TURKEY: IRAN NUCLEAR CONFERENCE DEMARCHE DELIVERED

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 002003 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE, EUR/PRA, ISN/RA, NEA/IR E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2018 TAGS: KNNP MNUC PARM TRGY IR TU SUBJECT: TURKEY: IRAN NUCLEAR CONFERENCE DEMARCHE DELIVERED REF: STATE 122401 Classified By: CDA Doug Silliman, Reasons 1.4 (b,d) ¶1. (C) CDA delivered reftel demarche to MFA Near East and South Asia Deputy Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu on November 19, underscoring that, as a member of the NSG and the IAEA Board of Governors and soon-to-be member of the UNSC, GOT participation in the conference would send the wrong signal to Iran concerning its nuclear program. Sinirlioglu acknowledged our position, said he was not aware of the event and indicated he did not believe there are plans for GOT representatives to attend. Separately, we contacted MFA Nonproliferation and Disarmament Section Head Mustafa Yurdakul, who said he was not aware whether the GOT has taken any formal position regarding participation in the conference in Iran, but promised to make US views known to appropriate officials within the MFA and other relevant GOT agencies. He rejected claims that the Turkish Ambassador to tUN Organizations in Vienna (UNVIE) Ahmet Ertay was considering attending the November 30 conference. According to Yurdakul, Ertay will be occupied with NPT-related matters on and around November 30. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey SILLIMAN