Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ANKARA574
2008-03-27 15:27:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:
TURKEY-DENMARK C/T COOPERATION AND ROJ-TV
how-toVZCZCXYZ0205 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHAK #0574 0871527 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 271527Z MAR 08 FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5704 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU//TCH// PRIORITY RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J-3/J-5// PRIORITY RUEUITH/TLO ANKARA TU PRIORITY RUEHAK/USDAO ANKARA TU PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 000574
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/27/2028
TAGS: PREL PTER DE TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY-DENMARK C/T COOPERATION AND ROJ-TV
Classified By: Political Counselor Janice Weiner. Reasons: 1.4 (b)(d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 000574
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/27/2028
TAGS: PREL PTER DE TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY-DENMARK C/T COOPERATION AND ROJ-TV
Classified By: Political Counselor Janice Weiner. Reasons: 1.4 (b)(d).
1. (C) During Danish FM Per Stig Moller's March 25-26 visit,
he and Turkish FM Ali Babacan signed an MOU (reported septel)
which, among other things, agreed to enhance "bilateral
cooperation in the field of the fight against terrorism,"
Danish DCM Soren Jacobsen told us March 27. A separate
addendum to the MOU will formalize current arrangements.
Denmark proposed the addendum to help compensate for the fact
that Denmark could not agree to Turkey's original request for
a separate stand-alone counterterrorism agreement. Denmark's
Ministry of Justice had been unenthusiastic, preferring to
deal with the issue through multilateral rather than
bilateral mechanisms.
2. (C) As expected, FM Babacan raised Turkey's unhappiness
with Denmark's failure to close down ROJ-TV broadcast
facilities in Denmark, Jacobsen observed. Moller assured
Babacan there is "no political will to protect ROJ-TV if a
link between it and the PKK can be proved." To help
demonstrate Denmark's sincerity, Moller explained that
Copenhagen hoped to send its new chief prosecutor to Ankara
the first week of April to discuss closer cooperation.
3. (C) When we asked Jacobsen about a report we had received
March 25 from Turkey's MFA asserting the Danish government
had agreed to allow ROJ-TV production facilities to relocate
from Belgium to Denmark, Jacobsen acknowledged that Babacan
raised the matter, but without specific details. Since it
was the first time the Danes had heard of the issue, Moller
had no substantive response. We added that, according to
Turkey's MFA, Danish authorities reportedly would provide one
million Euros to support ROJ-TV production efforts,
apparently as part of a cultural assistance program.
Jacobsen speculated that any assistance, if in fact provided,
would likely be limited to supporting local broadcasting
only. He could not imagine a subsidy for commercial
satellite broadcasting. He promised to check and get back to
us.
4. (C) Comment. Jacobsen felt his FM's visit went well and
that the portion dealing with ROJ-TV in particular had not
been as difficult as it could have been. He attributed the
Turk's relatively moderate response to concrete Danish
efforts to address the ROJ-TV/PKK issue, including by
immediately sending their new prosecutor to maintain the
momentum. Turkey remains skeptical about the sincerity of
Danish efforts. Should reports of ROJ-TV production
facilities' relocation to Denmark prove true, and
particularly any government subsidy for its operations, CT
relations will likely be set back at least to square one.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey
WILSON
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/27/2028
TAGS: PREL PTER DE TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY-DENMARK C/T COOPERATION AND ROJ-TV
Classified By: Political Counselor Janice Weiner. Reasons: 1.4 (b)(d).
1. (C) During Danish FM Per Stig Moller's March 25-26 visit,
he and Turkish FM Ali Babacan signed an MOU (reported septel)
which, among other things, agreed to enhance "bilateral
cooperation in the field of the fight against terrorism,"
Danish DCM Soren Jacobsen told us March 27. A separate
addendum to the MOU will formalize current arrangements.
Denmark proposed the addendum to help compensate for the fact
that Denmark could not agree to Turkey's original request for
a separate stand-alone counterterrorism agreement. Denmark's
Ministry of Justice had been unenthusiastic, preferring to
deal with the issue through multilateral rather than
bilateral mechanisms.
2. (C) As expected, FM Babacan raised Turkey's unhappiness
with Denmark's failure to close down ROJ-TV broadcast
facilities in Denmark, Jacobsen observed. Moller assured
Babacan there is "no political will to protect ROJ-TV if a
link between it and the PKK can be proved." To help
demonstrate Denmark's sincerity, Moller explained that
Copenhagen hoped to send its new chief prosecutor to Ankara
the first week of April to discuss closer cooperation.
3. (C) When we asked Jacobsen about a report we had received
March 25 from Turkey's MFA asserting the Danish government
had agreed to allow ROJ-TV production facilities to relocate
from Belgium to Denmark, Jacobsen acknowledged that Babacan
raised the matter, but without specific details. Since it
was the first time the Danes had heard of the issue, Moller
had no substantive response. We added that, according to
Turkey's MFA, Danish authorities reportedly would provide one
million Euros to support ROJ-TV production efforts,
apparently as part of a cultural assistance program.
Jacobsen speculated that any assistance, if in fact provided,
would likely be limited to supporting local broadcasting
only. He could not imagine a subsidy for commercial
satellite broadcasting. He promised to check and get back to
us.
4. (C) Comment. Jacobsen felt his FM's visit went well and
that the portion dealing with ROJ-TV in particular had not
been as difficult as it could have been. He attributed the
Turk's relatively moderate response to concrete Danish
efforts to address the ROJ-TV/PKK issue, including by
immediately sending their new prosecutor to maintain the
momentum. Turkey remains skeptical about the sincerity of
Danish efforts. Should reports of ROJ-TV production
facilities' relocation to Denmark prove true, and
particularly any government subsidy for its operations, CT
relations will likely be set back at least to square one.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey
WILSON