US embassy cable - 05ANKARA1096

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001096 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PLEASE PASS TO EUR/SE. 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MASS, OVIP, TU 
SUBJECT: TGS J-5 STRATEGY CHIEF ACCEPTS APRIL JOINT STAFF 
TALKS AND OSD MEETINGS 
 
REF: A. DASD BRZEZINSKI OCT '04 LETTER TO MG ARSLAN 
 
     B. RADM LOREN'S JAN. 3 '05 LETTER TO MG ARSLAN 
 
1. Turkish General Staff J-5 Strategy and Force Planning 
Department Chief MG Cengiz Arslan submitted to post on Feb. 
29 official responses to the Oct. 2004 letter from Deputy 
Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD) Brzezinski inviting the 
general to visit Washington and to bring officers in his 
department for expert-level talks on the Department of 
Defense's capabilities-based planning program, and to the 
Jan. 3, 2005 letter from JCS Deputy Director for 
Political-Military Affairs Rear Admiral Loren extending an 
invitation to hold Joint Staff Talks in mid-April '05.  The 
letters of response confirm MG Arslan's agreement to hold 
Joint Staff Talks on April 12-13 and to hold meetings with 
DASD Brzezinski on the margins of those talks.  Additionally, 
General Arslan requests an opportunity to visit the US Joint 
Forces Command and the NATO Allied Command Transformation 
headquarters in Norfolk, VA.  Text of the letters are below. 
Originals will follow by mail. 
 
2. Begin Text of letter to RADM Loren: 
 
Donald P. LOREN 
Rear Admiral, USN 
Deputy Director for Politico-Military Affairs 
Europe, NATO, Russia, Africa 
 
Dear Admiral LOREN, 
 
     Thank you for your letter dated 3 January 2005. 
 
     Considering the developments that have taken place in 
January 2005 which included numerous high-level visits of the 
US officials, I was of the opinion that it was the right time 
to schedule a high-level meeting rather than Joint Staff 
Talks.  As you will remember, we previously suggested to 
schedule HLDG in April and JST later.  Our intention was to 
promote Turkish-US consultations. 
 
     I still believe this approach had a valid rationale 
regarding the urgency of some very crucial issues that needed 
to be discussed among us in the light of very important 
developments that were and still are taking place in our 
region, and effecting vital interest of both parties. 
 
     Now that the JST is scheduled to take place on 12-13 
April 2005, I also replied to Mr. BRZEZINSKI's October 2004 
letter, availing myself for an extended program in the US to 
include exchange of information on "capabilities-based" 
approach and a visit to US JFC and NATO ACT HQs. 
 
     I am looking forward to seeing you in Washington D.C. on 
the occasion of JST and discussing with you pertaining issues 
in detail as they deserve close attention. 
 
     Sincerely, 
 
     M. Cengiz ARSLAN 
     Major General 
     Head of TGS J-5 Strategy 
     and Force Planning Department 
 
End Text. 
 
3. Begin Text of letter to DASD Brzezinski: 
 
Ian BRZEZINSKI 
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense 
for Europe and NATO Policy 
 
Dear Mr. BRZEZINSKI, 
 
     Thank you very much for your comprehensive proposals 
covered in your October letter. 
 
     My answer to your kind letter was not easy since the 
broad nature of your comprehensive proposals needed staffing 
and a broad consideration, besides an event-driven busy 
schedule I had in the meantime.  Since then, developments 
ended up in a mutually agreed Joint Staff Talks, as you well 
know. 
 
     From the exchange of letter between my staff and the US 
Embassy in Ankara, I understand that your proposals might 
still be valid in the context of Joint Staff Talks (JST) to 
be held in Washington D.C. 12-13 April 2005. 
 
     If my understanding is right and if you are available, I 
will be delighted to discuss opportunities of extending my 
program in the US to find out more about Secretary of 
Defense's "capabilities-based" approach to military planning 
and his methodology for providing top-down strategic 
directive to DoD components for security cooperation.  I 
believe, taking the opportunity, I could also accommodate a 
visit to Norfolk/Virginia to observe activities at US JFC and 
NATO's ACT.  I am open to discuss scheduling these additional 
activities in both ends of the JST. 
 
     Once again, please accept my apologies for a late 
response and I am looking forward to hearing from you as a 
follow-up to your kind proposals in your October letter. 
 
     Sincerely, 
     M. Cengiz ARSLAN 
     Major General 
     Head of TGS J-5 Strategy 
     and Force Planning Department 
 
End Text. 
EDELMAN