US embassy cable - 04ANKARA5883

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 005883 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/15/2014 
TAGS: GR, TU, PREL, CY, MARR 
SUBJECT: TURKISH/GREEK AEGEAN AGREEMENT ON HOLD, CONTACTS 
WILL CONTINUE 
 
 
(U) Classified by Ambassador Eric Edelman, E.O. 12958, 
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) Summary:  According to Turkish MFA U/S Ziyal, the 
Greek government is currently not ready to conclude a 
comprehensive Aegean agreement but still wants to maintain an 
Aegean dialogue with the Turks.  Ziyal believes Greek FM 
Molyviatis is reluctant to conclude an agreement and that 
lack of a Cyprus settlement makes such an agreement 
politically difficult for the GoG.  End Summary. 
 
Skopelitis Deletes Most of Draft Agreement 
------------------------------------------ 
 
2.  (C) In a September 27 meeting with Ambassador Edelman and 
UK Ambassador Westmacott on the status of Turkish/Greek 
Aegean negotiations, U/S Ziyal noted that he previously 
reported that chief Greek Aegean negotiator (and current 
Ambassador to the UK) Skopelitis was backpedaling on items 
Ziyal thought were settled.  Ziyal referred to a four-page 
draft document with a one-page annex outlining the proposed 
solution.  Ziyal said he had thought all but two or three 
paragraphs were agreed to, but on September 24, in a round of 
negotiations that went for one session instead of the usual 
two, Skopelitis insisted on deleting most of it, in effect 
leaving nothing. 
 
Continuing Dialogue Without Solution on the Horizon 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
3.  (C) Ziyal said this and other information he received had 
convinced him the Greeks are not currently inclined to 
conclude a comprehensive Aegean agreement.  However, Ziyal 
thinks they are still interested in maintaining the dialogue 
with the Turks; so are the Turks.  Ziyal said FM Molyviatis 
told him that even without a solution, continued dialogue 
will allow the GoG to tell the EU that Turkey is fulfilling 
Helsinki agreement requirements.  Ziyal, who will become 
ambassador to Italy in November, is not certain who will 
continue to negotiate for Turkey, but thinks the better 
course is that both negotiators be from their respective 
foreign ministries' home offices. 
 
4.  (C) According to Ziyal, the Turks want sea and air space 
issues resolved together; the Greeks want to resolve the 
continental shelf issues separately from the air space 
issues.  Air corridor issues had basically been resolved, but 
Ziyal said FIR issues are difficult to resolve in isolation 
from other issues.  MFA legal adviser Bolukbasi added that 
the GoG refuses to submit these matters to third party 
arbitration or the ICJ.  The Greeks have expressed interest 
in resolving eastern Mediterranean issues, including Cyprus, 
which the Turks are not inclined to do absent a Cyprus 
solution. 
 
5.  (C) Comment:  Ziyal attributed Skopelitis' turnaround to 
FM Molyviatis' more "hard line" perspective and to the lack 
of a Cyprus agreement, which the GoG perceives as limiting 
its room to make Aegean concessions.  We defer to Embassy 
Athens, but our impression, based on Ziyal's account and 
shared by UK Ambassador Westmacott, is that the GoG thinks an 
Aegean agreement without a Cyprus settlement will face tough 
criticism at home and make it harder for the GoG to advocate 
Turkish EU accession in December.  End Comment. 
EDELMAN