U/S APAKAN CONFIRMS TURKEY NOT ON BOARD WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 000243 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/11/2019 TAGS: MARR PINS PREL TU RS SUBJECT: U/S APAKAN CONFIRMS TURKEY NOT ON BOARD WITH MEDVEDEV SECURITY PROPOSAL REF: A. ANKARA 212 ¶B. STATE 11363 Classified By: Ambassador James F. Jeffrey for reasons 1.4 (b,d) ¶1. (C) The Ambassador took advantage of a February 11 meeting with MFA Undersecretary Apakan to convey REF B points on Russian President Medvedev's proposal to establish a new European security treaty. The Ambassador noted that we believed it useful to prepare President Gul for what he could expect during his Moscow visit February 12-15. Apakan immediately called his Deputy Director General for OSCE and Arms Control, Ahmet Gun, and reviewed the points with him over the phone. Apakan said Gun was clear that the points are in line with Turkish policy, and that Turkey's position is consistent with the 2008 NATO Summit Declaration on this issue. ¶2. (C) Apakan noted that President Gul's state visit to Russia would entail discussions in the political, economic and cultural realms, and would produce a communiqu at the end, but that none of this should be seen as a change in Turkish policy. Despite occasional press articles suggesting that Turkey is "changing its camp," this was not true. Turkey's strategic relationship with the U.S. and NATO was "well-structured" and would not change. Apakan pointedly added that Ankara would welcome being briefed after the next US-Russia talks. Ambassador responded that we fully understood Turkey's interest in maintaining close relations with Russia given proximity and Russia's key role in Turkish trade and energy supplies. Vice President Biden had discussed our own interest in good relations at Munich. What we did want was continued close consultations with Turkey and other Allies on security and other issues where Russia is or could be challenging Euro-Atlantic principles. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey Jeffrey