US embassy cable - 02ANKARA8534

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 008534 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/22/2007 
TAGS: PREL, MARR, PHUM, TU 
SUBJECT: ARTICLE 98: GOT SAYS NEGOTIATIONS LIKELY EARLY IN 
2003 
 
 
REF: ANKARA 7591 AND PREVIOUS 
 
 
Classified by Acting Polcouns Nicholas S. Kass.  Reason: 
1.5(b)(d). 
 
 
1. (C) Feza Ozturk, head of the MFA International Political 
Organizations Department, told Poloff November 21 that the 
GOT would likely be prepared to negotiate an Article 98 
agreement with the USG following the December 12-13 EU Summit 
in Copenhagen.  Ozturk said the GOT is wary of raising the 
profile of the issue while the EU considers Turkey's 
membership application, emphasizing that the USG should 
not/not make any public comments before the Summit about the 
GOT's willingness to reach an agreement.  Ozturk said the MFA 
at the Undersecretary level had decided to support an Article 
98 agreement, and had sent a letter to the Turkish General 
Staff (TGS) seeking its support.  Ozturk said he would inform 
the Embassy of the TGS response, which he predicted would be 
favorable. 
 
 
2. (C) Poloff observed that an Article 98 agreement should 
not affect Turkey's EU bid, particularly because the EU FMs 
at the September 30 GAC had given a green light for EU 
members to reach bilateral Article 98 agreements with the 
U.S., under certain guidelines.  Ozturk said the issue had 
unfortunately been politicized by the press, which would 
interpret a pre-Summit Article 98 agreement by the GOT as a 
slight to the EU.  He said he was confident an agreement 
could be reached quickly after the Summit. 
PEARSON