US embassy cable - 04ANKARA6134

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 006134 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/25/2014 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, TU, GR 
SUBJECT: AEGEAN ISSUE: TURKS DENY A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN 
FLIGHTS, NONETHELESS WILL EXERCISE RESTRAINT 
 
REF: A. ATHENS 3994 (NOTAL) 
     B. ANKARA 5883 (NOTAL) 
 
Classified By: DCM Robert S. Deutsch for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) Summary: Turkey has not significantly increased 
flights in the Aegean and is not seeking confrontation with 
Greece, MFA and TGS officials told the embassy.  The Turks 
provided data which (if accurate) indicate that they have not 
in fact significantly increased flights, but merely resumed 
normal activity following a unilateral reduction for 
July-September for the Olympics and Special Olympics.  MFA 
Deputy Undersecretary Ilkin told DCM Oct. 27 that Greece is 
using this issue to press the Turks to keep flights at a 
lower level leading up to the Dec. 17 EU decision on Turkish 
accession talks.  TGS told us Oct. 28 that the CHOD has 
ordered the navy, air force, and coast guard to exercise 
restraint leading up to Dec. 17.  We believe the Turks have 
clearly heard our message to do just that.  End summary. 
 
2. (C) On Oct. 27, MFA Deputy Undersecretary for Bilateral 
Political Affairs Baki Ilkin gathered officers from German, 
Spanish, French, UK, Italian, and U.S. embassies to discuss 
recent Greek claims of Turkish infringements and violations 
of Greek airspace (ref a).  DCM represented Embassy.  Ilkin 
said that these particular embassies had made inquiries on 
this matter either in Ankara or in capitals. 
 
The Turkish Legal Position on the Aegean 
---------------------------------------- 
 
3. (C) Ilkin first asked MFA Deputy Director General for 
Maritime and Aviation Affairs Vakur Gokdenizler to brief on 
Turkey's overall position on Greek claims of infringements. 
Turkey believes that--contrary to Greek claims--every country 
has the right to fly military aircraft in international 
airspace over the Aegean.  Greece insists that Turkish 
military aircraft must file flight plans; Turkey maintains 
that under the ICAO Convention of 1944, only civilian flights 
are required to file.  The phrase "Flight Information Region 
(FIR) Infringement" is a Greek creation, he maintained. 
Additionally, the Athens FIR extends virtually to the entire 
western coast of Turkey, meaning almost every flight taking 
off near the coast flies into the Athens FIR. 
 
4. (C) Furthermore, Gokdenizler said, Greece claims to have 
territorial waters of six nautical miles but also to have 
airspace of 10 nautical miles.  Turkey does not recognize the 
Greek claim.  Ilkin added that from time to time Turkish 
pilots fly between six and ten nautical miles from Greek 
territory to exercise freedom of navigation.  Finally, 
Gokdenizler noted that Turkish military flights in the Aegean 
are far fewer than Greek flights.  For example, in 2003 the 
Greeks flew about 23,000 sorties, the Turks about 4600. 
According to Gokdenizler, 6-7 percent of TUAF flights are 
over the Aegean, compared to about 80 percent for the HAF. 
 
Turkey Significantly Cut Flights for the Olympics... 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
5. (C) Gokdenizler then reported that Turkey had committed to 
significantly reduce its flights in the Aegean "for the 
tourist season" and for the Olympics (August) and Special 
Olympics (September).  It had done so.  For example, in 
August 2003 Turkish military flights over the Aegean totaled 
294; for August 2004, 126.  Turkey also offered its airports 
for overflow and emergency air traffic and to exchange 
information/intelligence related to security for the 
Olympics.  In answer to a question from the British DCM, 
Ilkin admitted that Turkey did not explicitly inform the GOG 
that it intended to resume its previous level of Aegean 
flights in October, but countered that Turkey had made clear 
that its unilateral reduction was a temporary measure for 
July-September.  On claims of Turkish overflight of Greek 
islands, Ilkin responded that it might have happened, but 
only by accident or because a Turkish pilot may have been 
forced to overfly as the result of a "simulated dogfight." 
 
...and Believe Greeks Want Reduction to be Permanent 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
6. (C) Ilkin said that he did not know why Greece was raising 
this issue now publicly, but he assumes it is because Greece 
would prefer the level of Turkish flights to remain at 
July-September levels and that the GOG is seeking to use the 
"critical period" from now until Dec. 17--when EU leaders 
will decide whether and when to begin accession negotiations 
with Turkey--to pressure the GOT to maintain a level of 
activity similar to July-Sept. 2004. 
 
7. (C) Ilkin said that in addition to the normal channels, 
four special diplomatic channels exist for the two countries 
to work on Aegean issues.  But, Ilkin complained, the Greeks 
have chosen to hash this one out in public by using press 
leaks rather than diplomatic channels.  Ilkin said the Turks 
have sought to have both sides reduce flights proportionally, 
but have not made progress on this. 
 
8. (C) On Imia/Kardak, Gokdenizler said that the following is 
standard Turkish practice: There are actually two islets in 
this group.  When a Greek vessel moves to the eastern side of 
the eastern islet (i.e., between the islets and Turkish 
territory), the Turks will respond by moving a vessel to the 
western side of the western islet (i.e., between the islets 
and Greek territory) for the duration the Greek vessel 
remains in place. 
 
9. (C) DCM said that the USG continues to support progress 
between Greece and Turkey on the Aegean issue in order to 
reduce tensions.  He emphasized that we are in a critical 
period up to Dec. 17, and urged that both sides work to 
reduce tensions to allow "smooth sailing" as that date 
approaches. 
 
CHOD Has Ordered Restraint 
-------------------------- 
 
10. (C)  POLMILCOUNS raised the reports of Aegean incidents 
with TGS/J5 Cyprus/Aegean Division Chief RADM Mucahit 
Sislioglu on October 28.  Sislioglu confirmed what 
Gokdenizler said, that Turkey would dispatch a Coast Guard 
vessel to the western side of Imia/Kardak whenever the Greeks 
send one to the eastern side. Since 1996, he continued, the 
Turkish Coast Guard periodically would send a vessel to the 
western side of Imia/Kardak so as not to relinquish Ankara's 
claim to the area.  For over a year (i.e., since before 
Sislioglu came to his current position), the standard was to 
conduct such a passage once a month.  There have been three 
such passages since August, he said.  Whenever Turkey does 
this, the Greek side sends a vessel to the eastern side of 
the islets.  Since the distances are so short, the two 
vessels are often at opposite sides of Imia/Kardak at the 
same time, although they do not come in contact with each 
other.  In response to a question, he affirmed that if the 
Greek vessel was slow in arriving, the Turks would not then 
send another vessel -- if the Turks have gone to the western 
side, they expect the Greeks to respond and take no further 
measure themselves. 
 
11. (C) Regarding airspace violations, Sislioglu said the 
Turkish side has continued to exercise restraint, with the 
number of flights in the Aegean down in 2004 compared to 
2003, even excluding the months around the Olympics when 
activity was deliberately held to a minimum.  TGS/J3 had that 
morning compiled the data and had forwarded it to MFA with a 
recommendation that it be used in refuting Greek claims. 
(Comment:  We requested the data from MFA and received it. 
We forwarded it via email to EUR/SE and Embassy Athens.) 
Sislioglu had no information with which to confirm nor deny 
stories in the Greek press about overflights of islands.  He 
said he had doubts about the story of a simulated bombing run 
over two Hellenic Navy vessels.  He voiced the usual Turkish 
complaints about the GOG's excessive use of NOTAMs (Notices 
to Airman and Mariners), warning aircraft and ships away from 
close to 20 percent of the Aegean.  Occasionally, TUAF 
aircraft passed through these areas and that may have been 
what happened in the case of these ships.  These were troop 
carrying ships, he asserted, without the kind of radar that 
would permit the ships to discern the altitude of approaching 
aircraft.  They may have just been flying low and startled 
the ships' crews, he suggested.  He accepted POLMILCOUNS' 
observation that other Greek radar in the area could have 
documented the altitude and flight path of the fighters. 
 
12. (C/NF) Sislioglu confided that when the Greeks first 
protested to the GOT on Oct. 20, many senior Turkish military 
officer became angry.  Since the Turkish activity was seen as 
routine, they suspected Athens was trying to make trouble. 
MFA officials worked to calm them down.  Repeatedly stressing 
the confidentiality of this information, Sislioglu (please 
protect) said that MFA succeeded and that earlier Oct. 28 TGS 
Chief General Ozkok signed an order to the Air Force, Navy 
and Coast Guard that they should exercise restraint in their 
Aegean operations in the run-up to the EU decision in 
December.  To ensure they understood the message, Sislioglu 
said he called the Navy to explain that there should be no 
more patrols sent to the western side of Imia/Kardak in 2004. 
 While POLMILCOUNS was with Sislioglu, the Turkish Navy's 
confirmation of receipt of the order arrived.  POLMILCOUNS 
told Sislioglu that was the right reaction and expressed 
appreciation for efforts to calm the situation. 
 
Comment: Turks Have Done Their Part 
----------------------------------- 
 
13. (C) Comment: Assuming a confirmatory NATO RAP (Recognized 
Air Picture), the data from the Turks suggest that the Turks 
have generally maintained a lower level of air activity 
throughout 2004, especially during the summer months.  From 
Oct. 1 through Oct. 27 of 2004, the Turks flew 206 sorties, a 
reasonable number given that they flew 393 in October 2003. 
2003 sorties overall averaged 389 (the monthly average for 
January-August 2004 was 198).  The "tension" over flights in 
the Aegean is a recurring theme.  The Turks have certainly 
gotten the message from us that they should not be 
confrontational on this issue; we expect this chapter in the 
Aegean saga should be closed, for now. 
 
14. (C) That said, it appears that overall progress on 
settling the Aegean issue is stalled.  The Turks told us a 
month ago that the Greeks are not ready to conclude a 
comprehensive agreement, and that the senior Greek negotiator 
was backpedaling on items the Turks thought were settled (ref 
b).  We continue to have an interest in seeing the issues 
settled with clear rights for international passage (air and 
sea) and an end to cyclical tensions.  Perhaps the Dec. 17 EU 
summit decisions will yield an environment conducive to 
progress. 
EDELMAN