US embassy cable - 03ANKARA7419

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 007419 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/02/2013 
TAGS: PREL, TU, GG 
SUBJECT: MFA CAUCASUS OFFICIAL ON THE THREAT OF SECESSION 
IN GEORGIA 
 
REF: ANKARA 6198 
 
 
(U) Classified by CDA Robert Deutsch, E.O. 12958, reasons 1.5 
(B) and (D). 
 
 
1.  (C) Summary:  On December 2, Turkish MFA Caucasus 
Department Head Murat Adali said Turkey would work to prevent 
Ajarian secession in Georgia.  He was more cautious about 
Turkey's willingness to play an effective role in countering 
Abkhazian secession.  End Summary. 
 
 
Ajaria 
 
 
2.  (C) Embassy deputy political counselor discussed the 
threat of regional secession in Georgia with MFA Caucasus 
Department Head Murat Adali on December 2.  Adali claimed 
Turkey would work to prevent Ajarian secession, which he 
called "a real danger."   He said the GOT was in contact with 
Ajarian regional leader Abashidze through its consulate in 
Batumi.  Abashidze, he said, was unhappy at Turkey's attempts 
to find commercial routes bypassing Ajaria.  However, Adali 
claimed Turkey still had "leverage" in the region.  He 
professed to be worried about increased Russian influence in 
the event of secession, including over the port of Batumi. 
 
 
Abkhazia 
 
 
3.  (C) Adali was more reluctant about Turkey's willingness 
to play an effective role in countering Abkhazian secession. 
He said Turkey's large community of Abkhazian-origin citizens 
-- he claimed there were 450,000 -- were sympathetic to 
Abkhazian separatist ambitions.  This created a public 
opinion problem when it came to Turkey advocating against 
Abkhazian secession, he asserted.  "They complain the get a 
better reception at the Russian Embassy than at the Ministry 
of Foreign Affairs," he averred.  Moreover, he claimed, the 
GOT had difficulty controlling the private activities of 
citizens who sympathized with Abkhazian separatism.  Adali 
added pointedly that Caucasian-origin citizens (Circassian) 
were also influential in Turkey's intelligence services. 
 
 
4.  (C) Comment:  Adali's mixed message reflects the fluid 
policy debate and weakness in the MFA, other analytic centers 
in the bureaucracy, and think tanks.  Over the past three 
months, MFA officials have repeatedly expressed the desire 
for closer U.S.-Turkish cooperation in the Caucasus (reftel). 
 An invigorated bilateral Caucasus dialogue with Turkey can 
help focus Turkish policy more in line with U.S. interests. 
End Comment. 
EDELMAN