Wikileaks - LXII

"54971","3/2/2006 10:30","06ANKARA1043","Embassy Ankara","SECRET","06STATE27201","VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAK #1043 0611030
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 021030Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3624
INFO RUEHXP/ALL NATO POST COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS PRIORITY 6985
RUEHBM/AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST PRIORITY 0836
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 5359
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 0196
RUEHSF/AMEMBASSY SOFIA PRIORITY 0998
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 4844
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J-3/J-5// PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC//USDP:PDUSDP/ISA:EUR/ISA:NESA/DSCA// PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/425ABS IZMIR TU//CC// PRIORITY
RHMFISS/39ABG INCIRLIK AB TU PRIORITY
","S E C R E T ANKARA 001043

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/01/2016
TAGS: NATO, PREL, MARR, KCFE, PARM, TU, GR, RO, NO, BU, RU
SUBJECT: TURKEY TO CONSIDER CFE FLANK ENTITLEMENT REQUEST

REF: STATE 27201

Classified By: Political-Military Counselor Timothy A. Betts, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

1. (S) Per reftel, we approached the MFA on Feb. 28 and the Turkish General Staff (TGS) on Mar. 1 with our request for Turkey to consider a transfer of some of its unused CFE ground equipment entitlements to the US to allow the rotational training of US forces in Romania and Bulgaria. MFA Deputy Director General (DDG) for NATO Affairs Serdar Kilic appreciated the US GDPR review update. He deferred to DDG for Arms Control and Disarmament Affairs Bulent Meric for Turkey\'s position but did ask whether the US was planning for a naval base in Romania, which we denied while affirming USN ships would continue to call at Romanian ports. He also sought and received confirmation that the numbers of entitlements listed in the talking points reflect the total amount the US is seeking -- not just numbers for Romania, and that the US is seeking a permanent transfer of these entitlements.

2. (S) DDG Meric informed us that he will initiate a process with the TGS to examine all aspects of the issue, including Turkey\'s current inventory of and modernization plans for each of the three categories of equipment. He added that \"BLACKSEAFOR and Romania\'s intransigence\" would also be taken into account. (NOTE: Turkey has been frustrated in its attempts to secure Romania\'s support of an expanded mission for the BLACKSEAFOR maritime security organization for Black Sea littoral states and Romania\'s participation in Operation Black Sea Harmony, a maritime interdiction operation for littorals. END NOTE.) Meric opined that Turkey\'s internal review process would probably not have progressed enough by Mar. 14 for him to discuss this issue with US counterparts on the margins of the Brussels HLTF meeting.

3. (S) TGS J-5 Strategy Division Chief MG Serdar Savas and J-5 Disarmament and International Security Matters Division Chief BG Tuncer Erinmezler added little during our Mar. 1 meeting with them. They confirmed that the MFA will have the lead on reviewing our request. None of our interlocutors saw a need at this time for a visit by US experts to discuss the entitlement issue in greater detail, but all welcomed the opportunity to hold that offer in reserve if the need should arise.

4. (U) COMMENT: While TGS will do most of the technical work of calculating whether Turkey has any headroom to give up, the MFA will have a large say in whether the GOT actually will provide it. Therefore, Meric\'s warning about tying this issue to Black Sea maritime security interests should be taken seriously. END COMMENT.
WILSON