US embassy cable - 05ANKARA2663

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 002663 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/06/2015 
TAGS: PREL, AM, TU 
SUBJECT: DAS KENNEDY URGES TURKEY TO SEIZE OPPORTUNITY FOR 
DIALOGUE WITH ARMENIA 
 
(U)  Classified by Ambassador Eric Edelman, E.O. 12958, 
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) Summary:  During her May 2-3 visit to Turkey, DAS 
Kennedy urged Turkish MFA officials, National Security 
Council Secretary General Alpogan, and parliamentarians to 
seize the opportunity for dialogue presented by the exchange 
of letters between PM Erdogan and President Kocharian.  MFA 
Caucasus/Central Asia DG Akinci characterized Kocharian's 
letter as non-responsive and repeated the standard MFA 
position that Armenia had to first make concessions on 
occupied Azeri territory and explicitly recognize the Kars 
Treaty borders between Turkey and Armenia.  Alpogan, and to 
some extent MFA U/S Tuygan, appeared open to a more 
constructive response.  Alpogan suggested that Kocharian's 
intergovernmental dialogue proposal could encompass 
simultaneous discussions of history, diplomatic relations and 
border questions.  End Summary. 
 
DAS Kennedy:  Seize the Opportunity 
----------------------------------- 
 
2.  (U) With her official interlocutors, as well as during a 
roundtable with parliamentarians and a press conference, 
DAS Kennedy urged Turkey to use the letter exchange between 
PM Erdogan and President Kocharian as an opportunity to 
resume bilateral dialogue.  She noted that President Bush's 
April 24 statement had favorably mentioned the PM's 
proposal for a joint historical study.  She pointed out that 
the current bilateral impasse and various recent 
international pronouncements on Armenian genocide have put 
Turkey on the defensive. 
 
MFA DG Akinci:  Kocharian Letter Not Responsive 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
3.  (C) Akinci speculated that FM Oskanian was the real 
author of President Kocharian's April 25 reply to PM 
Erdogan's letter.  Akinci said the April 25 letter "does not 
respond to our demands."  Akinci claimed the GOAM is behind 
genocide resolutions in countries like Poland and Slovakia. 
He defended Ottoman treatment of Armenians in 
1915 and gave DAS Kennedy a dossier containing the texts of 
the Erdogan and Kocharian letters, and related press 
stories. (Note:  The press stories all suggested Erdogan,s 
interest in pursuing rapprochement with Armenia.  The dossier 
suggested either that 1) the MFA itself relied on press 
reporting to divine Erdogan,s intentions or 2) deliberately 
wanted to underline Erdogan,s positive inclinations toward 
Armenia.  End Note) 
 
4.  (C) Akinci said the GOAM has never directly told the  GOT 
that it recognizes the Kars Treaty borders.  Kennedy 
noted the U.S. has raised this several times with the 
Armenians and they acknowledged the current borders. Most 
recently, the new Armenian Ambassador in Washington had noted 
to her a public statement in which FM Oskanian had publicly 
referred to the borders defined by the 1921 Kars Treaty. 
Caucasus Department Head Adali said that during eight rounds 
of negotiations, his Armenian counterparts said they 
recognize the Turkish border, but said they cannot explicitly 
accept the Kars Treaty because they do not want to compromise 
their claims in other territorial 
disputes. 
 
5.  (C) Akinci emphasized measures Turkey has taken to ease 
bilateral relations and scoffed at the notion that Turkey is 
"blockading" Armenia.  He argued that 40,000 Armenians are 
working illegally in Turkey, there is open bilateral trade 
via Georgia, and there are five weekly charter flights 
between the two countries.  "Perhaps these measures would be 
appreciated more if they were reversed; we could always 
deport them" he added. 
 
6.  (C) Kennedy told Akinci the USG role is not to take 
sides on genocide claims and counterclaims, but to 
encourage bilateral rapprochement.  Noting recent genocide 
resolutions in Poland, she told Akinci the GOT 
should find a way to get out ahead on relations with Armenia, 
otherwise it will be constantly on the defensive. 
The USG is pleased at the GOT's statement that it is 
positively evaluating Kocharian letter.  Kennedy noted the 
Armenian proposal for an intergovernmental commission and 
strongly suggested the GOT find a way to build on it.  She 
urged that Turkey be as positive as possible in its reply to 
Kocharian. 
 
7.  (C) Akinci twice recalled that the Turkish/Armenian 
border had been closed due to Armenian attacks on 
Azerbaijan and added that "they must give us a reason" to 
re-open it.  Azerbaijan is "as Turkish as Turkey, and it is 
impossible to separate these issues.  If they make one 
gesture on this, we will respond," he said, "but they have 
not made one gesture." Kennedy replied that this will come 
through successful OSCE negotiations between Armenia and 
Azerbaijan; Turkey should not hold its dialogue with Armenia 
hostage to the Armenia/Azerbaijan dispute.  She again urged 
Akinci to think seriously about how to respond to the 
Kocharian letter.  Akinci said the GOT has not rejected the 
letter, but Armenia needs to make a gesture on occupied Azeri 
territory. Kennedy noted that the N-K Minsk negotiations were 
tackling this difficult set of issues and were at the best 
stage since the Key West process.  Ambassador Mann is deeply 
involved in this effort and will be glad to brief Turkey on 
progress. 
 
More Positive Approach by NSC's Alpogan, MFA U/S Tuygan 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
8.  (C) In contrast to Akinci, Alpogan appeared to understand 
and accept the opportunity the exchange of 
letters presents.  Alpogan told Kennedy he would recommend 
accepting Kocharian's proposal for an intergovernmental 
dialogue, perhaps with separate subcommittees dealing with 
history, bilateral relations and border issues.  Alpogan 
expressed optimism that Turkey could work more easily with 
the GOAM than with the Armenian diaspora.  Kennedy urged him 
to pursue this course and confirmed GOAM,s strong interest 
in moving ahead with Turkey rather than having its national 
security subordinated to the varying diaspora agenda.  (Note: 
 New U.S. Armenian Ambassador to the U.S. called on Kennedy 
prior to her visit to Ankara to underscore this point.  If 
Armenia could secure a diplomatic breakthrough with Turkey it 
would shelve its genocide campaign, he claimed.) 
 
9.  (C) MFA U/S Tuygan told Kennedy it was important to 
prevent an Armenian genocide resolution in the U.S. 
Congress.  Kennedy replied that the U.S. Administration 
opposes any such resolution as unhelpful to the ability of 
the two sides to focus on rapprochement now, not on what 
happened in the past.  She urged Tuygan to seize the 
opportunity the letter exchange presents and focus on 
bilateral dialogue.  She noted that rapprochement would 
also be a positive in Turkey's relations with the EU.  Tuygan 
acknowledged the point and said Turkey's EU relations should 
not be clouded by extraneous issues like this. 
 
10. (C) Comment:  Alpogan,s more positive and bold vision on 
this issue (as well as Cyprus - septel) underscore the value 
of a high-level reception in Washington when he visits in 
June.  End Comment. 
 
11. (U) DAS Kennedy cleared this cable. 
EDELMAN