US embassy cable - 03ANKARA2709

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EXBS: TURKS REJECT AGREEMENT ARTICLES: NEXT STEPS

Identifier: 03ANKARA2709
Wikileaks: View 03ANKARA2709 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Ankara
Created: 2003-04-25 14:39:00
Classification: CONFIDENTIAL
Tags: ETTC KSTC PARM PREL TU
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 002709 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR NP/KATHY CROUCH 
ENERGY FOR SLD 
USCS/INA FOR DHARRELL 
ROME FOR CUSTOMS ATTACHE 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/25/2013 
TAGS: ETTC, KSTC, PARM, PREL, TU 
SUBJECT: EXBS: TURKS REJECT AGREEMENT ARTICLES: NEXT STEPS 
 
 
REF: A. ANKARA 2374 
     B. STATE 29502 
 
 
 (U)  Classified by Political-Military Counselor Stuart 
Brown.  Reasons 1.5 (b) and (d). 
 
 
1.  (U)  This is an action request.  Please see para 3. 
 
 
2.  (C)  Polmiloff on April 25 spoke with MFA/Disarmament 
Second Secretary Aykut Kumbaroglu to inquire if there had 
been any further movement on Turkey's objection to three 
articles of our proposed Export Control and Related Border 
Security Assistance (EXBS) Program agreement (ref a). 
Kumbaroglu informed us that Turkey's position was firm in 
that the articles are not in conformity with Turkish 
legislation. Polmiloff then asked if the GOT could suggest 
acceptable alternative language. He replied that such an 
exercise was futile as the entirety of the three articles 
were problematic and could not be fixed by wordsmithing the 
language.  He then went on to say the MFA assumed the 
Agreement was a "template" one presented by the USG to 
several governments with no negotiating process or 
country-specific considerations.  Thus, no regard had been 
given to Turkey's specific legislative obstacles.  He 
proposed once again that Turkey and the US continue to 
cooperate with "purpose-oriented projects" without an 
extensive, overarching agreement.  Polmiloff informed 
Kumbaroglu that the Department's position is that further 
equipment installation and other EXBS program projects cannot 
go forward absent the GOT's signing the proposed agreement. 
Polmiloff asked Kumbaroglu to convey this information to his 
Department Head. 
 
 
3.  (C)  Action Request:  Post requests the Department's 
guidance on next steps.  It would seem that we need either 
bilateral negotiations with the GOT to overcome Turkey's 
specific legislative obstacles or we need to consider the GOT 
recommendation to proceed on a project-by-project basis, 
short of an overarching EXBS agreement.  Please advise. 
PEARSON 

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