BARAK AND GAL VISITS TO ANKARA STABILIZE

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 000124

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/21/2020
TAGS: PREL PGOV MASS TU KWBG IS
SUBJECT: BARAK AND GAL VISITS TO ANKARA STABILIZE
ISRAELI-TURKISH RELATIONS

REF: ANKARA 58

Classified By: DCM Luis G. Moreno, Reason 1.4 (b) (d)


1. (S) Summary. Israel took advantage of two previously
scheduled visits to Ankara by Defense Minister Barak and MFA
Director General Gal this week to demonstrate Israel's strong
interest in preserving good relations with Turkey. According
to Israeli accounts, last week's crisis over a theatrical
dressing-down of the Turkish ambassador in front of Israeli
television cameras. The GOI remains concerned by PM
Erdogan's penchant to bash Israel in public, and more broadly
by the AK Party's drift toward emphasizing ties with Syria
and Iran as well as its contacts with Hamas, the defense
cooperation remains important to both countries and Barak
made a point of not ruling out an eventual resumption of
Turkish mediation with Syria. End Summary.


2. (S) Minister of Defense Barak,s chief of staff, Yoni
Koren, told the Ambassador January 19 that Barak's January
17-18 visit to Ankara had been a success. Barak spent
several hours with Foreign Minister Davutoglu. While they
disagreed on many things, the Israelis considered Davutoglu
an intelligent and thoughtful interlocutor and they had a
serious, wideranging discussion. The main topics were
Gaza/Hamas, Syria and Iran. Davutoglu expressed concern
about the situation in Gaza and argued he could be helpful
with Hamas. Asked how Turkey could help, Barak suggested
that Davutoglu convey to Hamas leader Khalid Mash'al that if
he truly wanted to improve life for ordinary Gazans, Hamas
should release captive soldier Gilad Shalit. Barak
suggested that Israel might be willing to loosen up on the
Gaza border crossings after that is done, but not before.
On Syria, Davutoglu complained about lost opportunities, and
stressed Turkey,s desire to continue its mediating role with
Israel and Syria. Barak told him that Netanyahu was focused
on the Palestinians, not Syria. Koren observed that the
Turks appeared to have little contact with the PA, and are
focused on Hamas. Barak told the FM that Israel will at some
point become interested again in negotiating with Syria, and
is open to ideas if the Turks have them, but Netanyahu is not
prepared to move at this point. Barak also complained about
Erdogan,s on-going public rhetorical attacks on Israel, and
warned that his rhetoric is turning the Israeli public
against Turkey. If Erdogan continues to do it, he will limit
whatever possibilities exist for Turkey to work with Israel
on regional issues, as well as undermine the overall
bilateral relationship.


3. (S) Barak's discussions with Minister of Defense Gonul
were constructive, with the MOD clearly more positive about
the relationship with Israel and desirous of maintaining and
restoring cooperation on military and security issues.
(Note: the Israeli media is reporting that issues over UAV
sales to Turkey have been resolved. Israel's largest
circulation newspaper, Yediot Aharonot, January 21 quoted an
unnamed senior Turkish military officer as saying that
relations with Israel were too important to be left to the
politicians.) With both Davutoglu and Gonul, Koren said,
there was a very good atmosphere, despite what Koren termed
Davutoglu's &ideological8 approach to the region. Barak
told both that the &incident8 (reftel) with Turkish
Ambassador Celikkol, who was in both meetings, was in the
past. Barak felt he made good contact with Davutoglu and
that perhaps could be a useful channel in the future. On
Iran, Koren said the Turks had been ambivalent, claiming they
are in close contact with the Americans and do not want to
see Iran become the regional superpower. They did not show
any particular inclination to do anything to pressure Iran,
however, noting that they share a border with Iran and &have
to live with it.8


4. (C) MFA Director General Yossi Gal separately visited
Ankara January 19. Gal's aide Dana Kursh, who accompanied
Gal, told PolCouns she thought Gal's visit also had been a
success. Turkish MFA Under Secretary Sinirlioglu, a former
ambassador to Israel, maintained warm personal ties with many
Israeli officials, including Gal. Sinirlioglu confirmed to
Gal that the incident between Ambassador Celikkol and Israeli
Deputy Foreign Minister Ayalon was now behind them and Turkey
continues to see many important mutual interests with Israel.
There were several parts to Gal's visit: the morning was
devoted to a DG-level strategic dialogue with Sinirlioglu
followed by a working lunch hosted by the Turkish MFA. In
the afternoon Gal met with the AKP head of the Parliament,s
Foreign Affairs Committee Murat Mercan and the Minister for
European Union Affairs Egeman Bagis. Kursh said Mercan was
much more pessimistic about relations with Israel. Bagis,

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however, is supposed to be close to Erdogan and received Gal
graciously. The last part of the visit was a dinner at the
Israeli Ambassador,s residence, to which the Israelis
invited a cross-section of Turkish journalists and academics,
many of whom were quite supportive of maintaining close
Turkish ties to Israel, Kursh said.


5. (C) Kursh noted that the Turks were very focused on
resuming assistance projects for the Palestinians, including
at the Jalameh industrial zone in the northern West Bank,
which have been put on hold by Israel. They also pressed for
permission to resume Turkish assistance convoys into Gaza and
discussed Gaza humanitarian issues, with Gal emphasizing
Israel's cooperation with UN on allowing more material,
including window glass, into Gaza for reconstruction
purposes. Kursh said that Sinirlioglu is supposed to pay a
return visit in May, and discussion of a possible visit by
President Gul is back on the agenda.


6. (C) Comment: The sense we got from our MOD and MFA
interlocutors is that both Israel and Turkey decided to move
beyond last week's crisis and put relations back on track.
We doubt that the tensions below the surface have
disappeared, however, and more harsh comments on either side
could easily cause the impulse to defend national honor to
overcome the recognition of common interests.
CUNNINGHAM