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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTH #1015/01 1681542
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O 171544Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY ATHENS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0300
INFO RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA IMMEDIATE 0050
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO IMMEDIATE 0016
RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS

S E C R E T ATHENS 001015 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2034/06/17 
TAGS: MARR MOPS PREL GR
SUBJECT: (S) Bakoyannis: TUAF Overflights Must Stop Before Progress 
can be Made 
 
REF: 09 STATE 61209 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Daniel Speckhard, Ambassador, State, U.S. Embassy 
Athens, Greece; REASON: 1.4(A), (B), (D) 
 
1.(S)  Ambassador met one-on-one June 17 with FM Dora Bakoyannis, 
to underscore USG concerns expressed reftel at the increase in 
Aegean tensions, and to reinforce the need for both Greece and 
Turkey to explore ways to de-escalate the military activity over 
the Aegean, including in the skies over Agathonisi and Farmakonisi, 
and develop a dialogue that would ultimately resolve the two 
countries' outstanding differences in the Aegean.  He highlighted 
the value of reviewing previous agreements and past suggestions on 
reducing tensions and noted that a number of Greek actions were 
perceived as provocative in nature, and if addressed, could greatly 
assist in engendering the response they were looking for from 
Turkey. Similarly, the U.S. had raised our concerns in Ankara over 
the repeated overflights of Agathonisi and Farmakonisi, and was 
approaching the GOT with a similar message on our broader concerns 
for decreasing tensions and working toward a comprehensive solution 
to Aegean issues. The Ambassador highlighted that Ambassador 
Jeffrey had made this approach in Ankara, noted that we were ready 
to play a supporting role to Greece and Turkey in this effort, and 
asked the FM's assessment of prospects for progress in establishing 
a productive dialogue with the Turks. 
 
 
 
¶2.  (S)  Dora said that the GOG senses new opportunities for 
cooperation with Davutoglu.  They had welcomed his message of a 
desire for "zero problems" with Greece and had ignored reports of 
other remarks that have been labeled "neo-Ottaminism."   On the 
Aegean, she felt that what was needed was a "new atmosphere" that 
could provide the context for a renewed push to resolve the 
outstanding issues and the flexibility on both sides needed to 
accomplish this.  The overflights of Agathonisi and Farmakonisi 
were making it impossible for Greece to show flexibility.    The 
exact opposite message was needed to create the political space to 
solve the outstanding disputes.  She suggested, given that the two 
neighbors and their citizens had no desire ever to see war again, 
that the GOT consider rescind its "anachronistic causus belli" 
position vis-a-vis a Greek effort to extend its territorial waters. 
This would create an atmosphere that could be met with a similar 
show of flexibility on the Greek side. 
 
 
 
¶3.   (S) The Ambassador suggested that this may be overreaching as 
a first step and urged the FM to look carefully at a process that 
would lead to greater confidence between the two sides, starting 
with addressing the Turkish overflights and some of the Greek 
actions that were perceived by Turkey as being provocative.  The FM 
rejected this sequence, saying "I won't fall into the trap" of 
Turks laying an additional chip on the table (the overflights) that 
required a substantial Greek concession for them to remove.  The 
Ambassador noted Embassy Ankara's belief that this escalation was 
likely related to last year's NATO exercise that overflew the 
Aghios Efstratios.  She was hard pressed to see how the continuing 
and repeated overflights over Greek inhabited Islands could be 
compared to the A.E. exercise. 
 
 
 
¶4.  (S) However, in coming back to the larger issue, she said the 
GoG wants a high level engagement that would permit progress to be 
made on the Aegean.  She pointed out that she and the Karamanlis 
government are holding the line on Greek support for Turkish EU 
accession in Brussels and at home.  It would be politically easier, 
and could mean the difference for their government in the next 
election, were they to reverse their support for Turkey's EU 
perspective.  They have resisted because they understand it would 
not be good for Greece, Turkey or the EU.   But Ankara needs to 
recognize that these overflights are making this attitude 
increasingly difficult to maintain and they threaten the 
relationship more broadly. 
 
 
 
¶5. (S) The Ambassador pressed on the importance of engaging 
bilaterally with Turkey and ensuring that the process and method 
was adequate to the task.  He highlighted the importance of 
addressing the immediate threat of an accident that could cause a 
serious altercation.  She recognized this and said that she had 
tasked her military advisors to identify confidence building 
measures that the Greeks could offer at the appropriate time. 
However, "the overflights must stop" for there to be any progress 
in discussions on the Aegean and they threaten the relationship 
more broadly. 
 
 
¶6. (S) Ambassador noted that Davutoglu will be in Athens for the 
Acropolis Museum opening this weekend, which would be a good 
opportunity to start changing the dynamic.  The Minister welcomed 
the visit and looked forward to the opportunity. 
 
 
 
SPECKHARD