US embassy cable - 04ANKARA3764

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 003764 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR BRYZA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/07/2014 
TAGS: AJ, AM, PBTS, TU 
SUBJECT: TURKISH MFA CLAIMS ARMENIA WILLING TO DISCUSS NK 
AND OCCUPIED TERRITORIES WHILE DEFERRING FINAL STATUS 
DETERMINATION 
 
REF: BAKU 1179 (EXDIS) 
 
(U) Classified by CDA Robert Deutsch, E.O. 12958, reasons 1.4 
(b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) Summary:  Turkish MFA Caucasus Department Head Murat 
Adali portrays the June 28 meeting during the Istanbul NATO 
Summit between Turkish FM Gul and Armenian FM Oskanian, and a 
follow-on trilateral meeting including Azerbaijani FM 
Mammadyarov, as steps forward in resolving the Nagorno 
Karabakh (NK) dispute and improving Turkish/Armenian 
relations.  Adali claims Armenian FM Oskanian is willing to 
negotiate on NK and occupied territories while agreeing on a 
process, but delaying a decision, on NK's final status. 
Adali's upbeat assessment should be treated with caution. 
End Summary. 
 
MFA: Oskanian Will Agree on Final Status Process and Delayed 
Decision 
 
2.  (C) Adali, who was present at both meetings, claims that 
Oskanian agreed in principle to negotiate on NK and the 
occupied territories while delaying final status 
determination.  Adali averred that Oskanian indicated this 
willingness in his bilateral meeting with Turkish FM Gul and 
repeated it the trilateral meeting.  Instead of insisting on 
a final status determination as part of negotiations on NK 
and the occupied territories, Adali said Oskanian is willing 
to agree to a process for final status determination, while 
delaying the actual decision. 
 
3.  (C) Adali concedes that President Kocharian takes a 
harder line than Oskanian on NK negotiations and that 
Kocharian may reject deferral of final status determination. 
According to Adali, the GOT is looking for ways to strengthen 
Oskanian's hand in what Adali depicts as an internal debate 
in the GOAM over how to settle NK.  Adali offered no 
persuasive explanation of why or how Oskanian would be able 
to prevail over the Kocharian on this point. 
 
4.  (C)  Adali said Oskanian pressed Gul to re-open the rail 
line running through Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan, even 
offering to allow trains to pass through Armenia without 
charging transit fees. 
 
5.  (C) Adali said that in both meetings Oskanian called for 
Turkey to play a greater role in resolving NK.  According to 
Adali, working-level GOT and GOAM diplomats will meet before 
the end of July to follow up on the Istanbul meetings and 
elaborate an NK "road map."   Adali said the Armenians prefer 
to meet outside Armenia due to concerns about electronic 
eavesdropping, presumably by the Russians.  Adali predicted 
another FM-level trilateral meeting in New York on the 
margins of UNGA. 
 
6.  (C) Comment:  Adali's upbeat assessment of the Istanbul 
talks should be treated with caution.  FM Mammadyarov did not 
mention this supposed new Armenian flexibility on a key point 
in his readout to Ambassador Harnish (reftel).  Over the past 
months, the Turkish MFA has consistently exaggerated the 
significance of ongoing Turkish-Armenian diplomatic contacts. 
 End Comment. 
DEUTSCH