TURKEY-IRAN SECURITY DIALOGUE: COOPERATION REMAINS

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 000747 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/2018 TAGS: ASEC PINS PREL PGOV PTER IR TU SUBJECT: TURKEY-IRAN SECURITY DIALOGUE: COOPERATION REMAINS LIMITED Classified By: Political Counselor Janice G. Weiner, reasons 1.4 b, d ¶1. (C) Turkey-Iran security cooperation was not advanced substantially at the 12th Turkey-Iran Supreme Security Commission meeting, held in Ankara, April 15-16, MFA Security Affairs Head of Department (bilateral and multilateral security cooperation) Metin Ergin told us April 21. Ergin described the Deputy Interior Minister-level commission as the primary security consultations mechanism between Turkey and Iran. The Turkish delegation was led by Interior Ministry (MOI) U/S Gunes and the Iranian side by Deputy Interior Minister Abbas Muhtac, a former Qom governor and Navy Admiral, according to Ergin. In addition to MOI (including Turkish National Police and Jandarma),MFA and a Turkish General Staff representative (below the rank of colonel with border security responsibilities) were represented on the Turkish delegation. The Iranian side also included MFA, military and border agency representatives. While only meeting for two days, the Iranian delegation spent the rest of the week in Ankara "sight seeing," according to Ergin. He noted the commission usually meets annually, but did not meet in 2007 since the Iranian Deputy Interior Minister at the time, Gen. Zolqadr, was a UNSC Resolution 1747-listed Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps key person. This created "no sense of urgency" to meet last year, said Ergin. The next Supreme Security Council Meeting will be held in April 2009 in Tehran. ¶2. (C) Ergin described the meeting as a "non-operational" exchange of views. The two sides primarily discussed border security, illegal border crossings, and increasing cooperation against terrorism. Iran's agreement to add Al Qa'eda to the list of terrorist organizations the two sides will exchange intelligence on was the most significant outcome for Turkey. Both sides reinforced their view that PJAK is a terrorist organization. Ergin noted the Iranian side referred to PJAK as PKK throughout the meeting. Turkish authorities do not usually distinguish between the two, and Ergin said Turkey is generally satisfied with the level of Iranian action against PJAK, but the two sides did not discuss specific details. Ergin noted the Iranians also raised exchanging information on narcotics smuggling in the context of border security, while the Turks sought to persuade the Iranians to repatriate illegal migrants from Iran. Tehran has so far only been willing to take back illegal migrants that can be proven to have entered Turkey from Iran. ¶3. (C) Ergin emphasized there is no formal or operational framework for Turkey-Iran security cooperation, though Turkey would like to institute such a framework, as it has with other countries in the region. The communique that emerges from security commission meetings is only a summary of the discussions; it does not constitute a legal basis for cooperation. There is a brigadier-level official -- a "designated commander" -- on each side responsible for coordinating communication on border issues, but Ergin described as otherwise ad hoc most intelligence sharing and security cooperation with Iran. Commenting broadly on Turkey-Iran security cooperation, Ergin said there are communication problems; the two sides "do not always mean the same thing." Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey WILSON