US embassy cable - 04ANKARA3120

UNCLAS ANKARA 003120 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR EUR/SE; OSD FOR L. HEALD 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MARR, PREL, TU 
SUBJECT: US-TURKEY HIGH-LEVEL DEFENSE GROUP (HLDG):  OSD 
AND TGS UNABLE TO REACH AGREEMENT ON DATES FOR WORKING 
GROUP MEETINGS 
 
 
1. The Turkish General Staff (TGS) and the Office of the 
Secretary of Defense (OSD) have been unable to reach 
 
SIPDIS 
agreement on acceptable dates to convene meetings of the 
HLDG's Political-Military Working Group (PMWG) and the 
Security Cooperation Working Group (SCWG). 
 
 
2. Para 4 below contains the text of a May 24 letter from US 
PMWG Co-Chair OSD DASD Brzezinski to his Turkish counterpart, 
TGS Deputy J5 for Agreements Major General Acar, in which 
DASD Brzezinski advises that he is unable to attend the 19th 
PMWG meeting in Ankara that was scheduled for May 10-12.  The 
letter proposes that the meeting take place in Ankara during 
the week of July 19.  (The Embassy received a fax copy of the 
letter from OSD May 25 and forwarded it to TGS/J5 that same 
day.) 
 
 
3. Para 5 contains the text of Maj. Gen. Acar's May 31 
response, in which he notes that the week of July 19 is not 
acceptable and proposes that the two sides meet in second 
half of September or in October 2004.  (The Embassy received 
a fax copy of the letter from TGS June 2 and forwarded it to 
OSD via fax that same day.) 
 
 
4. Begin text of May 24 letter from DASD Brzezinski to Major 
General Acar: 
 
 
Dear General Acar, 
 
 
Thank you for the invitation to attend the 19th Political 
Military Working Group (PMWG) in Ankara from 10-12 May 2004. 
I was looking forward to reconnecting with you and your 
colleagues.  Due to an unforeseen scheduling conflict, I was 
unable to attend during that week, and unfortunately am 
unable to come in early June.  I appreciate the effort that 
you and your staff put into preparing for the PMWG to take 
place in May or June. 
 
 
I would like to propose the week of 19 July 2004 to meet in 
Ankara if that would work for you and your staff.  I am sure 
we will have much to discuss after what I know will be an 
historic NATO Summit in Istanbul in late June. 
 
 
Sincerely, 
Ian Brzezinski 
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for NATO/Europe 
 
 
End text. 
 
 
5. Begin Text of May 31 response from Maj. Gen. Acar: 
 
 
Dear Mr. Brzezinski 
 
 
I have received your letter concerning the Political Military 
Working Group (PMWG) in Ankara dated on May 25, 2004.  Our 
intention is to arrange the 19th PMWG as soon as possible. 
Due to the non availability of our program and given that 
July is the period of the appointment of the Turkish 
officers, we do not have any opportunity to meet in Ankara 
during the week of July 19, 2004 as mentioned in your letter. 
 
 
In view of the above mentioned reasons, I would like to 
propose to arrange the 19th PMWG in the second half of 
September or in October.  If these dates remain acceptable to 
your side, our staffs can make necessary arrangements. 
 
 
I very much look forward to our meetings with you and your 
staffs. 
 
 
Sincerely, 
Suphi Acar 
Major General 
Chief, TGS, Agreements Dept. 
 
 
End text. 
EDELMAN