TURKEY/NSG: TURKEY CONCERNED ABOUT "SUBJECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 001974 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR ISN/NESS DELABARRE AND DOLEY, EUR/SE E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/14/2018 TAGS: ETTC ENRG KNNP MNUC PARM TRGY IAEA TU SUBJECT: TURKEY/NSG: TURKEY CONCERNED ABOUT "SUBJECTIVE CRITERIA" FOR ENR TRANSFERS REF: STATE 115509 Classified By: Pol-Mil Counselor A. Godfrey, 1.4 (b,d) (C) We delivered reftel demarche to MFA DDG for Nonproliferation and Disarmament Ahmet Gun and Department Head Mustafa Yurdakul on November 3. On November 14, Yurdakul told us that Turkey welcomes the evolution of the US position from supporting a "total ban" on NSG transfers of enrichment and reprocessing (ENR) technology to states without existing capabilities to advocating a criteria-based approach. Turkey has no objections to the set of "objective criteria" proposed by the US, but remains concerned about "subjective criteria." Specifically, Yurdakul said Turkey has concerns about including a criteria that would take into consideration whether a transfer would compromise the recipient state's security and stability or the security and stability of the region. In a veiled reference to Turkey and Iran, Yurdakul said Turkey does not believe the NSG should "victimize" any country simply because it has neighbors that may be "problematic." Yurdakul said the Turkish representative to the May NSG Plenary in Berlin had voiced this concern and he expects Turkey's Ambassador to its UN mission in Vienna will raise similar concerns at the November 19 meeting in Vienna. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey WILSON