US embassy cable - 04ANKARA6443

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 006443 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/17/2014 
TAGS: GR, MOPS, PREL, TU 
SUBJECT: DAS KENNEDY DISCUSSES AEGEAN ISSUES WITH TURKISH 
MFA DEPUTY U/S ILKIN 
 
REF: A. ANKARA 6209 
     B. ANKARA 6134 
 
Classified by DCM Robert Deutsch, E.O. 12958, reasons 1.4 (b) 
and (d). 
 
1.  (S) Summary:  DAS Laura Kennedy and Embassy Ankara DCM 
discussed the latest round of Turkish/Greek Aegean 
negotiations on November 12 with Turkish MFA Deputy U/S Baki 
Ilkin.  Ilkin gave a readout of the status of Turkish/Greek 
negotiations on the Aegean, having just returned from Athens. 
 Ilkin detailed a number of Turkish proposals designed to 
ease tensions over Aegean military flights.  He said the 
Greeks rejected all of them.  DAS Kennedy and DCM said both 
sides should exercise maximum restraint and keep working on 
Aegean confidence building measures.  End Summary. 
 
FIR Issues 
---------- 
 
2.  (S) Deputy U/S Ilkin (this was his last day in that 
capacity; he will become Turkey's PermRep at the UN) had just 
returned from Turkish/Greek Aegean negotiations in Athens. 
(Note:  He asked us not to pass on this readout to anyone 
else, particularly the Greeks.  End Note.)  He reviewed the 
history of the Greek Flight Information Region (FIR), which 
he said is an administrative demarcation, not a demarcation 
of sovereignty.  Nevertheless, the Greeks can and do monitor 
and intercept Turkish military flights in the FIR. 
 
3.  (S) Ilkin said Turkey wants to resolve Flight Information 
Region (FIR) and airspace issues together with all other 
Aegean issues.  The Greeks want to keep the two separate 
because, he asserted, they believe they will lose if the FIR 
issue goes to the International Court of Justice.  The term 
the Greeks use for Turkey's supposed violations -- "FIR 
infringement by military aircraft" -- is not a term 
recognized in international aviation law. 
 
Turks Return to Normal Sorties After Unilateral Reduction 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
4.  (S) Ilkin reiterated that Turkey unilaterally decreased 
military flights for the Olympics and Special Olympics in 
Athens.  After the Olympics, Turkey returned to normal 
levels.  According to Ilkin, Greece flies five times the 
number of Aegean sorties Turkey flies.  The Greeks, he 
insisted, want to keep Turkish military flights at Olympic 
levels. 
 
Turks Claim Greeks Reject Proposals 
----------------------------------- 
 
5.  (S) Ilkin detailed measures the Turkish military had 
taken to try to avoid incidents: 
 
-- The Turkish military began filing flights with NATO for 
the FIR two years ago.  However, the Greeks are demanding 
specific overflight requests with even more details, 
including the coordinates of entry points. 
 
-- Turkish planes had unilaterally stopped carrying arms in 
the hope the Greeks would do the same.  The Greeks continued 
to fly armed, and the Turks have returned to flying armed 
from time to time. 
 
--  The Turks activate friend/foe identification systems when 
they are in the FIR, although the Greeks refuse to do so. 
 
-- Since last year, the Turks proposed mutual reduction in 
the number of sorties; the Greeks repeatedly rejected the 
idea. 
 
-- The Turks proposed that in-air recognition procedures 
become more "discrete", i.e., limiting the distances and 
altitudes within which planes may approach each other, and 
limiting the duration of recognition procedures; the Greeks 
rejected that as well.  Ilkin was especially worried that 
"close" recognition procedures could lead to incidents. 
 
-- On this trip, Ilkin proposed direct communication between 
Turkish and Greek air operations centers any time either side 
has questions; the Greeks said they would consider the idea. 
Ilkin thinks this would be the best way to avoid incidents. 
He expressed frustration that Aegean issues had recently been 
"aired" in the media instead of between the two sides. 
 
6.  (C) Both DAS Kennedy and DCM told Ilkin the U.S. wants 
both sides to exercise maximum restraint in the Aegean; Ilkin 
replied that is why he had gone to Athens.  Kennedy urged 
Ilkin to keep working with the Greeks on confidence building 
measures.  She agreed that contact between operations centers 
would be a good safety valve. 
 
7.  (C) Comment:  We understand Greece has approached the EU 
Presidency to seek inclusion of Aegean issues in the December 
17 EU decision on Turkey's candidacy.  The 1999 Helsinki 
Conclusions urged candidate states to bring international 
border disputes and related issues to the International Court 
of Justice.  That should remain the mantra for Aegean issues. 
 If the GoG believes Turkish air activity in the Aegean 
violates interational law but continues to reject proposals 
to minimize tensions, we should urge them to take their case 
to court.  End Comment. 
EDELMAN