O R 122317Z JUN 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY ANKARA IMMEDIATE 
AMEMBASSY ATHENS IMMEDIATE 
INFO PAGE 02        STATE   061209  122338Z 
NATO EU COLLECTIVE
USEU BRUSSELS
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 
USMISSION USNATO 
SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
NSC WASHINGTON DC 0000
JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
DIA WASHINGTON DC
CIA WASHINGTON DC 0000

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 061209 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/12/2019 
TAGS: PREL MARR MOPS TU GR
SUBJECT: MOVING GREEKS AND TURKS FORWARD ON AEGEAN ISSUES 
 
REF: ATHENS 971 
 
Classified By: EUR DAS Matthew Bryza for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. This is an Action Request. Please see para 5. 
 
¶2. (C) The Department agrees with the joint assessment (Ref 
A) from Embassies Athens and Ankara that there is an urgent 
need to ease the recent uptick in provocations over the 
Aegean, diffuse tensions, and work towards resolving the 
underlying issues. 
 
¶3. (C) As a first step, upcoming high-level visits (Turkish 
PM Erdogan to Athens June 20, Turkish FM Davutoglu to Corfu 
for the OSCE Ministerial June 28, and Greek FM Bakoyannis, 
pending visit to Ankara) may provide a new opportunity for 
the GOG and GOT to engage directly on these issues. 
 
¶4. (C) Objectives: Embassies should pursue the following 
objectives with GOG and GOT officials to urge them to 
increase diplomatic efforts and decrease military actions 
over the Aegean. 
 
-Ending Turkey's overflight of the two Greek-inhabited 
islands in the Dodecanese, Agathonisi and Farmakonisi. 
 
- Prevent an increased defensive posture by the Greek 
military which could be perceived as provocative and increase 
the likelihood of an incident 
 
- Reduce bilateral tensions -- especially between the Greek 
and Turkish militaries -- and pave the way for increased 
cooperation. 
 
¶5.  (C) ACTION REQUEST: Embassy Athens and Ankara are 
instructed to make the following demarche, at an 
appropriately high level (Under Secretary or above), and 
follow up as appropriate with military and Prime Ministry 
senior officials. These points should be delivered prior to 
Turkish PM Erdogan,s June 20th visit to Athens. 
 
(C) Ankara and Athens: 
 
 --The U.S. is very concerned about the rise in military 
activity and confrontations in the Aegean, both Turkish 
overflights and Greek intercepts, over the past six-seven 
months. 
 
-- We fear such confrontations pose an unacceptable risk of 
an accident or other incident that will be in neither 
country's interest and could seriously damage bilateral 
relations.  We see no advantage to their continuation, and 
are making parallel demarches in both capitals to express our 
grave concern. 
 
--We continue to urge both sides to exercise restraint and to 
use the bilateral mechanisms established by you and 
Ankara/Athens, and are confident that doing so will reduce 
the current unnecessary tensions, as well as open the door to 
deeper bilateral understandings. 
 
--Beyond this, a more concentrated effort could yield 
improvements in the specific issues underlying the current 
tensions, as well as open the door to deeper more substantial 
understandings. 
 
--As you move beyond the current tensions, we urge both sides 
to review previous agreements and past suggestions to reduce 
tensions, including restrictions on armament and other 
operational aspects of air-to-air engagements, increased use 
of hotlines, and more willingness during political 
consultations to substantively address these issues. 
 
--More generally, the U.S. believes that the time has come to 
consider resolving or better managing the suite of Aegean 
issues that divide you and give rise to repeated 
confrontations and risk of conflict. 
 
--We welcome your thoughts on how best to reduce the 
immediate tensions, identify confidence building measures, 
and implement a more effective process to address outstanding 
Aegean issues. 
 
--In our view, your two countries have made considerable 
progress in this regard in the late 1990s.  As then, the U.S. 
remains ready to play a supporting role acceptable to both 
Greece and Turkey. 
 
(C) For Athens Only: 
 
--On your request, we have repeatedly engaged with senior 
Turkish officials, both military and civilians, on the 
Agathonisi and Farmakonisi over-flights. 
 
--As part of this demarche, we are doing so again. 
 
--At the same time, if you are to find a mutually acceptable 
outcome it is important to understand the Turkish concerns in 
response to Greek actions that challenge Turkish positions in 
the Aegean ) whether &aggressive8 flight information 
region (FIR) intercepts or unilateral militarization of areas 
that the Turks believe are treaty obligated to remain 
demilitarized. 
 
--We cannot be as helpful in effecting Turkish restraint if 
Greece conducts itself in a provocatively aggressive manner, 
including selecting for military exercises islands whose 
militarization is disputed. 
 
(C) For Ankara Only: 
 
--As we have raised before, we urge you to cease your 
over-flights of the Greek islets of Agathonisi and 
Farmakonisi. 
 
--As the two islands are inhabited, such overflights 
introduce a dangerous new element into the Aegean disputes 
between Greece and Turkey. 
 
--This would be so under any circumstances, but in the 
specific case of Agathonisi and Farmakonisi, the U.S., as a 
party to the 1947 Paris Treaty, accepts that these islands 
are sovereign Greek territory. 
 
--While in many Aegean issues Turkey raises positions that we 
either agree with or can easily understand, we have no 
sympathy for your position on these islands. 
 
--Were a tragedy to occur or were this issue to gain major 
public attention, it would be difficult for us to avoid 
stating this U.S. position. 
 
--On the other hand, we are raising with the Greeks as part 
of our parallel demarche our concerns with Greek behavior and 
initiatives which challenge the de facto status and which 
Turkey understandably views as requiring a response. 
 
--In this regard, we reiterate the commitments to consult 
which SACEUR Gen. Craddock provided the TGS in January. 
 
 
CLINTON