TURKEY: NO AGREEMENT YET ON CSCP MODALITIES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000147

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR DAS BRYZA, EUR/SE, EUR/CARC, EUR/RUS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/29/2019
TAGS: PREL AM AJ GG RU TU XY
SUBJECT: TURKEY: NO AGREEMENT YET ON CSCP MODALITIES

REF: ANKARA 137

Classified By: POL Counselor Daniel O'Grady, reasons 1.4 (b,d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform
(CSCP) parties, meeting in Istanbul January 26, did not reach
agreement on how the platform will be institutionalized or
how it will engage other countries and relate to other
regional mechanisms, according to Russian and Georgian
Embassy contacts. While Turkey is reportedly eager to reach
such agreement and convene a ministerial-level meeting, the
other parties preferred to move deliberately, and no
ministerial was announced. Rather, the parties expressed
their own positions and left it to the Turks to try to find a
common denominator on which to base the platform, and agreed
to meet again at the Deputy FM-level, though no date was set.
END SUMMARY.


2. (C) The five CSCP countries -- Turkey, Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Georgia and Russia -- met for the second time at
the Deputy FM-level in Istanbul January 26. MFA Deputy U/S
Unal Cevikoz led the Turkish side; Azerbaijan was represented
by Deputy FM Azimov; Georgia by Deputy FM Bokeria Russia by
Deputy FM Titov; and Armenia by MFA Secretary General
Avakian, accompanied by International Security Department
Head Yedigarian. (NOTE: We reported in ref A that Armenia
would be represented by Deputy FM Kocharyan, but this was not
the case. END NOTE.)


3. (C) According to Russian Embassy PolOff Artur Lyukmanov
and Georgian CDA Irakli Koplatadze (PROTECT),the parties
reached no specific agreement on the "what and how" of the
platform, including how it will engage other countries and
international organizations and relate to other regional
mechanisms. While Turkey presented a non-paper and was keen
to reach such agreement, the other parties felt it was
premature. They seemed content at this stage to simply state
their countries' views and allow Turkey to undertake the
difficult task of trying to develop a framework for the
platform, acceptable to all sides. Only then would a
Ministerial meeting be possible. The parties agreed to meet
again at the Deputy FM-level, though no date was set.


4. (C) Koplatadze underscored Georgia's preconditions for the
platform: respect for territorial integrity and
"supplementarity and complementarity" to UN, OECD and other
international and regional mechanisms. Non-participation by
Abkhaz and South Ossetian separatist government
representatives is fundamental. Russia has agreed to the
five state principle for the CSCP, but spoke of "new
realities" that it thought needed to be recognized.
Otherwise, Russia was in listening mode. Koplatadze
described Armenia as "neutral," suggesting that Yerevan could
be the party most inclined to press ahead with the CSCP's
institutionalization, even as it remained close to Russia in
its remarks. Koplatadze and Lyukmanov characterized
Azerbaijan as wary, perhaps more so than Georgia. Lyukmanov
surmised that, while Azerbaijan prefers that Turkey and
Armenia talk to each other in its presence, the
Turkey-Armenia rapprochement that the CSCP has contributed to
can not be entirely comfortable for Baku. Speaking
separately with CONGEN Istanbul poloff, Armenian BSEC PermRep
Mirzoyan (PROTECT),who also attended the meeting, said
Azerbaijan was "completely obstructionist," "objecting to
everything." Lyukmanov noted that Russia was pleased that
both the Azerbaijani and Armenian representatives referenced
the Moscow Declaration as a basis for dialogue in their
remarks.

COMMENT
--------------

5. (C) Noting the acute level of dysfunction that exists
among the five parties (no one country has diplomatic
relations with all the others),Lyukmanov admired Turkey's
skillful coordination and appreciated the workload it has
assumed (at a time when the MFA South Caucasus directorate is
severely short-staffed). He likened it to the tenacity of a
parent that desperately wants its child to grow up. While
the circumstances surrounding the CSCP's birth were
difficult, the Turks seem to be surprising their neighbors by
managing to keep this concept afloat. One benefit is that,
having invested considerable time and energy in the CSCP, the
Turks may be doubly motivated to follow through on the
process of normalizing relations with Armenia; doing so could

ANKARA 00000147 002 OF 002


catalyze the regional stability Turkey aims to promote
through the platform. However, the mediator role for Turkey,
as we have seen in the Middle East, forces Ankara to try to
position itself equidistant from the other parties -- not
always where we expect a NATO ally to be.

Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey

Jeffrey