Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ATHENS175
2009-02-06 15:46:00
SECRET
Embassy Athens
Cable title:  

CHOD GRAPSAS ON TURKEY AND AEGEAN, AFGHANISTAN

Tags:  PREL PGOV MASS MARR TU AF GR 
pdf how-to read a cable
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DE RUEHTH #0175/01 0371546
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O 061546Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY ATHENS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3165
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFFWASHDC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIRITY
S E C R E T ATHENS 000175 
QOFORN
SIPDIS

C O R R E C T E D COPY CAPTION
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/06/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV MASS MARR TU AF GR
SUBJECT: CHOD GRAPSAS ON TURKEY AND AEGEAN, AFGHANISTAN
DEPLOYMENTS, AND PROCUREMENTSQ
Classified By: Ambassador Daniel V. Speckhard for 1.4 (b) and (d)

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SUMMARY
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S E C R E T ATHENS 000175
QOFORN
SIPDIS

C O R R E C T E D COPY CAPTION
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/06/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV MASS MARR TU AF GR
SUBJECT: CHOD GRAPSAS ON TURKEY AND AEGEAN, AFGHANISTAN
DEPLOYMENTS, AND PROCUREMENTSQ
Classified By: Ambassador Daniel V. Speckhard for 1.4 (b) and (d)

--------------
SUMMARY
--------------


1. (C) In a February 4 lunch at the Ambassador's reQence,
the Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff,
General of the Army Demitrios Grapsas, termed recent Turkish
behavior in the Aegean "childish" and made clear that the
perception of the Turkish threat drives Greek military
procurement and organization. The Ambassador emphasized the
need for calm and restraint in response to perceived
provocations; Grapsas said he sought to keep tensions low,
but questioned recent Turkish actions in the Aegean. On
Afghanistan, he said the GOG was actively reviewing potential
additional contributions and he hoped for a decision soon.
Grapsas was accompanied by Brigadier General Alexandros
Tsigaras, Director of the Defense Planning Directorate of the
General Staff, and Executive Assistant Colonel Thomaidis.
The Ambassador was accompanied by DATT, ODC Chief,
A/Political Counselor, and Press Attache. End Summary.

--------------
Turkey - "No Trust and No Real Dialogue"
--------------


2. (C) Grapsas said that Greece's defense procurement plans
were predicated "threats in its neighborhood from immediate
neighbors." Turkey was a "security threat" to Greece. This
affects what Greece buys, how Greece organizes and deploys
its forces, and whether Greece can make aditional forces
available for peacekeeping missions. Ambassador Speckhard
said that the United States did not share Greece's assessment
of the Turkish threat.


3. (C) Grapsas said that he was committed to "keeping
tensions down," with Turkey, but that the Turks made this
difficult. He said the Turks were "acting like children" in
the Aegean, displaying "patriotic exuberance." Grapsas said
he had sought to take the high road, by ignoring some of
Turkey's behavior -- such as when Turkish authorities
contacted the pilot of a helicopter taking him to the island

of Agathonisi in December and informing him that he had
violated Turkish airspace. "We just continued on, and I went
to the island without making this into an incident," Grapsas
remarked, but he also intimated that the incident had rankled
him. The Ambassador emphasized the importance of keeping
tensions low, and that General Grapsas could best protect the
security of his country by acting with restraint in response
to perceived provocations. Grapsas responded that he and the
Greek general staff were "mature, and we will act
responsibly," but he added that "we also have some
(unspecified) redlines, Q that there will be (unspecified)
consequences for Turkey if they cross them."


4. (C) Grapsas said there was "no trust" between Greece and
Turkey, stemming from "deep-rooted perceptions." When asked
Qout mil-to-mil contacts, Grapsas said he had good contacts
with former Turkish CHOD Buyukanit. However, he had not been
able to established personal rapport with neQHOD Basbug,
whom he characterized as aloof. That said, Grapsas and
Tsigaras affirmed that extensive contacts take place between
the Greek and Turkish militaries. Grapsas lamented, however,
that these contacts did not have much impact, as the big
issues dividing the two militaries were "national," and
needed to be solved at the political level. He added, "all
we can do is try to create conditions for politicians to
solve these problems," adding that in Turkey the politicians
appeared to be unwilling to confront the Turkish military on
this agenda.

--------------
Afghanistan: Considering More Contributions
--------------


5. (C) The Ambassador noted that Washington was considering
how to advance stability in Afghanistan, adding that it would
be a good time for Greece to make additional contributions as
a symbol of the renewed strength in our relationship.
Grapsas responded that he and his staff had been "looking at
possibilities," and had met with Defense Minister Meimarakis
the previous day on this subject. He said that he hoped
Greece would "soon decide" on additional contributions
(although he gave no hints as to what these additional
contributions might be),and he emphasized that he understood

the need for a stronger international presence in
Afghanistan.

--------------
Defense Procurement/Transformation
--------------


6. (S/NF) Grapsas confirmed that it was likely that some
significant defense procurements would be announced in the
not-too-distant future. These procurements were "the end of
a multi-year process." He noted that former Finance Minister
Alagoskoufis had done a "good job" in exercising fiscal
discipline over the process, adding that planning is in place
forQuture multi-year payments for these procurements. He
also noted that the opposition was questioning the wisdom of
major purchases in the context of the global economic crisis,
but he affirmed that the governmenQould proceed with its
plans -- highlighting Turkey's proximity to Greece as a
factor in the need to conclude these purchases. The
Ambassador emphasized that a number of goQ U.S. companies
would be bidding on these contracts. The United States was
not lobbying for a specific firm, but expected the process to
be fair and transparent, and expected that price and quality
should be the criteria. The United States did not believe it
was in Greece's interest or the Alliance's interest for
political criteria to enter into the mix. U.S. firms would
be competitive if the criteria were the best equipment at the
best price. Grapsas noted that political criteria were also
relevant for policy-makers, later noting, " did not favor
purchase of the (Russian) BMP-'s," stating that they were
not well suite for the operations where he would likely need
to deploy them.


7. (C) The Ambassador also raised the need for greater
numbers of trained and equipped light, expeditionary forces,
noting that Greek forces were seen by many in NATO as
requiring further transformation. Even if Greece's central
objective was defense against Turkey, the more likely
scenario was the need to rapidly deploy in the Aegean, and
not to defend against a frontal ground assault. Grapsas
responded that some "middle ground" was needed, but agreed
that it was a priority for the Greek military to develop
additional expeditionary forces capable of being deployed
rapidly.

--------------
U.S./Greece Mil-to-Mil Contacts
--------------


8. (C) Grapsas made it a point to emphasize his satisfaction
with the mil-to-mil contacts between the United States and
Greece. He termed these relations "good" but called for
"even more expanded contacts." He viewed favorably his
August 2008 trip to Washington where he met Deputy Secretary
of Defense England and Deputy CJCS General Cartwright and
SAC-T Mattis. He also promised to look into reviewing
current regulations precluding Greek cadets from attending
U.S. service academies. He termed his cooperation with the
Defense Attache's office "excellent."


9. (C) In a private pull-aside, the General told the
Ambassador that he personally supported the United States and
believed we shared the common values of democracy. He was
personally supportive of U.S. military operations and would
continue to do what he could to encourage Greece's support.
SPECKHARD