US embassy cable - 05ANKARA5164

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 005164 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/02/2015 
TAGS: PREL, TU, IS, PK 
SUBJECT: TURKEY PROVIDES THE STAGE FOR HISTORIC 
ISRAEL-PAKISTAN MEETING 
 
 
(U) Classified by Political Counselor Janice G. Weiner, E.O. 
12958, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) Summary:  Istanbul was the scene of historic August 
31 - September 1 meetings between Israel FM Shalom and 
Pakistani FM Kasuri.  The Pakistanis contacted Turkish PM 
Erdogan for help in setting up the meeting; the Turks had no 
role in its political substance.  The GOI appreciates 
Turkey's role.  The Turkish MFA played no role in the meeting 
and MFA officials were notably out of the loop.  End Summary. 
 
Turkey's Logistical Role 
------------------------ 
 
2.  (C) According to Egemen Bagis, a member of parliament 
from PM Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), 
Pakistani PM Aziz called Erdogan August 23, informed him of 
the meeting, and asked Erdogan to help organize it.  Erdogan 
called Israel PM Sharon, who welcomed Turkish logistical 
assistance.  Bagis, whom both Shalom and Kasuri thanked for 
his help, told us Turkey's role was "just a broker."  Bagis 
himself organized transportation, lodgings and security. 
 
3.  (C) According to Bagis, Turkey had no role in the 
substance of the discussions, nor are there any plans for a 
Turkish role in future Israel/Pakistan contacts. 
 
4. (C) Turkey has long sought a role as a high-profile 
intermediary between Israel and the Palestinians; both sides 
have quietly ignored the offer.  However, Israeli First 
Secretary Bar-li Sa'ar told us the GOI appreciates Turkey's 
 
SIPDIS 
role in setting up this meeting; she praised Turkey's 
"discrete, trustworthy" management of the logistics. 
 
Media Reaction 
-------------- 
 
5.  (U) Most Turkish dailies gave prominent coverage to the 
meeting, highlighting Turkey,s role as a facilitator.  Press 
accounts of exactly how Prime Minister Erdogan contributed to 
the process, however, diverged widely.  Popular daily 
"Milliyet" reported that Pakistani PM Musharraf had called 
Erdogan recently to seek his assistance in setting up the 
meeting in Istanbul.  Liberal daily "Radikal," however, 
claimed that the meeting was the result of Erdogan,s 
"two-year effort" to broker open diplomat contacts between 
Israel and Pakistan.  "Radikal" describes Erdogan,s role as 
that of a "mediator."  Notably, the Islamist-oriented, 
pro-government "Yeni Safak" failed to mention the meeting on 
today,s front page (as was done by all of its major 
competitors), instead relegating the meeting to a cursory 
two-paragraph summary on page 13. 
 
MFA Out of the Loop 
------------------- 
 
6. (C) According to Bar-li Sa'ar, MFA officials played no 
role in setting up the meeting and were notably not even 
informed it was happening.  Bar-li Sa'ar told us U/S Tuygan, 
the number two MFA official after FM Gul, was clearly not 
aware of the impending meeting when Israeli Ambassador Avivi, 
on his way to the meeting, spotted Tuygan August 31 in the 
Istanbul Airport.  When Bar-li Sa'ar called the semi-official 
Anatolia News Agency (AA) late on August 31 with a press 
release about the meeting, AA refused to print it because, 
according to its representative, the MFA denied the meeting 
had occurred.  Bar-li Sa'ar speculated this reflected the 
ongoing rivalry between PM Erdogan and FM Gul.  Avivi briefed 
the MFA this morning. 
MCELDOWNEY