US embassy cable - 05ANKARA2039

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 002039 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/08/2010 
TAGS: PARM, PREL, TU 
SUBJECT: PSI: TURKEY'S FEEDBACK ON RECENT OPERATIONAL 
EXPERT GROUP MEETING 
 
 
Classified By: Pol-Mil Counselor Timothy Betts, reason 1.4 b/d. 
 
1. (C) Summary:  Turkish officials at both TGS and MFA have 
given us positive reviews of the recent PSI Operational 
Experts Group (OEG) meeting in Omaha.  Turkey plans to host 
an air/ground/sea exercise in May 2006.  TGS claims it now 
has the lead on PSI, but we have not heard this elsewhere. 
Therefore, until the Turks work this out, we will need to 
stay in contact with both MFA and TGS.  End Summary. 
 
2.  (U) Pol/Mil Counselor and EXBS Advisor met on April 6 
with BG Haldun Solmazturk, Department of Disarmament and 
International Security, Turkish General Staff Headquarters 
who served as head of the Turkish delegation during the 
recent PSI OEG meeting in Omaha, Nebraska.  Solmazturk said 
that he was very impressed with the coordination and 
information exchanged during the experts meetings. The 
meeting cleared up the last questions the Turks had about the 
initiative.  Ankara is now fully committed to PSI. 
 
3.  (U) Solmazturk informed EmbOffs that, while Turkey did 
offer assets for the upcoming Spanish PSI exercise, the 
current exercise scenario does not require their 
participation.  Although Turkey now will not be actively 
participating in either the Portuguese or Spanish led PSI 
field exercises this spring, they do intend to send observer 
teams to both and to participate in the table-top command 
post component of the Spanish exercise. 
 
4.  (SBU) Solmazturk stated that Turkey committed in Omaha to 
hosting a PSI exercise in May 2006.  This exercise will be a 
multi-mission exercise focusing on coordinating activities 
between land, sea, air, intelligence and command and control. 
 Solmazturk believes that this would be an excellent way to 
test the passing of information from the various activities, 
while also displaying the need for close coordination between 
the forces involved.  He also intends to include a media day 
to raise the awareness of activities to stem the flow of 
illegal items in Turkey.  Solmazturk has instructed his staff 
to have the ground work completed on this exercise for 
presentation at the next OEG meeting in Denmark in July. 
This timetable has the added advantage of completing initial 
work on the exercise before the August TGS transfer season 
when he and members of his staff might be reassigned. 
 
5.  (C) Solmazturk informed EmbOffs his office will now serve 
as the focal point for Turkish activities. (Comment: If true, 
this is a change from the past when MFA was the lead contact 
and could increase the level of active participation by 
Turkey in PSI activities.) 
 
6.  (C) During an equally positive but less detailed 
discussion of the Omaha OEG meeting with Pol/Mil Counselor, 
MFA officials did not/not say TGS would now have the lead. 
They reiterated concern about Turkey's lack of membership in 
the Core Group and their hope that either Turkey will be 
included in the Core Group or the Core Group will be 
abolished soon.  Solmazturk said nothing about the Core Group. 
 
7.  (C) Comment:  TGS is clearly enthused about PSI, more so 
than MFA which has painful memories of the interagency 
struggle to win GOT participation in the initiative.  We will 
need to maintain communications with both until they reach a 
consensus on which agency has the lead.  End Comment. 
 
EDELMAN