Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ANKARA1760
2009-12-10 17:04:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:  

TURKEY: RAISING THE PROFILE OF TIES WITH SYRIA

Tags:  PREL PGOV TU IZ SY 
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DE RUEHAK #1760 3441704
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P 101704Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1441
INFO RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 1528
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS PRIORITY 1782
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV PRIORITY 0245
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RHMFISS/39ABG INCIRLIK AB TU
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
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RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU
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RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J-3/J-5//
RUEILB/NCTC WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUETIAA/NSACSS FT GEORGE G MEADE MD
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 001760 

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE, NEA/I AND NEA/ELA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/09/2011
TAGS: PREL PGOV TU IZ SY
SUBJECT: TURKEY: RAISING THE PROFILE OF TIES WITH SYRIA

REF: DAMASCUS 851

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

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 001760

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE, NEA/I AND NEA/ELA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/09/2011
TAGS: PREL PGOV TU IZ SY
SUBJECT: TURKEY: RAISING THE PROFILE OF TIES WITH SYRIA

REF: DAMASCUS 851

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


1. (C) Continuing his government's pattern of frequent
high-profile senior-level visits abroad, Prime Minister
Erdogan will lead a delegation of as many as eight ministers
to Damascus between December 21 and 25 for the inaugural
Turkey-Syria High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council
meeting. According to MFA Syria Department Head Burak Rende,
the groundwork for the council was laid by FM Davutoglu and
Syrian FM Muallem October 13 during their joint cross-border
visit to Aleppo and Gaziantep. Rende said the Turkish and
Syrian MFAs are still negotiating texts for the "around 40"
MoUs and agreements proposed for signing by the two
ministerial teams. He added the Turkish MFA is trying to
curb the Syrian's enthusiasm for "putting everything into
writing." The final list of MoUs and agreements, the
composition of the Turkish delegation and the exact date for
the council meeting have yet to be fixed.


2. (C) Rende outlined a modest goal for the council meeting:
establish the forum, get people acquainted with it, and,
perhaps later, extend its ambit to contentious issues like
riparian rights. He noted several issues of particular
interest to the GoT had been addressed in earlier bilateral
agreements including counter-terrorism cooperation against
the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) (1998 Adana Agreement),
military cooperation (2002) and cooperation against
cross-border crime (2003). Rende confirmed the GoT's
satisfaction with the results of its increased engagement
with Syria. He claimed last October's decision by the two
foreign ministers to eliminate visa requirements for Turks
and Syrians traveling to each other's country had generated a
100 percent increase in tourist crossings for that month in
comparison to October of 2008.


3. (C) Rende confirmed FM Davutoglu will travel to Damascus
December 15 to represent Turkey at the Turkish-Arab Forum,
Turkey's meeting series with the Arab League. Rende
intimated, without elaborating, that Turkey is preparing for
the forum an initiative seeking to encourage Iraq-Syria
reconciliation (REFTEL). In response to our inquiry,
however, MFA Iraq Affairs flatly denied the existence of such
an initiative.


4. (C) COMMENT: The MFA may have abandoned its initiative
after the December 8 Baghdad bombings, fearing it would not
be well received by Iraqi officals suspicious of Syrian
complicity in the devastating series of attacks since August
19 focusing on Iraqi government offices.
Silliman

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