coordinated Turkish policy on Nabucco and energy, said Turkey needs to make clearer its position in the NATO-EU context, and urged Turkey to focus on the pressing issues of the day with which NATO must contend, including Kosovo, whose success is important to both our countries. ¶8. (C) Apakan closed by noting that Turkey recognizes the importance of increasing the EU's understanding of Turkey's role, and has been conducting bilateral consultations with EU members to this end. He lamented that there appears to be no positive "spill-over effect" from these consultations, and believed it would be useful to engage in a strategic dialogue with the EU as a whole instead of the current regular meetings in Troika format where the two sides repeat talking points to each other. Ambassador agreed this could be a positive step for Turkey-EU relations. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey WILSON