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DE RUEHC #0223/01 2130038
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P R 010022Z AUG 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 9412
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 2382
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL PRIORITY 3136
INFO NATO EU COLLECTIVE
RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 0873
RUEHKB/AMEMBASSY BAKU 8896
RUEHSI/AMEMBASSY TBILISI 1007

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 080223 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/01/2019 
TAGS: ECON ENRG PREL RS TU
SUBJECT: CONSULTATIONS WITH TURKEY IN ADVANCE OF RUSSIAN 
PRIME MINISTER PUTIN,S AUGUST 6 VISIT 
 
REF: ANKARA 1031 
 
Classified By: EUR DAS MATTHEW BRYZA, Reasons: 1.4 
(b) and (d). 
 
1.(U) This is an action request.  Please see paragraph 3. 
 
¶2. (C) Summary:  The Department requests that Embassy Ankara 
seek meetings at the highest appropriate level in advance of 
Russian PM Putin,s August 6 visit to Ankara to brief on U.S. 
engagement with Russia and U.S. energy strategy for the 
region and to elicit Turkish thinking on Russia,s role in 
the region. 
 
¶3. (C/REL TURKEY) The Department requests Embassy Ankara 
pursue the following objectives: 
 
-- Seek clarification of Turkey,s goals for PM Putin,s 
August 6 visit to Ankara. 
 
-- Stress the shared U.S.-Turkish strategic interest in 
diversifying energy supplies for Turkey and Europe. Urge 
Turkey to prioritize diversification of energy suppliers and 
energy types. 
 
--Suggest that any GOT announcement of new energy deals with 
Russia include statements recommitting Turkey to its critical 
role as an energy transit corridor for Caspian resources to 
Turkey, Europe, and world markets. 
 
-- Press Turkey to finalize a transit agreement and bilateral 
gas sales and purchase agreements with Azerbaijan. 
 
-- In light of the July 13 signing ceremony of the 
intergovernmental agreement for the Nabucco pipeline, press 
Turkey to work with its fellow Nabucco countries to implement 
the next steps to realize the project, including the signing 
of project support agreements and efforts to secure gas 
supplies from Azerbaijan, Iraq, and Turkmenistan. 
 
-- Brief on President Obama,s July 6-8 visit to Moscow and 
EUR Assistant Secretary Gordon,s Congressional testimony on 
Russia on July 28 to the House Foreign Affairs Committee on 
Russia and July 30 to the House Armed Services Committee. 
 
-- Stress U.S. actions, which are building a stronger 
relationship with Russia, are based on mutual respect and 
cooperation in areas that are mutually beneficial and 
improving security and stability throughout the world.  At 
the same time, we continue to voice to Russia our concerns on 
democracy and human rights, stand by our partnerships with 
Russia,s neighbors, and strive to help our allies and 
friends diversify their sources of supply and transit routes 
for energy. 
 
Reporting Deadline 
- - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Embassy should report results of efforts by 
cable to EUR as soon as is practicable. 
 
Background 
- - - - - - 
 
¶5.  (U) During President Obama,s July 6-8 visit to Moscow, 
he and President Medvedev made progress toward greater 
cooperation on areas of shared national interests, including 
reducing nuclear arsenals, preventing further proliferation 
of nuclear weapons, countering the threat of nuclear 
terrorism, improving economic cooperation, resuming military 
cooperation, and expanding civil society and cultural 
exchanges.  Specific deliverables include: 
 
-- The establishment of a Bilateral Presidential Commission, 
chaired by Presidents Obama and Medvedev, and coordinated by 
Secretary Clinton and Foreign Minister Lavrov, with working 
groups on: nuclear energy and nuclear security; arms control 
and international security; foreign policy and fighting 
terrorism; drug trafficking; business development and 
economic relations; energy and the environment; agriculture; 
and civil society, among other areas. 
 
 
STATE 00080223  002 OF 002 
 
 
-- Signing of a Joint Understanding to guide the work of 
negotiators on a follow-on agreement to the Strategic Arms 
Reduction Treaty (START), which will reduce our nuclear 
warheads and delivery systems by at least one third of our 
current treaty limitations.  We are working to complete this 
before START expires in December 2009. 
 
-- Commitments to deepen security cooperation and counter 
transnational threats, including with a transit agreement 
that will allow the United States to transport military 
personnel and equipment across Russia in support of the 
NATO-led International Security Assistance Force as well as 
Coalition forces in Afghanistan and the signing of a 
strategic framework to increase military cooperation with an 
agreement to conduct nearly 20 exchanges and operational 
events before the end of 2009. 
 
¶6. (U) As we advance our relations with Russia, we will not 
abandon our principles, our concerns about democracy and 
human rights, our deepening partnerships with Georgia and 
Ukraine, or our support for European Allies efforts to 
diversify their sources of natural gas supply.  This year the 
U.S. Government is providing over $29 million in assistance 
to advance democracy and human rights in Russia, most of 
which is targeted to strengthen civil society, independent 
media, and the rule of law.  We continue to raise concerns, 
as we did following the July 15 killing of human rights 
activist Natalia Estemirova, over threats to civil society 
and impunity for human rights violations. 
 
¶7. (U) We continue to work to advance our economic engagement 
with Russia as well, creating conditions conducive to the 
growth of the current relatively low levels of bilateral 
trade and investment.  We seek a prosperous Russia that 
partners with us to create jobs, unleash innovation, and 
build industries, including by removing obstacles to trade 
and investment.  We stand ready to work hard with Russia and 
the other 152 members of the World Trade organization to 
complete Russia,s accession as an individual country member. 
 
 
¶8. (C) Notwithstanding our quest for economic cooperation 
with Russia where we can achieve it, the United States 
remains concerned about Europe,s dependence on Russian gas 
imports.  Last winter,s Russia-Ukraine gas dispute, which 
interrupted supplies to much of Europe, awakened many EU 
member states to the need to diversify their sources of 
natural gas supply.  Furthermore, we have concerns about 
Russia,s ability to exert influence on European governments 
and economies that are over-reliant on Russian gas supplies. 
It appears Turkey may use the opportunity of Putin,s visit 
to sign several agreements with Russia including the first 
nuclear energy deal, natural gas projects like Blue Stream 
II, South Stream, and a renewal of the West Line contract, 
and oil projects like Samsun-Ceyhan and a Ceyhan oil 
refinery.  While we do not object to energy cooperation 
between Turkey and Russia, we are concerned that these 
projects could indicate a major shift in Turkish thinking 
away from our strategic partnership  on energy that dates 
back to the Clinton Administration, and could further 
increase Turkey,s reliance on Russia for energy, including 
by creating new dependencies relating to nuclear energy. 
 
--Additionally, new deals could weaken momentum for the 
development of a Southern Gas Corridor, which enjoyed a major 
boost during the signing of an Intergovernmental Agreement 
for the Nabucco pipeline on July 13 in Ankara (ref A).  It is 
therefore essential that Turkey balance its cooperation with 
Russia by moving forward in earnest to wrap up negotiations 
with Azerbaijan on gas sales and purchase agreements, as well 
as implementing project support agreements and other 
necessary steps to make Nabucco and other Southern Corridor 
pipelines, including the Turkey-Greece-Italy Inter-connector, 
a reality. 
CLINTON