VZCZCXYZ0019
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTH #0175/01 0371546
ZNY SSSSS ZZH (CCY AD29B1B5 MSI3892-695)
O 061546Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY ATHENS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3165
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFFWASHDC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIRITY

S E C R E T ATHENS 000175 
QOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
C O R R E C T E D COPY CAPTION 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/06/2019 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MASS MARR TU AF GR
SUBJECT: CHOD GRAPSAS ON TURKEY AND AEGEAN, AFGHANISTAN 
DEPLOYMENTS, AND PROCUREMENTSQ 
Classified By: Ambassador Daniel V. Speckhard for 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1.  (C) In a February 4 lunch at the Ambassador's reQence, 
the Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff, 
General of the Army Demitrios Grapsas, termed recent Turkish 
behavior in the Aegean "childish" and made clear that the 
perception of the Turkish threat drives Greek military 
procurement and organization.  The Ambassador emphasized the 
need for calm and restraint in response to perceived 
provocations; Grapsas said he sought to keep tensions low, 
but questioned recent Turkish actions in the Aegean.  On 
Afghanistan, he said the GOG was actively reviewing potential 
additional contributions and he hoped for a decision soon. 
Grapsas was accompanied by Brigadier General Alexandros 
Tsigaras, Director of the Defense Planning Directorate of the 
General Staff, and Executive Assistant Colonel Thomaidis. 
The Ambassador was accompanied by DATT, ODC Chief, 
A/Political Counselor, and Press Attache.  End Summary. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
Turkey - "No Trust and No Real Dialogue" 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (C) Grapsas said that Greece's defense procurement plans 
were predicated "threats in its neighborhood from immediate 
neighbors."  Turkey was a "security threat" to Greece.  This 
affects what Greece buys, how Greece organizes and deploys 
its forces, and whether Greece can make aditional forces 
available for peacekeeping missions.  Ambassador Speckhard 
said that the United States did not share Greece's assessment 
of the Turkish threat. 
 
¶3.  (C) Grapsas said that he was committed to "keeping 
tensions down," with Turkey, but that the Turks made this 
difficult.  He said the Turks were "acting like children" in 
the Aegean, displaying "patriotic exuberance."  Grapsas said 
he had sought to take the high road, by ignoring some of 
Turkey's behavior -- such as when Turkish authorities 
contacted the pilot of a helicopter taking him to the island 
of Agathonisi in December and informing him that he had 
violated Turkish airspace.  "We just continued on, and I went 
to the island without making this into an incident," Grapsas 
remarked, but he also intimated that the incident had rankled 
him.  The Ambassador emphasized the importance of keeping 
tensions low, and that General Grapsas could best protect the 
security of his country by acting with restraint in response 
to perceived provocations.  Grapsas responded that he and the 
Greek general staff were "mature, and we will act 
responsibly," but he added that "we also have some 
(unspecified) redlines, Q that there will be (unspecified) 
consequences for Turkey if they cross them." 
 
¶4.  (C) Grapsas said there was "no trust" between Greece and 
Turkey, stemming from "deep-rooted perceptions."  When asked 
Qout mil-to-mil contacts, Grapsas said he had good contacts 
with former Turkish CHOD Buyukanit.  However, he had not been 
able to established personal rapport with neQHOD Basbug, 
whom he characterized as aloof.  That said, Grapsas and 
Tsigaras affirmed that extensive contacts take place between 
the Greek and Turkish militaries.  Grapsas lamented, however, 
that these contacts did not have much impact, as the big 
issues dividing the two militaries were "national," and 
needed to be solved at the political level.  He added, "all 
we can do is try to create conditions for politicians to 
solve these problems," adding that in Turkey the politicians 
appeared to be unwilling to confront the Turkish military on 
this agenda. 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
Afghanistan:  Considering More Contributions 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (C) The Ambassador noted that Washington was considering 
how to advance stability in Afghanistan, adding that it would 
be a good time for Greece to make additional contributions as 
a symbol of the renewed strength in our relationship. 
Grapsas responded that he and his staff had been "looking at 
possibilities," and had met with Defense Minister Meimarakis 
the previous day on this subject.  He said that he hoped 
Greece would "soon decide" on additional contributions 
(although he gave no hints as to what these additional 
contributions might be), and he emphasized that he understood 
 
the need for a stronger international presence in 
Afghanistan. 
 
---------------------------------- 
Defense Procurement/Transformation 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (S/NF) Grapsas confirmed that it was likely that some 
significant defense procurements would be announced in the 
not-too-distant future.  These procurements were "the end of 
a multi-year process."  He noted that former Finance Minister 
Alagoskoufis had done a "good job" in exercising fiscal 
discipline over the process, adding that planning is in place 
forQuture multi-year payments for these procurements.  He 
also noted that the opposition was questioning the wisdom of 
major purchases in the context of the global economic crisis, 
but he affirmed that the governmenQould proceed with its 
plans -- highlighting Turkey's proximity to Greece as a 
factor in the need to conclude these purchases.  The 
Ambassador emphasized that a number of goQ U.S. companies 
would be bidding on these contracts.  The United States was 
not lobbying for a specific firm, but expected the process to 
be fair and transparent, and expected that price and quality 
should be the criteria.  The United States did not believe it 
was in Greece's interest or the Alliance's interest for 
political criteria to enter into the mix.  U.S. firms would 
be competitive if the criteria were the best equipment at the 
best price.  Grapsas noted that political criteria were also 
relevant for policy-makers, later noting, " did not favor 
purchase of the (Russian) BMP-'s,"  stating that they were 
not well suite for the operations where he would likely need 
to deploy them. 
 
¶7.  (C) The Ambassador also raised the need for greater 
numbers of trained and equipped light, expeditionary forces, 
noting that Greek forces were seen by many in NATO as 
requiring further transformation.  Even if Greece's central 
objective was defense against Turkey, the more likely 
scenario was the need to rapidly deploy in the Aegean, and 
not to defend against a frontal ground assault.  Grapsas 
responded that some "middle ground" was needed, but agreed 
that it was a priority for the Greek military to develop 
additional expeditionary forces capable of being deployed 
rapidly. 
 
------------------------------- 
U.S./Greece Mil-to-Mil Contacts 
------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (C) Grapsas made it a point to emphasize his satisfaction 
with the mil-to-mil contacts between the United States and 
Greece.  He termed these relations "good" but called for 
"even more expanded contacts."  He viewed favorably his 
August 2008 trip to Washington where he met Deputy Secretary 
of Defense England and Deputy CJCS General Cartwright and 
SAC-T Mattis.  He also promised to look into reviewing 
current regulations precluding Greek cadets from attending 
U.S. service academies.  He termed his cooperation with the 
Defense Attache's office "excellent." 
 
¶9.  (C) In a private pull-aside, the General told the 
Ambassador that he personally supported the United States and 
believed we shared the common values of democracy.  He was 
personally supportive of U.S. military operations and would 
continue to do what he could to encourage Greece's support. 
SPECKHARD