US embassy cable - 04ANKARA6261

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 006261 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/04/2029 
TAGS: KNNP, MNUC, PARM, PREL, ETTC, TU 
SUBJECT: TURKEY DECLINES INVITATION TO AUSTRALIAN PSI 
MEETING 
 
REF: A. ANKARA 5380 
     B. ANKARA 5015 
     C. STATE 188228 
 
Classified By: PolMil Counselor Timothy A. Betts.  Reasons 1.4 (b) and 
(d). 
 
1. (C) MFA Disarmament and Arms Control Deputy DG Haluk 
Ilicak told the Australian Embassy on November 2 that Turkey 
would not participate in the PSI Intelligence Break-out 
Session of the Operational Experts Group that is scheduled to 
occur in Sydney Nov.30-Dec.2, according to Australian DCM 
Derek Brown.  Brown told PolMilCouns on Nov.3 that Ilicak had 
informed the Australians that Turkey would not participate in 
PSI activities outside of neighboring regions (e.g., Europe, 
Middle East, Caucasus) until either Turkey was accepted into 
the PSI Core Group or the Core Group ceased to exist.  The 
Australians suggested that the Turks send an observer from 
their Embassy in Canberra, but Ilicak replied that sending 
anyone other than qualified experts would be a waste of time 
for not only the Turks, but also the Australian hosts. 
 
2. (C) Comment: Ilicak's reported comments are consistent 
with what he told us after hearing that the USG would not 
support Turkish membership in the PSI Core Group (reftels). 
While a Turkish defense attache reportedly observed the PSI 
exercise last month in Japan, our experience with Turkish 
observers--as opposed to real experts from Ankara--at 
previous expert group meetings suggests Ilicak's reasoning is 
sound--they contributed nothing to the meetings and created 
confusion in Ankara with their reports on issues they did not 
understand.  End Comment. 
 
EDELMAN