GREEK, TURKISH JOURNALISTS BRING "EARTHQUAKE

UNCLAS ATHENS 000842 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KPAO TU GR SUBJECT: GREEK, TURKISH JOURNALISTS BRING "EARTHQUAKE DIPLOMACY" FULL CIRCLE IN CRETE ¶1. (SBU) Meeting for the fifth time since 1999's "earthquake diplomacy" brought them together openly, some 70 members of the loosely-organized "Contact Group of Greek and Turkish Journalists" spent the weekend of June 6-8 at a luxury resort in Crete. Greece's Minister of Tourism (and former government spokesman) Aris Spiliotopoulos sponsored the event, with Turkey's Minister of State Mehmet Aydin. The group is co-chaired ` hQess Courpiece of the Q by Athens-based Kappa Q public o0@reeks and Turks, alongside a fair amount of curiosity about one another. For example, only 13 percent of the Greeks felt that bilateral relations would be "peaceful" and "cooperative" a decade from now, versus 55 percent of Turks. Still, about a quarter of the Greeks questioned had travelled to Turkey, and many more said they would go to Istanbul by 2010, when it is the designated European cultural capital. Among the few surprises on foreign policy, the survey showed that 40 percent of the Turks questioned were ready to adopt Greece?s position on the Macedonia name issue in exchange for support of their own EU aspirations. On perceptions of the media, identical percentages (54 and 56 percent) agreed that what they read, hear, and see at home "cultivates tensions." Support for meetings between journalists like this one was slightly stronger on the Turkish side. ¶3. (SBU) Comment: Past such gatherings took place under the sponsorship of the two countries' Foreign Ministers, and these very senior, very seasoned Greek and Turkish opinion makers were clearly quite comfortable together. But fundamental philosophical differences remain. The Greek journalists complained to us that their Turkish counterparts won't engage politically; the Turks told us that they just can't go there, being journalists rather than politicians...especially now, given the uncertainty about Turkey's domestic political situation and European Union prospects. After nine years, this cycle of "earthquake diplomacy" is complete, one of the Greek organizers remarked, but it is not clear that the group will move to register as an NGO anytime soon. ¶4. (U) Ambassador, IO, and Embassy Athens' senior Information Specialist attended the event, while the Russian and Chinese embassies regretted. The Turkish Embassy press attache was present, but the country?s Ambassador to Greece regretted. SPECKHARD