US embassy cable - 05ANKARA6324

UNCLAS ANKARA 006324 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPDC, PREL, SCUL, TU, BHUM, ETRC, UNESCO 
SUBJECT: TURKEY'S VIEW ON UNESCO CULTURAL DIVERSITY VOTE 
 
REF: A. STATE 170909 
     B. ANKARA 5531 
     C. STATE 184292 
     D. ANKARA 6311 
     E. STATE 192656 
 
1.  PolCouns delivered ref E demarche on UNESCO Cultural 
Diversity Vote to Ambassador Sule Soysal, Director General 
for Overseas Promotion and Cultural Affairs on October 19. 
PolCouns explained U.S. concerns regarding the restriction of 
trade and the free flow of ideas that may occur. 
 
2.  Soysal pledged to pass on our request to the Turkish 
delegates in Paris.  She personally did not believe that this 
convention was likely to prevent the free flow of ideas, and 
wondered out loud why the U.S. had voted against a relatively 
mild amendment proposed by the Japanese to ensure compliance 
with the UNESCO framework. 
 
3.  Soysal asserted that Article 20, paragraph 2, which 
ensures that the convention will not interfere with members' 
pre-existing international treaty obligations, likely 
responds to U.S. concerns. 
 
4. The EU, said Soysal, expects a candidate country to vote 
along the same lines as it does.  Should another EU member 
country issue a statement expressing understanding that the 
convention will not be used to restrict trade or the free 
flow of information, Soysal asserted that Turkey might be 
able to follow suit. 
MCELDOWNEY