US embassy cable - 04YEREVAN1352

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 001352 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN, EUR/ACE, EUR/PGI, EUR/SE, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, EAID, AM 
SUBJECT:  RELATIONS WITH TURKEY BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT 
FOLLOWING PRESS REPORTS, BORDER CONFERENCE 
 
 
1. (U) Sensitive But Unclassified.  Please treat 
accordingly. 
 
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SUMMARY 
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2. (SBU) The last-minute decision by the Turkish delegation 
not to attend a conference on regional archaeological and 
tourism issues, a report in the Armenian press regarding 
visa regimes and a widely circulated transcript of a Turkish 
newscast hurled the issue of Turkey-Armenia relations back 
into the public spotlight June 15-16.  The public reaction 
by Armenian politicians and legislators was relatively 
quiet.  Armenian MFA contacts, however, suggested that they 
expected an increase in rumors and public debate on the 
issue in advance of the NATO Summit in Istanbul.  End 
summary. 
 
 
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GYUMRI-KARS SYMPOSIUM CONTINUES WITHOUT TURKS 
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3. (SBU) Despite the last-minute decision of Turkish 
participants not to attend the event, the Gyumri-Kars 
Historic Preservation and Cultural Tourism Symposium was 
held in Gyumri June 15-16.  Organizers originally planned 
the event as a week-long meeting co-hosted in the 
communities of Gyumri, Armenia and Kars, Turkey to explore 
issues of preservation and tourism as they affect local 
economic development.  The symposium was scaled back the 
prior week due to the failure of the Turkish organizers to 
obtain "government permission to participate in and co-host 
the event."  Armenian MFA representatives, originally 
scheduled as part of the seminar, declined to attend the 
event following the announcement by Turkish organizers. 
U.S. Ambassador John Ordway opened the session and was 
joined by representatives of other diplomatic missions 
accredited to Armenia.  USAID financed portions of the event 
through implementing partner the Academy for Educational 
Development (AED).  Local media reports of the event made 
reference to the absence of the Turkish side but stopped 
short of criticizing the GOT decision or casting the seminar 
as politically charged. 
 
4. (SBU) The Armenian organizers told the Embassy that they 
still plan to travel to Kars in mid-July as tourists to 
complete portions of the originally planned program.  Their 
research trip will focus on archaeological preservation 
issues and applications for regional tourism.  (Note:  The 
region was part of the Russian Empire in the nineteenth 
century.  Archaeologists point to Kars and Gyumri as prime 
examples of strikingly similar architecture and urban 
landscapes from the period that are relatively well 
preserved and have promising applications in the tourism 
sector.  End note). 
 
 
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NEWSPAPER REPORT ON TURKISH VISAS PANICS MFA, TRAVELLERS 
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5. (SBU) There was considerable speculation around Yerevan 
June 16 following a newspaper report in local daily Haykakan 
Zhamanak claiming that the GOT had modified visa procedures 
for Armenians.  According to the article, the GOT would no 
longer issue visas to Armenians at the airport in Istanbul 
nor at the Georgia-Turkey border.  The article suggested 
that the GOT was making the move in retaliation for 
statements made in the U.S. Congress regarding Turkey's role 
in the events of 1915.  Post checked-in early June 16 with 
the Armenian MFA, which was understandably worried about the 
report and totally unaware of such a change.  The MFA 
initiated a call to contacts in Ankara on the issue mid-day. 
The MFA's Turkey Desk Officer reported to us late June 16 
that her counterpart in Ankara denied that the MFA had ever 
made such a statement.  The MFA released a statement to the 
press the evening of June 16 (carried by a majority of news 
outlets that evening and the next day) stating that there 
has been no change in procedures for Armenians getting visas 
at Istanbul airport or at the Georgia/Turkey border. 
 
6. (SBU) Post contacts at Yerevan's Zvartnots Airport report 
that the Yerevan-Istanbul charter flight and Armavia flight 
left for Turkey June 16 per normal procedures and loaded 
with Armenian passengers hoping to secure a visa at the 
Istanbul airport.  While contacts at the airport reported 
that they were spooked by the June 16 newspaper article, 
they said that the airline or airport had not been 
instructed to date to modify their normal procedures for 
Armenians traveling to Turkey. 
 
 
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NTV TRANSCRIPT INCITES SPECULATION AMONG POLICYMAKERS 
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7. (SBU) An unofficial translation of a June 16 Turkish NTV- 
MSNBC television report suggesting that the GOT was making 
preparations to open a border checkpoint connecting Turkey 
and Armenia inspired a flurry of working-level consultations 
within Armenia's MFA in Ankara June 17.  According to the 
article, the Turkish MFA had instructed government agencies 
to prepare the Akyaka checkpoint for eventual opening prior 
to the NATO summit in Istanbul.  The Armenian MFA was 
reportedly verifying the information with counterparts in 
Ankara on June 17 while at the same time fending off calls 
from local NGOs and reporters looking for a GOAM statement 
on the issue. 
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COMMENT 
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8. (SBU) The recent buzz around Yerevan regarding Armenia- 
Turkish relations and the series of media reports are 
reminiscent of the surge in speculation that occurred during 
the Summer of 2003.  One important difference, however, is 
the effort of local media and analysts to link the timing of 
these developments or rumored developments to a particular 
event -- the upcoming Istanbul summit.  It appears likely 
that the trend towards speculation will continue as the 
Istanbul meeting approaches.  The extent to which increased 
bureaucratic level GOAM-GOT contact will advance their 
bilateral agenda or merely annoy the two parties remains to 
be seen.  End comment. 
ORDWAY