US embassy cable - 03ANKARA3463

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 003463 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/27/2013 
TAGS: MARR, MOPS, PREL, TU 
SUBJECT: TURKS FIRM IN THEIR SUPPORT FOR "OPTION TWO" FOR 
NATO COMMAND RESTRUCTURING 
 
REF: ATHENS 01723 
 
 
1. (U) Classified by Political-Military Counselor Stuart 
Brown.  Reasons 1.5 (b) and (d). 
 
 
2. (C) Polmiloff met with Fatih Ceylan, Head of the MFA NATO 
and Euro-Atlantic Defense and Security Affairs Department, on 
May 22 on the subject of NATO command restructuring. Ceylan 
said that Turkey would be ready to approve the restructuring 
plan at the NATO Ministerial in June if "Option Two" is the 
plan being considered. "Option Two" allots an air component 
command to Turkey (Izmir). Ceylan noted that the GOT has 
always been opposed to a concentration of headquarters in any 
one country, particularly now that the primary security 
threats are asymmetrical in nature. 
 
 
3. (C) Ceylan said the GOT understood that there was a 
"gentlemen,s agreement" among Spain, Italy, Greece and 
Turkey at the US-hosted Senior Officials Group (SOG) to 
support "Option Two." However, Spain and Greece subsequently 
emerged with demands for additional NATO facilities. Spain 
insists on hosting a Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) in 
addition to a land headquarters, and Greece wants another 
entity, preferably NAVSOUTH, in addition to a CAOC. Ceylan 
stressed that the MFA will not accept any plan that deviates 
from "Option Two." 
 
 
4. (C) Embassy Ankara understands that the details of "Option 
Two" are as follows: 
 
 
      - SHAPE in Mons, BE; 
- Joint Force Commands in Brunssum, NL and Naples, IT; Third 
Joint HQ in Lisbon, PO; 
      - Land Component Commands in Heidelberg, GE and Madrid, 
SP; 
      - Air Component Commands in Ramstein, GE and Izmir, TU; 
- Maritime Component Commands in Northwood, UK and Naples, IT; 
- CAOCs in Finderup, DA and Larissa, GR with co-located 
CAOCs/Deployable CAOCs in Uedem, GE and Poggio Renatico, 
  IT. 
 
 
 
 
PEARSON