TURKEY OBJECTS TO CYPRUS BID FOR MEMBERSHIP IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 000385 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/16/2019 TAGS: MARR PREL TU SUBJECT: TURKEY OBJECTS TO CYPRUS BID FOR MEMBERSHIP IN SOMALI PIRACY GROUP: NO PAY, NO PLAY Classified By: Pol Mil Counselor Anthony Godfrey for reason 1.4 (b,d) ¶1. (C) On March 16, Basat Ozturk, MFA Deputy Director General for Maritime and Aviation Affairs, contacted us to encourage the USG to oppose including Cyprus in the Contact Group on Somali Piracy (CGSP). Ozturk, acting on instructions, said that he had been informed that the GOC sought, at the current meeting of the CGSP in Cairo, to gain membership in the Group without making a significant contribution to anti-piracy efforts. Ozturk pointed out that when the Contact Group was formed, a key criteria for joining was the ability to make an important, concrete contribution to the Group's work. Cyprus did not have the capability to make a significant military contribution, Ozturk insisted. ¶2. (C) Ozturk said that in addition to Cyprus, Panama, Malaysia and Singapore were seeking to gain membership in the Group. Of these countries, only Malaysia was capable of providing a significant contribution, Ozturk asserted. He warned against allowing states to join the group simply because theirs was a frequent flag of convenience, and speculated that if the Group took that step, it would quickly become unwieldy and ineffective. ¶3. (C) Returning to his objections to Cyprus' membership, Ozturk pointed out that since Cyprus was a contributor to Operation Atalanta (the EU's anti-piracy effort in the Gulf of Aden),it already had an opportunity to take part in anti-piracy activities. Moreover, since the EU was represented at the Contact Group, Cyprus' views were already being represented. If Cyprus was to be granted its own seat at the table without making the significant contribution required of other members, it would amount to "double representation with no taxation." Ozturk said that he was under instructions to raise this issue with the UK Embassy and that Turkey's Embassies in Washington and London would raise this matter directly as well. Comment -------------- ¶4. (C) Turkey's objections to Cyprus joining the Contact Group have less to do with Cyprus not being required to ante up the way Turkey was required to and more to do with long-standing Turkey - Greece - Cyprus issues. Nevertheless, should Cyprus be given membership in the CGSP, it is almost certain that Turkey will cease its active membership, taking the frigate and two helicopters now deployed in the Gulf of Aden with it. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey Jeffrey