US embassy cable - 04ANKARA6442

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 006442 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/18/2029 
TAGS: PREL, MOPS, MARR, TU, GR 
SUBJECT: AEGEAN: TURKS ASSERT THAT THEY ARE DOING "NOTHING 
ABNORMAL" 
 
REF: A. ANKARA 6209 
 
     B. ATHENS 4096 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Eric S. Edelman.  Reason 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) Summary:  The Ambassador raised Greek complaints about 
territorial air space violations by Turkish aircraft with TGS 
DCHOD GEN Ilker Basbug and MFA U/S Ali Tuygan on November 18. 
 They both said that they understood the need for restraint, 
asserting that they were doing "nothing abnormal."   They 
both were annoyed by the Greek complaints.  Basbug implied 
that he believed the Greeks were attempting to use the EU 
process to ratchet down Turkish ability to fly in the Aegean. 
 Tuygan surmised that the Greeks were returning to "an old 
pattern of behavior," rebuffing every Turkish overture.  End 
Summary. 
 
2. (C) The Ambassador raised Aegean flights with GEN Basbug 
November 18 on the margins of a meeting with visiting DSCA 
Director Lt.Gen. Kohler.  Basbug remained calm but was 
clearly bristling by the time the Ambassador finished with 
his presentation on the need for restraint in the Aegean. 
Basbug responded that he understood the point.  Nothing had 
changed since the Ambassador and he had last discussed this 
issue (ref A).  The Turks were doing "nothing abnormal" in 
their flight patterns in the Aegean, he said.  Their levels 
were down and explicit orders had been given to avoid 
trouble.  This issue was being manipulated by the Greeks for 
reasons he could not understand (although he went on to imply 
that the Greeks were attempting to ratchet down Turkish 
ability to fly in the Aegean via the EU process).  The Greeks 
had sent a note to SHAPE on this that was not only filled 
with falsehoods but was insulting in its tone.  It allegedly 
says that "all NATO nations with the notable exception of one 
- Turkey - had assisted Greece with Olympic Security." 
Basbug noted that "they said this knowing everything we did" 
to help with the Olympics. 
 
3. (C) Later November 18, the Ambassador raised the same 
issue with Tuygan.  Tuygan said that "the Greeks, 
unfortunately and regrettably, are returning to an old 
pattern of behavior on this issue."  The Turks, he noted, had 
briefed us in detail on the various efforts they had been 
making on both the maritime and aviation issues via the 
Ziyal-Skopelitis channel and the Ilkin-Apakan efforts. 
Unfortunately the Greeks had said no to everything the Turks 
had offered but still seemed to want to make an issue. 
 
4. (C) Tuygan said that the Greeks were attempting to use the 
run up to December 17 to "make mischief on this issue and 
perhaps others as well."  The GOT, he said, recognized that 
they should not give any pretext to the Greeks in this regard 
and was intent on not doing so.  As both MFA and TGS had told 
us previously the requisite orders had been issued.  That 
being said, Tuygan observed that "if the Greeks are intent on 
making this an issue there is not much we can do about it. 
For instance, he noted, when the Turkish Charge was recently 
summoned to the MFA in Athens to receive a "'strong 
demarche'" on the subject, it was being carried on wire 
service reports before he arrived at the Ministry.  How are 
we suppose to manage that?" he asked. 
 
EDELMAN