Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ANKARA1602
2008-09-05 13:18:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:  

BABACAN/LAVROV IN ISTANBUL: "FRIENDS CAN DISAGREE"

Tags:  PREL RU TU 
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TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7373
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J-3/J-5// PRIORITY
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU PRIORITY
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RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001602 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/04/2018
TAGS: PREL RU TU
SUBJECT: BABACAN/LAVROV IN ISTANBUL: "FRIENDS CAN DISAGREE"

REF: A. ANKARA 1584

B. ANKARA 1553

Classified By: POL Counselor Daniel J. O'Grady, reasons 1.4 (b,d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001602

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/04/2018
TAGS: PREL RU TU
SUBJECT: BABACAN/LAVROV IN ISTANBUL: "FRIENDS CAN DISAGREE"

REF: A. ANKARA 1584

B. ANKARA 1553

Classified By: POL Counselor Daniel J. O'Grady, reasons 1.4 (b,d)


1. (C) SUMMARY. Turkey underscored its support for Georgia's
territorial integrity during FM Babacan's September 2 meeting
with Russian FM Lavrov in Istanbul, MFA DDG for Russia,
Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova Murat Burhan told us September

4. However, Lavrov called the decision to recognize Abkhaz
and South Ossetian independence "irrevocable." Lavrov is
reportedly "warm to the idea" of Turkey's "Caucasus Stability
and Cooperation Platform" (CSCP) and is ready to continue
consultations at the expert-level. Turkey will continue to
push all sides to come together, even if only at the
working-level, to re-build confidence, and will continue to
develop the platform concept in bilateral discussions with
its Caucasus neighbors and Russia. Lavrov insisted that
there was no connection between the Georgian conflict and
measures by Russian custom authorities to subject Turkish
exports to rigorous and slow inspections. Turkey is looking
to Moscow to address the trade dispute comprehensively at a
senior-level. END SUMMARY.

LAVROV DENIES POLITICAL
MESSAGE IN CUSTOMS DISPUTE
--------------

2. (C) According to Burhan, Babacan and Lavrov addressed
bilateral problems, in addition to regional issues, during
their September 2 meetings in Istanbul, both in the
tete-a-tete and full delegation sessions. The meetings were
conducted in English. Lavrov reportedly dismissed as
"bullshit" various media allegations that Russia was seeking
to send any kind of message to Turkey by holding up Turkish
trucks at customs checkpoints for slow and arduous
inspections; the issue is purely technical, he insisted.
Burhan noted that the two sides' customs authorities had been
in expert-level negotiations since July 16 to streamline
Russian customs procedures on Turkish trucks, and the Turks
suspect the Russian side may have been trying to push Turkey
to accept the Russian proposal. Burhan suggested Turkey was
satisfied with Lavrov's explanation, but remains skeptical.
What the political message might have been, if there was one,
the GOT does not know. Turkey hopes Moscow will address the
customs matter expeditiously at a senior-level. (COMMENT:
If Russia intended any political message by subjecting

Turkish trucks to arduous new customs procedures, it seems to
have backfired. More acute skepticism from the media about
Turkey's "balanced" approach toward Russia in the conflict
with Georgia began to emerge with reports about Turkish
trucks backing up at Russian ports of entry. END END
COMMENT.)

BABACAN PUSHES REGIONAL DIALOGUE;
SUPPORTS GEORGIA'S TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY
--------------

3. (C) Babacan expressed Turkey's satisfaction that armed
clashes have stopped and urged that dialogue should now
ensue. Lavrov, according to Burhan, said he was "warm to the
idea" of a CSCP and that Moscow is ready to continue
consultations at the expert-level. Turkey recognizes that
bringing Russian and Georgian leaders together is almost
impossible with Tbilisi having cut all diplomatic contact
with Moscow and the two sides' leadership having no
confidence in each other. But Turkey, he said, will continue
to reach out to all sides to further develop and refine the
CSCP proposal and will continue to urge governments in the
region to come together, even if only at a working-level
(i.e., MFA Deputy U/S Cevikoz),to begin to rebuild
confidence. (NOTE: Georgian PM Gurgenidze visits Istanbul
September 5 for consultations with PM Erdogan. END NOTE.)


4. (C) Babacan underscored repeatedly Turkey's support for
Georgian unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity (see
ref A). Lavrov did not challenge, or even acknowledge, the
Turkish stance, according to Burhan. (In the press
conference following their talks, the ministers simply
concurred that "friends can disagree.") Lavrov told Babacan
that Russia was left with no other option but to recognize
Abkhaz and South Ossetian independence and that the decision
was "irrevocable." Lavrov went on to blame President
Saakashvili for all the problems between Georgia and Russia
and said he hoped the Georgian people -- with whom Russia has
no problem -- would one day "choose the right leader for
their country." Lavrov reportedly regretted Tbilisi's

ANKARA 00001602 002 OF 003


decision to cut diplomatic ties, but said it would only hurt
Georgia. Lavrov was also critical of the U.S. for what he
called a "blackout" against Russia over the past two weeks,
quipping that he would now have to call the Secretary "Dr.
Rice," instead of "Condi." Lavrov told Babacan he does not
wish to cut relations with NATO completely, noting ongoing
cooperation in Afghanistan, but complained that it was NATO
that severed contacts with Russia. Russia, he said, is ready
to cooperate with NATO so long as Russia is placed on an
equal footing and that its legitimate concerns are taken into
account.


5. (C) Asked if Lavrov's conciliatory stance toward Turkey's
expressed support for Georgia's territorial integrity might
indicate that Russia is pleased with what it perceives to be
relatively weak statements from Turkey in support of
Georgia's territorial integrity, Burhan acknowledged that the
MFA statement on Abkhazia and South Ossetia (ref B) had not
been strongly worded, but contended that it had been clear.
Turkey, he said, has to consider its relations with Russia,
with which it shares a critical geography and is its number
one trading partner: $28 billion in bilateral trade; $30
billion in Turkish construction investments in Russia ($6
billion last year alone -- 25 percent of Turkey's worldwide
share); and 2.5 million Russian tourists last year (not to
mention Turkish energy dependency on Russia). Turkey, Burhan
reminded, joined the EU and, of course, the NATO declarations
opposing the Russian actions.

RUSSIA AS A KEY ELEMENT OF TURKEY'S
"MULTI-DIMENSIONAL" FOREIGN POLICY
--------------

6. (C) Burhan said Turkey's overall foreign policy direction
has not changed substantially since 1923. It seeks to
minimize the myriad problems it faces all around its borders.
It is a huge task that calls for a "multi-dimensional"
foreign policy, and Russia must be one of those dimensions.
Still, it is not an alternative to Euro-Atlantic ties.
Political ties with Russia, he noted, are still not
well-developed, only having really begun to deepen with
then-President Putin's visit to Turkey in 2004. The
relationship was jump-started by trade and investment.
Turkey and Russia have a 500-year history of diplomatic
relations, but have also fought 13 wars over the centuries.
Burhan, who served in Moscow 2001-2004, said he believes
there is a permanent question mark in the Russian security
establishment about Turkey, namely its intentions in the
Caucasus and Central Asia. Turkey must act proactively to
overcome this lack of confidence; the Russians will not take
the initiative. But potential problems persist below the
radar (such as in Chechnya or Russia's failure to label the
PKK a terrorist organization),and Turkey sometimes doubts
Russia's commitment to bettering bilateral relations.

TURKEY SKEPTICAL ABOUT RUSSIAN SUPPORT
FOR NORMALIZED TURKEY-ARMENIA RELATIONS
--------------

7. (C) Lavrov, according to Burhan, was "poker-faced" about
President Gul's plans to travel to Yerevan September 6 at the
invitation of Armenian President Sargsyan. Russia now and
then offers to mediate between Turkey and Armenia, but Ankara
has maintained its own channels with Yerevan and has only
asked Russia to encourage Armenia to be more forward leaning
and to respond to Turkish openings. Burhan did not call
Russia an obstacle to normalizing relations with Armenia, but
surmised that improved Turkish-Armenian relations would
inevitably pull Armenia away from its dependency on Russia.
Given recent events in the region, Moscow might be more wary
than ever of losing its influence over the former Soviet
republic with which it enjoys the closest ties, including
military bases.

LAVROV ENDORSES IRAQI TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY;
ASKED TO LEAN ON IRAN TO RESPOND POSITIVELY
TO P5/1 OFFER
--------------

8. (C) Lavrov expressed to Babacan his support for Iraq's
unity and territorial integrity and said PM Maliki seems
resolute about the unity and sovereignty of his country.
Babacan reportedly urged Lavrov that the P5/1 should stay on
message and Iran should be encouraged to review carefully the
latest proposal and respond positively.

Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey

ANKARA 00001602 003 OF 003



WILSON