TURKEY ASKS FOR SUPPORT FOR AHMET UZUMCU AS NEW

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 000540 SIPDIS EUR/SE FOR GOODMAN, ISN/CB FOR MIKULAK E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/10/2019 TAGS: PREL PARM TU SUBJECT: TURKEY ASKS FOR SUPPORT FOR AHMET UZUMCU AS NEW OPCW DIRECTOR GENERAL Classified By: Pol-Mil Deputy Counselor Chris Rich, reason 1.4 (b,d) ¶1. (C) MFA Undersecretary Apakan has requested U.S. support for the candidacy of Ambassador Ahmet Uzumcu for the post of Director General of the Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Apakan noted to Ambassador April 10 that Uzumcu, currently Turkish Permanent Delegate to the UN Office in Geneva, has solid experience in security and defense issues, including nonproliferation. A new OPCW DG is expected to be appointed in December 2009 upon the recommendation of the Executive Council, Apakan said. ¶2. (U) Uzumcu is a career diplomat who served as President of the Conference on Disarmament in 2008. Prior to his appointment to Geneva in December 2006, he served as MFA Deputy Undersecretary for Russia, Middle East, Asia, and Africa (2004-2006); Turkey's Perm Rep to NATO (2002-2004); and Ambassador to Israel (1999-2002). ¶3. (U) Nonpaper points and Uzumcu c.v. passed to Ambassador have been faxed to EUR/SE. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey Jeffrey