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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000057 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/10/2019 
TAGS: PREL MOPS GR TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY READY TO RE-ENERGIZE AEGEAN TALKS, BALL IN 
ATHENS' COURT 
 
REF: ANKARA 1637 
 
Classified By: Pol-Mil Counselor Anthony Godfrey, Reasons 1.4 (b,d) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: MFA Deputy Director General Cagatay Erciyes 
told PolMilCouns on January 8 that Turkey is ready to 
re-energize Aegean talks with Greece, but is still awaiting a 
formal response to Erdogan's letter to Papandreou.  The MFA 
wants exploratory talks to resume early in 2010, and said the 
Greeks have signaled an interest, but have not set a date. 
Erciyes explained Turkey's break of silence related to NATO's 
Peacetime Establishment Review was due to concerns about 
cross-border air connectivity.  He said having a single air 
picture in the Aegean is important to Turkey and would help 
address tensions over claims of air space violations.  The 
MFA is aware that direct overflights of Greek islands are 
counterproductive for efforts to improve ties with Greece and 
has pressed the Turkish military to minimize these maneuvers. 
 Erciyes, however, rejected claims that the Turks are 
violating an agreement not to conduct exercises during 
national holidays and maintained that the Greeks conduct far 
more airspace violations than Turkey.  End Summary. 
 
Turkey Ready to Talk Aegean 
--------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C)  MFA Deputy Director General for Maritime Affairs 
Cagatay Erciyes told us that Turkey remains ready to 
re-energize Aegean talks, in line with PM Erdogan's letter to 
Greek PM and FM Papandreou (reftel).  He reiterated that 
Turkey was ready to undertake the following steps to address 
differences in the Aegean: 1) re-energize exploratory talks 
on the Aegean; 2) fully implement agreed-to 
confidence-building measures (CBMs) and explore additional 
ones; and 3) establish a code of conduct for military flights 
in the Aegean (without prejudice to the legal/political 
positions of either side).  According to Erciyes, although 
Greece provided a positive verbal response during FM 
Davutoglu's meeting with Greek PM and FM Papandreou on the 
margins of the December OSCE Ministerial in Athens, Ankara 
has yet to receive a formal reply to Erdogan's letter. 
Erciyes made clear that the Turks are ready to resume 
exploratory talks early in 2010, and said that while the 
Greeks have also signaled an interest, they have yet to set a 
date to meet. 
 
¶3. (C) Erciyes said that the GoT is feeling more optimistic 
about bilateral relations with Greece following Papandreou's 
electoral victory.  He said that although there have been 42 
rounds of exploratory talks, they did not produce progress 
during the New Democracy government.  Despite the optimism, 
Erciyes voiced concern about signals from Greece that it 
plans to appoint retired ambassador George Savvaides as the 
head of the Greek delegation to the talks.  Erciyes noted 
that the talks had traditionally been held between the MFA 
permanent undersecretaries for both sides, and said that 
changing this format may be seen as giving less importance to 
the talks.  Erciyes reiterated the GoT position that Turkey 
does not rule out any peaceful means to resolve disputes 
related to the Aegean, including via the International Court 
of Justice, as long as all issues are addressed and not only 
the issue of the continental shelf. 
 
Military Overflights Counterproductive 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (C) When asked how Turkish military overflights over Greek 
islands, including Farmakonisi and Agathonisi, contribute to 
Turkey's push to improve bilateral relations with Greece, 
Erciyes (please protect) acknowledged that the MFA views 
these flights as counterproductive and has been pressing the 
military to minimize these flights.  Erciyes said the MFA was 
able to persuade the military to suspend the flights in the 
run-up to the Greek elections, and that although the 
moratorium had been lifted, the military is keeping these 
flights to a minimum.  He urged us to "check the records," 
and expressed confidence that the numbers are much lower now 
than historical norms, and asserted that the Greeks conduct 
far more air space violations in the Aegean than the Turks. 
 
Holiday Flights: Turkey Honoring Its Commitments 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
 
ANKARA 00000057  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶5. (C) Noting that the Greek embassy in Ankara had recently 
raised with him concerns about Turkish military flights in 
the Aegean during Orthodox Christmas, Erciyes said Turkey is 
honoring its commitment to suspend military exercises during 
Greek holidays as it is one of the established confidence 
building measures (CBM) with Greece.  He claimed that the two 
sides had agreed to suspend military maneuvers requiring 
Notices to Airmen and Mariners (NOTAMs) during holidays, but 
did not agree to suspend "normal activities" that would not 
require NOTAMs.  While acknowledging that there had been a 
"gentlemen's agreement" to suspend all military flights 
during holidays, Erciyes alleged that the Greeks had violated 
this verbal agreement first.  He said Turkey would be ready 
to consider formalizing an agreement to suspend all military 
flights during holidays as a new CBM. 
 
Cross Border Connectivity 
------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) Erciyes said Turkey broke silence on the NATO 
Peacetime Establishment Detailed Implementation Plans over 
concerns about insufficient progress toward establishing 
cross border air connectivity at the NATO CAOC in Larissa, 
Greece.  He stated that Turkey attaches importance to having 
a complete air picture of the Aegean, and called it a 
confidence building measure that would help reduce tensions 
over frequent claims of air space violations: "Having a 
complete picture will help everybody see who is doing what." 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶7. (C) MFA officials continue to tell us that Turkey's "zero 
problems" policy applies to its relationship with Greece, and 
are hopeful about improving ties with Athens during the 
Papandreou administration.  The Turks appear not only ready, 
but eager to resume Aegean talks.  In Ankara's view, with PM 
Erdogan's letter to Papandreou, Turkey had taken the first 
step to improve bilateral relations with Greece and the ball 
is now in Athens' court to respond. 
 
Jeffrey 
 
           "Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.intelink.s 
gov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turkey" 

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