Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ANKARA1690
2008-09-22 15:08:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:  

MFA WANTS TO MAINTAIN NRC PREPCOM AS CHANNEL FOR

Tags:  PREL NATO GG RS TU 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAK #1690 2661508
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 221508Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7526
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHSI/AMEMBASSY TBILISI IMMEDIATE 3191
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW IMMEDIATE 5643
RHMCSUU/SACEUR POLAD SHAPE BE IMMEDIATE
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/JCS WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 001690 

SIPDIS

EUR/RPM FOR HAYDEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/22/2018
TAGS: PREL NATO GG RS TU
SUBJECT: MFA WANTS TO MAINTAIN NRC PREPCOM AS CHANNEL FOR
DIALOGUE

REF: STATE 100790

Classified By: Pol-Mil Counselor A Godfrey, Reasons 1.4 (b,d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 001690

SIPDIS

EUR/RPM FOR HAYDEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/22/2018
TAGS: PREL NATO GG RS TU
SUBJECT: MFA WANTS TO MAINTAIN NRC PREPCOM AS CHANNEL FOR
DIALOGUE

REF: STATE 100790

Classified By: Pol-Mil Counselor A Godfrey, Reasons 1.4 (b,d)


1. (C) We delivered reftel demarche to MFA NATO Policy
Department Head Gulhan Ulutekin on September 22. While she
took our points on board, Ulutekin said Turkey views the
PrepCom as a useful tool to maintain contact with Russia,
particularly on issues in the long-term interest of the
Alliance, including cooperation on counterterrorism,
counternarcotics, ISAF and Afghanistan. Ulutekin said Turkey
supports the language in a draft SPC paper proposing ways to
balance the need to not conduct business as usual with Russia
while maintaining channels for communication on issues of
common interest. She acknowledged the problematic optics of
NATO holding a meeting with Russia under current
circumstances, but disagreed with the view that the PrepCom's
only purpose is to prepare for meetings among NRC
ambassadors. She took note of our suggestion to wait until
at least after the October 15 Geneva Conference before taking
a decision on whether to schedule the next PrepCom meeting,
and our view that dialogue with Russia can be maintained at
below the Prepcom level through ad hoc meetings. She said
she will relay these views to her superiors and to the
Turkish Mission at NATO, but predicted that Turkey will
continue to prefer to retain the Prepcom as a channel of
communication with Russia.

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

WILSON