US embassy cable - 05ATHENS643

C O N F I D E N T I A L ATHENS 000643 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/SE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/07/2015 
TAGS: PREL, MARR, GR, TU, CY, TURKEY 
SUBJECT: TURKISH AMBASSASDOR UPBEAT ON BUSY SCHEDULE OF 
GREECE-TURKEY CONTACTS 
 
REF: A. ATHENS 617 
 
     B. ANKARA 1103 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR CHARLES P. RIES FOR REASONS 1.4 (B/D) 
 
1.  (C)  As part of a broader effort to improve the tone of 
bilateral relations, Greece and Turkey are planning a busy 
season of high-level meetings, including visits to Ankara by 
the Greek Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, and Defense 
Minister, an optimistic Turkish Ambassador to Athens Tahsin 
Burcuoglu told Ambassador March 7.  Additionally, Burcuoglu 
said, PM Karamanlis would hold a bilateral meeting with his 
Turkish counterpart March 22 or 23 on the margins of an 
upcoming European People,s Party meeting (itself on the 
margins of the EU Council in Brussels).  Current plans called 
for FM Molyviatis to go to Turkey sometime in April, with a 
visit by MFA Secretary General George Gennimatas to advance 
the trip, if needed.  Assuming relations progressed as hoped, 
Molyviatis' visit would be followed by a trip by Defense 
Minister Spiliotopoulos later in the Spring and capped off by 
a visit to Ankara by PM Karamanlis by mid-year. 
 
2.  (C)  The two sides were working to put together a package 
of deliverables for the Molyviatis trip, Burcuoglu said, to 
include additional CBMs that go beyond those reached in 
February (ref B).  This would hopefully include, he said, 
Turkish ideas such as removing weapons from aircraft flying 
in disputed areas over the Aegean.  Turkey's job was to help 
Karamanlis change domestic perceptions of his 
administration's foreign policy as timid, Burcuoglu said. 
Molyviatis in particular was fighting an image of being 
unimaginative. 
 
3.  (C)  On a related topic, Burcuoglu said his government 
was urging Greece to find someone new to head its delegation 
in bilateral exploratory talks on Aegean issues.  The current 
Greek head delegate, Greek Ambassador to London Skopelitis, 
was too busy in his current position to devote adequate time 
to the Aegean talks.  Ankara's preferred replacement was MFA 
Secretary General Gennimatas. 
 
SIPDIS 
RIES