Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ANKARA296
2008-02-15 16:06:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:
TURKEY SUPPORTS NIMETZ PROCESS, AMBITIOUS
how-toVZCZCXYZ0004 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHAK #0296 0461606 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 151606Z FEB 08 FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5252 INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC//USDP:PDUSDP/ISA:EUR/ISA:NESA/DSCA// RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J-3/J-5// IMMEDIATE RUEKJCS/JCS WASHDC IMMEDIATE RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 000296
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
EUR/RPM FOR SHINAGEL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/15/2018
TAGS: MARR NATO PREL GR MK TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY SUPPORTS NIMETZ PROCESS, AMBITIOUS
ENLARGEMENT ROUND AT BUCHAREST
REF: STATE 14821
Classified By: Pol-Mil Counselor Carl Siebentritt for reasons 1.4 (b,d)
.
C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 000296
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
EUR/RPM FOR SHINAGEL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/15/2018
TAGS: MARR NATO PREL GR MK TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY SUPPORTS NIMETZ PROCESS, AMBITIOUS
ENLARGEMENT ROUND AT BUCHAREST
REF: STATE 14821
Classified By: Pol-Mil Counselor Carl Siebentritt for reasons 1.4 (b,d)
.
1. (C) We delivered reftel points to MFA Deputy Director
General for NATO Affairs Serdar Kilic and Deputy Director
General for Balkans Affairs Hasan Asan. Both Kilic and Asan
stated Turkey's support for the Nimetz process as the
appropriate channel to resolve the dispute between Greece and
Macedonia on the latter's name. Turkey agrees that failure
to resolve the name dispute with Greece should not disqualify
Macedonia from receiving an invitation at Bucharest.
Underscoring that the GOT has not adopted a formal policy
regarding NATO enlargement, both Kilic and Asan said they
believe NATO should extend an invitation to all three A3
members (Albania, Croatia, and Macedonia) at Bucharest. Asan
assessed that Croatia is the most prepared among the three,
followed by Albania and then Macedonia. However, he
emphasized that it would be a mistake to admit Croatia and
not the other two. He feared that failure to invite
Macedonia and Albania at Bucharest may exacerbate ethnic
tensions and nationalism, particularly in Macedonia. As a
result, in Asan's personal view, it would be better for none
of the A3 to receive an invitation, than to only invite one
or two, but not the third. Asan expressed concern that
Greece will cite reasons other than the name dispute to try
to scuttle Macedonia's invitation at Bucharest, and may be
actively working with other Allies to block Macedonia's
membership bid.
2. (C) Kilic expressed strong support for the Nimetz process,
but said he did not believe it would be constructive for
Turkey to press the point with Greece. He refuted rumors
that Turkish interlocutors promised Macedonian Defense
Minister Lazar Elenovski during his visit to Ankara on
January 30 that Turkey would block Croatia and Albania's NATO
bid if Greece held up Macedonia's bid over the name issue.
However, Kilic, in the same breath, also said Allies must
keep pressure on Greece not to veto Macedonia's membership
bid.
3. (C) Comment: Our assessment is that Turkey supports an
invitation to all three aspirants at Bucharest but may be
suggesting informally to other Allies that if all three are
not invited, it would be better to invite none. Turkey may
be taking this tact to keep pressure on Greece to relent on
its veto threat against Macedonia. However, we do not
believe Turkey has made the decision to exercise its veto to
block the invitation of any of the aspirants.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey
WILSON
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
EUR/RPM FOR SHINAGEL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/15/2018
TAGS: MARR NATO PREL GR MK TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY SUPPORTS NIMETZ PROCESS, AMBITIOUS
ENLARGEMENT ROUND AT BUCHAREST
REF: STATE 14821
Classified By: Pol-Mil Counselor Carl Siebentritt for reasons 1.4 (b,d)
.
1. (C) We delivered reftel points to MFA Deputy Director
General for NATO Affairs Serdar Kilic and Deputy Director
General for Balkans Affairs Hasan Asan. Both Kilic and Asan
stated Turkey's support for the Nimetz process as the
appropriate channel to resolve the dispute between Greece and
Macedonia on the latter's name. Turkey agrees that failure
to resolve the name dispute with Greece should not disqualify
Macedonia from receiving an invitation at Bucharest.
Underscoring that the GOT has not adopted a formal policy
regarding NATO enlargement, both Kilic and Asan said they
believe NATO should extend an invitation to all three A3
members (Albania, Croatia, and Macedonia) at Bucharest. Asan
assessed that Croatia is the most prepared among the three,
followed by Albania and then Macedonia. However, he
emphasized that it would be a mistake to admit Croatia and
not the other two. He feared that failure to invite
Macedonia and Albania at Bucharest may exacerbate ethnic
tensions and nationalism, particularly in Macedonia. As a
result, in Asan's personal view, it would be better for none
of the A3 to receive an invitation, than to only invite one
or two, but not the third. Asan expressed concern that
Greece will cite reasons other than the name dispute to try
to scuttle Macedonia's invitation at Bucharest, and may be
actively working with other Allies to block Macedonia's
membership bid.
2. (C) Kilic expressed strong support for the Nimetz process,
but said he did not believe it would be constructive for
Turkey to press the point with Greece. He refuted rumors
that Turkish interlocutors promised Macedonian Defense
Minister Lazar Elenovski during his visit to Ankara on
January 30 that Turkey would block Croatia and Albania's NATO
bid if Greece held up Macedonia's bid over the name issue.
However, Kilic, in the same breath, also said Allies must
keep pressure on Greece not to veto Macedonia's membership
bid.
3. (C) Comment: Our assessment is that Turkey supports an
invitation to all three aspirants at Bucharest but may be
suggesting informally to other Allies that if all three are
not invited, it would be better to invite none. Turkey may
be taking this tact to keep pressure on Greece to relent on
its veto threat against Macedonia. However, we do not
believe Turkey has made the decision to exercise its veto to
block the invitation of any of the aspirants.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey
WILSON