VZCZCXYZ0001
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAK #1997/01 3231405
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 181405Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8043
INFO RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS PRIORITY 9318
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA PRIORITY 6711
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL PRIORITY 5034
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 001997 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/17/2018 
TAGS: EWWT ENRG CY GR TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY WILL HANDLE TWO EASTERN MED MARITIME 
INCIDENTS VIA DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS 
 
REF: A. ANKARA 1986 
     ¶B. ANKARA 1810 
 
Classified By: CHARGE DOUG SILLIMAN FOR REASONS 1.4 B AND D 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  Charge and Econ Counselor met November 17 
with MFA Deputy Undersecretary Haydar Berk to discuss two 
maritime incidents that occurred in the eastern Mediterranean 
on November 14 and 15 in waters that Turkey claims as part of 
its continental shelf (reftel B).  The first started midday 
November 14 southwest of Cyprus when a Turkish naval vessel 
encountered two seismic ships chartered by a Norwegian 
company.  The MFA protested to the Norwegian Ambassador. 
Berk said he later received a message that the ship "made a 
mistake."  Berk argued that the ROC was engaging in "sheer 
provocation" by contracting 
for seismic work in areas known to be disputed and that 
Christofias was damaging the chances of success in current 
Cyprus negotiations.  The second incident began later 
November 14 when the Greek Charge notified Turkey that the 
GOG would not allow a Norwegian vessel chartered by Turkish 
state oil company TPAO to conduct geophysical research in an 
area claimed by both Greece and Turkey.  On November 15, Berk 
claimed that a Greek naval vessel approached within 50 meters 
of the Norwegian vessel and threatened to sink it.  Charge 
urged the GOT to exercise utmost restraint and caution and 
not to engage in any action that could be seen as aggressive 
in responding to these maritime incidents.  Berk responded 
that the GOT intends to use only diplomacy to deal with both 
incidents.  End summary. 
 
The Turkish - Cypriot Incident 
------------------------------ 
 
¶2. (C) Berk said the first incident began around noon on 
November 14, when a Turkish naval vessel returning from 
UNIFIL chanced upon two Norwegian-flagged vessels conducting 
oil exploration work in an area south and west of Cyprus, in 
an area Turkey claims as part of its continental shelf (see 
reftel B).  Berk said there was no confrontation or threat 
made by the Turkish vessel, which, he believed, had only 
radioed to the ships to notify them that they were exploring 
in  Turkish waters. 
 
¶3. (C) The vessels are owned by Seabird Exploration, a 
Norwegian - Cypriot company, and flagged in Panama and Sierra 
Leone.  They were chartered by PGS, a Norwegian - US company 
that the GOT had previously contacted when it was bidding on 
GOC exploration contracts Berk said he called in the 
Norwegian ambassador on November 14, and she said she would 
notify the company of GOT concerns.  Berk said he later 
received a message that the ship "made a mistake and would be 
more careful in the future."  The Turkish naval vessel 
continued on its voyage back to Turkey. (The GOT also 
expressed concerns about PGS's seismic work to Ambassador 
Wilson on November 14, see reftel A). 
 
¶4. (C) Berk said he also contacted Turkish Republic of 
Northern Cyprus president Talat about the incident.  He said 
that Talat called GOC President Christofias to express both 
Turkish Cypriot and Turkish concern about the exploration, 
but Christofias dismissed those concerns.  The ships were 
working in areas to the south of Cyprus where Turkey claims 
an indirect interest on behalf of Turkish Cyriots, but had 
also crossed over into waters southwest of Cyprus that Turkey 
claims as part of its continental shelf.  This seismic work 
was "pure provocation" by the ROC, and did not contribute to 
the Cyprus settlement process.  Berk noted that under the 
Annan Plan, all maritime claims were left to negotiation 
after a settlement of the island's division, and that Turkey 
continues to maintain this view. 
 
The Greek - Turkish Incident 
--------------------------- 
 
¶5. (C) the second incident began around 1800 on November 14, 
when the Greek Charge notified MFA that the GOG would not 
allow a Norwegian ship, the M/V Maelen Ostervold, chartered 
by Turkish state oil company TPAO, to conduct geophysical 
research work in waters claimed by both Greece and Turkey. 
Berk said he called the Greek Charge on November 15, and 
informed him that the GOT did not recognize the Greek claim 
(apparently based on a continental shelf extending out from 
the small Greek island of Meis just off 
the coast of Turkey). 
 
¶6. (C) Later on November 15, a Greek naval vessel, T-61 
Polimetis, approached within 50 meters of the Norwegian 
vessel and, according to Berk, threatened to sink it.  The 
 
vessel radioed a report, and the Turkish navy dispatched a 
Turkish frigate, Getis, to protect the civilian ship.  Berk 
said the Greek 
harassment of the Norwegian ship began at a point 35 miles 
south of Kas on the Turkish coast, and continued to a point 
95 miles south, despite the presence of the Turkish frigate. 
 
¶7.  (C) Berk said MFA took control of the incident to avoid 
escalation and made "hundreds" of phone calls on November 15 
and 16 to the Turkish General Staff, the Turkish Navy, the 
Greek Embassy and the Turkish Embassy in Athens.  MFA asked 
the Turkish frigate to pull back from the Norwegian ship to 
avoid a confrontation.  It did so, to 3.5 nautical miles, but 
reported that the Greek ship approached again.  Berk asked 
the Greek Charge November 15 to call the Greek ship back, and 
told him that diplomatic channels were open to resolve the 
dispute.  The Greek MFA called in the Turkish Charge in 
Athens on November 16 and told him that the GOG "did not want 
problems" with Turkey, but Berk said despite this assurance, 
the Greek warship continued to harass the Norwegian ship 
until midnight on November 16. 
 
Urging Restraint and Caution 
---------------------------- 
 
¶8. (C) Charge urged that the GOT exercise great restraint and 
caution in reacting to these sorts of maritime incidents, and 
that it avoid any actions that could be seen as aggressive. 
Berk said the GOT's emphasis on diplomacy was evident on 
November 15-16, when MFA took control of the incident and 
ordered the Turkish vessel to pull back despite continued 
harassment of the civilian vessel by the Greek warship. 
 
¶9. (C) Berk said the GOT was surprised by the Greek action, 
noting that there have been disputes in the past in the 
Aegean, but this is the first confrontation in the Eastern 
Mediterranean.  Despite the two incidents occurring in the 
same weekend, Berk said the GOT did not believe them to be 
related. 
 
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey 
 
SILLIMAN