TURKS WILL JOIN CONSENSUS ON SEDM MEMBERSHIP FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 001498 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SCE FOR WESTLEY, EUR/RPM FOR LUCAS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/16/2019 TAGS: MARR PREL TU SUBJECT: TURKS WILL JOIN CONSENSUS ON SEDM MEMBERSHIP FOR SERBIA, MONTENEGRO, SUPPORT MAP FOR BOSNIA AND MONTENEGRO REF: SECSTATE 107044 Classified By: Acting Pol-Mil Counselor Kami Witmer, Reasons 1.4 (b,d) ¶1. (C) MFA NATO and Euroatlantic Security Policy Department Head Mustafa Turan expressed appreciation for the infomation about USG readiness to join consensus on extending Southeastern European Defense Ministerial (SEDM) membership to Serbia (reftel) and agreed that there should be no obstacles to Montenegro also joining SEDM. He offered to relay the information on US views to Defense Minister Gonul immediately. Turan stated that Turkey supports SEDM membership for both Montenegro and Serbia without preconditions, and that while it will join consensus at the upcoming ministerial, it will not take an active role to encourage this decision. Turan said he views Serbian membership in SEDM as an opportunity for Serbia to become better acquainted with Euro-Atlantic security policy and agreed that this could be a positive step to help moderate Serbian behavior in the region. He also noted that Turkey will support Kosovo,s participation in SEDM when Pristina is ready, but said he expected that this will take some time. ¶2. (C) Turan also took the opportunity to express Turkey's readiness to support Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as Montenegro's request for a Membership Action Plan (MAP) with NATO. He said Turkey is taking a regional approach with respect to the MAP issue and does not believe that decisions related to Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina should be linked to NATO's relationship with Georgia and Ukraine, noting that NATO had already affirmed the Open Door for both Georgia and Ukraine at the highest levels. He said Turkey would support Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina being offered MAP at the same time, but would not support MAP for Montenegro only as this might have a destabilizing effect on Bosnia. JEFFREY "Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.intelink.s gov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turkey"