US embassy cable - 03ANKARA7098

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 007098 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
OSD FOR RICARDEL 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/12/2013 
TAGS: PREL, MARR, TU 
SUBJECT: CAUCASUS WORKING GROUP PRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO 
RENEW COOPERATION WITH TURKEY 
 
 
 (U) Classified by Pol-Mil Counselor Tim Betts, reasons 1.5, 
b/d. 
 
 
1. (C) Summary: The Turks came to the Nov. 7 Caucasus Working 
Group (CWG) working-level meeting armed with specific 
proposals for US-Turkish cooperation.  The US should 
reciprocate at the Nov. 17 CWG in Williamsburg.  Over the 
next seven months, the two sides should work towards having 
several new programs ready to announce at the time of the 
President's visit to Turkey for the NATO Istanbul Summit. 
End Summary. 
 
 
2. (C) On November 7, a working level meeting of the 
US-Turkey Caucasus Working Group met in Ankara to lay the 
groundwork for a full CWG on November 17 in Williamsburg, VA. 
 The Turkish side was led by TGS/J-5 Chief of Bilateral 
Relations Cpt. (Navy) Ogurlu with additional representation 
from TGS and MFA.  The Turks presented detailed briefings on 
Turkey's extensive security assistance to Georgia, 
Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan (see DAO septel for details) along 
with specific areas of cooperation with the US that would 
augment their efforts, such as facility improvements at some 
of the academies being established by the Turks. 
 
 
3. (C) The US side was opened by A/DASD Jim McDougall and 
continued by EUCOM/J-5 Col. Heady, with participation from 
OSD and EUCOM, as well as the Embassy, Defense Attache's 
Office, and Office of Defense Cooperation.  A/DASD McDougall 
set the stage for getting the CWG back on track after a 
year-long hiatus by suggesting that both sides focus on 
future cooperation instead of the reasons the CWG has been 
moribund for the past year (e.g. OIF).  He elicited agreement 
from the GOT that the group should decide whether refocus 
cooperative efforts on one or two countries, or continue to 
try to expand the cooperation to Kazakhstan.  The Turks also 
echoed McDougall's proposal that more day-to-day cooperation 
should be carried out at the working level by DAOs and ODCs 
in the Caucasus (comment: a refreshing change from Ogurlu's 
predecessor).  Col. Heady briefed the Turkish side on new 
EUCOM concepts including, the Georgia Capabilities 
Enhancement Program, the Caspian Clearinghouse and the 
Caspian Guard.  EUCOM and OSD noted preliminarily that many 
of the cooperative activities proposed by the Turks looked 
promising.  Both sides agreed to an agenda for the Nov. 17 
meeting. 
 
 
4. (C) Comment and Recommendation: The Turks came prepared 
with detailed information on where they have expended their 
resources, where they plan to expend them in the future, and 
how the US could fill the gaps if so desired.  However, they 
were caught off balance by the conceptual and intricate 
nature of the US briefings and seemed perplexed that the US 
offered no specific proposals for future bilateral 
cooperation.  Embassy Ankara recommends that OSD and EUCOM 
screen the Turkish cooperation proposals carefully in order 
to approve some of them at the Nov. 17 meeting.  In addition, 
the US side should come to Williamsburg with concrete 
proposals that will compliment US efforts in the region for 
the Turks to consider.  We also urge the participants at 
Williamsburg to agree to work over the next seven months to 
reach agreement on new concrete projects that could be 
announced at the time of the President's visit to Turkey for 
the NATO Istanbul Summit. 
EDELMAN