US embassy cable - 05ANKARA3340

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 003340 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/13/2015 
TAGS: PREL, TU, AM 
SUBJECT: TURKEY-ARMENIA RELATIONS:  PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE 
CONTACTS CONTINUE BUT SO DOES OFFICIAL STALEMATE 
 
(U) Classified by Political Counselor John Kunstadter, E.O. 
12958, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) Summary:  Despite recent high-profile 
people-to-people contacts between Turkey and Armenia 
involving journalists, artists and a maverick Turkish 
parliamentarian, official relations remain stalemated.  End 
Summary. 
 
MFA:  Armenia at Fault for No Warsaw Meeting 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
2.  (C) MFA Caucasus DDG Karslioglu blames President 
Kocharian for the failure of Kocharian and PM Erdogan to meet 
bilaterally at the COE Warsaw Summit in May.  Kocharian's 
statements in Warsaw about the Armenian genocide infuriated 
Erdogan and the Armenians should "blame themselves" that the 
meeting failed to materialize. 
 
3.  (C) Karslioglu brushed off any effect on bilateral 
relations caused by cancellation of a June alternate-view 
academic conference in Istanbul on the Armenian tragedy as 
"none of their (the GOAM's) business." 
 
MFA Says GOT Encouraging Bilateral Contacts 
------------------------------------------- 
 
4.  (C) Karslioglu claims Turkey is open to improved 
relations.  Despite the fact that GOT spokesman and Justice 
Minister Cicek accused the Istanbul conference organizers of 
"stabbing Turkey in the back," Karslioglu asserted that the 
GOT is "encouraging" the conference to go ahead.  Karslioglu 
said he spoke to maverick AKP parliamentarian Turhan Comez, 
who is currently visiting Armenia, and encouraged him to go 
ahead with his trip.  Karslioglu claimed Comez is going on 
the trip in his own capacity, not as a go-between for the 
GOT, nor is Comez carrying any message from the GOT. 
 
5.  (C) Karslioglu said the GOT likewise encouraged the 
current visit to Turkey of a group of approximately 20 
Armenian journalists as guests of two Turkish media NGOs. 
According to press reports, the group met with Turkish 
journalists in Istanbul on June 11.  The group is scheduled 
to meet with the Armenian Patriarch and travel to three other 
cities, including Ankara. 
 
6.  (C) Karslioglu added that the GOT has also encouraged the 
visit of an Armenian ballet troupe, which will perform in 
Istanbul on June 13 and 14.  Turkish Rotarians are helping 
pay the troupe's expenses, he said.  Karslioglu  contrasted 
this with what he claimed was the GOAM's refusal to grant 
permission for a trip to Armenia by a Turkish folklore group 
from Kars. 
 
"Nothing Left on Turkey's Part to Be Done" 
----------------------------------------- 
 
7.  (C) Despite the people-to-people contacts, official 
relations remain stalemated.  Karslioglu confirms Turkey 
still conditions opening the border and formal diplomatic 
relations on Armenian concessions on occupied Azerbaijani 
territory. 
 
8.  (C) With all Turkey has done, it has "exhausted" its 
"road map" plan for improved bilateral relations, Karslioglu 
asserted:  "there is nothing left on Turkey's part to be 
done."  Asked about the status of proposals in the April 
exchange of letters between PM Erdogan and President 
Kocharian, Karslioglu replied archly that Kocharian's 
proposal is "under consideration."  He declined to predict 
what would happen to it:  "The Prime Minister is a 
politician.  Who knows?"  Karslioglu postured that Turkey's 
political leaders could get "sick" of what he portrayed as 
Armenia's failure to respond to Turkish overtures "and then 
Armenia will learn what a real blockade is." 
 
9.  (C) When we spoke to him in May, Karslioglu was initially 
mildly upbeat about talks in Vienna between MFA U/S Tuygan 
and his Armenian counterpart, pointing out this had upped 
bilateral dialogue to a higher level than before.  However, 
when we spoke to him June 10, Karslioglu noted there is still 
no date set for any future talks, adding, "things cannot get 
much worse." 
 
10.  (C) Comment:  Previous Turkish MFA interlocutors have 
told us that increased people-to-people contact will not 
erode Turkey's conditions for opening the border and 
establishing diplomatic relations.  This stance appears to be 
continuing.  The Comez visit is getting play in the centrist 
mainstream press, but in our long experience Comez has made 
similar high profile jaunts (e.g., Iraq, post-Tsunami 
Indonesia) for his own murky purposes and he has added no 
value to Turkey's foreign policy direction.  Ostracized by 
Erdogan and his circle, Comez has gravitated to Gul, who 
appears to use him as an anti-American stalking horse and in 
ways that put Erdogan on the defensive.  In addition, 
Karslioglu, who is reported by an MFA insider to be close to 
FonMin Gul and was put in his DDG position by Gul, has so far 
shown himself to be a dull place-holder.  End Comment. 
EDELMAN