US embassy cable - 03ANKARA7412

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 007412 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/03/2013 
TAGS: MD, PBTS, PREL, TU 
SUBJECT: RUSSIAN TRANSNISTRIA SETTLEMENT PROPOSAL DEMARCHE: 
 TURKEY 
 
 
REF: A. STATE 323562 
     B. CHISINAU 1390 
 
 
(U) Classified by Political Counselor John Kunstadter, E.O. 
12958, reasons 1.5 (b) and (d). 
 
 
1.  (U) Due to Turkey's week-long official holiday, Embassy 
deputy political counselor delivered ref A demarche to MFA 
Eastern Europe Department Head Omur Solendil on December 3. 
 
 
2.  (C) Solendil said the GOT had "noted" the Russian 
Transnistria memorandum was prepared without consultation 
with the OSCE.  He claimed that Turkey supported Moldovan 
territorial integrity, but undercut himself by adding that 
the GOT was not "specifically worried" that the Russian 
memorandum threatened it.  Citing lack of transparency in 
developing the memorandum and the possibility of new draft 
articles that could authorize Russian troop presence through 
2020 (ref B), we replied that this appeared to be part of a 
Russian effort to play an inappropriate role in Transnistria. 
 Solendil said Turkey supported peaceful resolution of the 
Transnistria dispute, but only if the proposed solution were 
viable and acceptable to all concerned.  We said that the USG 
considered the Russian proposal neither viable nor acceptable 
within Moldova proper, and that this posed the specter of 
unrest; Solendil said the GOT had "seen reports" to that 
effect. 
 
 
3.  (C) Solendil noted at the November 27 OSCE Permanent 
Council Meeting, MFA Deputy U/S Sensoy had called 
Transnistria negotiations to be concluded in consultation 
with the other mediators in the conflict.  Sensoy added that 
the GOT was committed to CFE as a cornerstone of Europe's 
security architecture, and that Russian fulfillment of the 
Istanbul commitments was of utmost importance.  Solendil said 
Turkey would prefer a multinational force in Transnistria, 
perhaps along the lines of Berlin-plus. 
DEUTSCH