US embassy cable - 04ANKARA5081

UNCLAS ANKARA 005081 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: IT, PREL, TU, YM 
SUBJECT: BMENAI DEMOCRACY ASSISTANCE DIALOGUE CO-SPONSORS 
MEET IN ANKARA 
 
 
1.  (SBU) Summary:  BMENAI Democracy Assistance Dialogue 
(DAD) co-sponsor Turkey met separately with representatives 
from fellow co-sponors Italy and Yemen in Ankara September 7 
and 8 and agreed on a broad outline for the DAD's efforts. 
They envision annual plenary meetings and separate periodic 
meetings on specific DAD topics.  The co-sponsors plan to 
take responsibility for convening meetings and managing the 
DAD work program.  They tentatively plan to launch DAD at a 
November 26 meeting of the three FMs in Rome to which they 
will invite the U.S. in its role as G-8 chair.  According to 
the Turkish MFA, Yemeni participation in the Ankara meeting 
was enthusiastic; the Yemenis are reportedly offering to host 
the first Forum for the Future (FTF) meeting.  DAD funding is 
a question mark.  End Summary 
 
2.  (U) Representatives of BMENAI Democracy Assistance 
Dialogue (DAD) co-sponsor Turkey met separately with 
co-sponsors Italy and Yemen in Ankara on September 7 and 8 to 
organize and chart a way forward for the DAD.  Turkish MFA 
Policy Planning Department Head Burak Akcapar briefed us 
September 8, just after the MFA finished meeting with the 
Yemenis. 
 
3.  (SBU) The DAD co-sponsors initially envision efforts 
proceeding along three vectors.  First, they foresee an 
annual DAD plenary meeting where governments and NGOs will 
exchange information and ideas on best practices, and draw up 
and monitor the DAD work program.  Second, they envision 
other periodic meetings dedicated to specific DAD topics, 
e.g., judicial reform, the role of women, etc.  Third, the 
Yemenis proposed establishing a "democracy training center" 
in Turkey and a center to coordinate NGO efforts (a "DAD 
hub") in Yemen.  The Turks are positive on both ideas but 
think them premature. 
 
4.  (SBU) The co-sponsors will put their ideas in a draft 
plan that they will circulate to the G-8 and FTF nations. 
The co-sponsors plan to brief the September 24 FTF 
preparatory meeting on their efforts, although they have not 
yet decided which co-sponsor will brief.  The co-sponsors 
will take responsibility for convening meetings and managing 
the DAD work program.  The Turks and Italians envision 
managing the work program in a format similar to NATO's EAPC 
action plans. 
 
5.  (SBU) The co-sponsors tentatively plan to launch DAD at a 
November 26 meeting of the three FMs in Rome.  They will also 
invite the U.S. in its role as G-8 chair.  According to 
Akcapar, the co-sponsors decided on the three-plus-one 
format, vice inviting all G-8, partner and regional 
countries, to initially avoid the problem of no-shows.  The 
Turks want to begin DAD with small but sure steps, Akcapar 
explained.  The co-sponsors also plan for civil society 
institutions from co-sponsor nations to meet two days before 
the FMs' meeting and prepare a report on their priorities for 
2005 to present to the FMs on the 26th. 
 
6.  (SBU) Akcapar said the Yemenis offered to host the first 
FTF meeting.  The Yemenis initially told the Turks they would 
host the DAD inaugural conference, but withdrew that offer 
and substituted the offer to host FTF.  Akcapar's read is 
that the Yemenis want a bigger BMENAI role; he described 
Yemeni participation in the Ankara meeting as "cooperative, 
forthcoming and enthusiastic." 
 
7.  (SBU) While Akcapar appeared pleased that the Ankara 
meetings have charted a concrete way forward for DAD, he said 
that funding for DAD meetings and other DAD activities 
remains a troubling question mark.  The co-sponsors cannot 
pay indefinitely, he said. 
EDELMAN