This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS ANKARA 005713
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM PREL SNAR TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY PLANS TO ATTEND PARIS PACT CONSULTATIVE
GROUP MEETING - OCTOBER 12-13, VIENNA
REF: STATE: 204638
1. (SBU) Summary: The GOT plans to send an Ambassador-level,
interagency delegation to the Paris Pact consultative meeting
in Vienna, however, the GOT is not receptive to the idea of
being the focus of or hosting one of the upcoming
expert-level meetings. End Summary.
2. (U) Econoff delivered reftel demarche to Murat Ates, Head
of Department of International Political Organizations at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on September 27 and further
discussed the issue on October 4. According to Ates, the
GOT's delegation to the Vienna meeting will most likely
include: Turkey's Ambassador to the UNODC, Mr. Aydin
Sahinbas; Mr. Murat Ates; Director of the Turkish
International Academy Against Drugs and Organized Crime
(TADOC), Mr. Celal Bodur; and the Deputy Director General of
the Turkish Customs Undersecretariat.
3. (SBU) Though the GOT will participate in the upcoming
consultative meeting, Ates said the Turkish Authorities
prefer not to be a region of focus nor a host for next year's
cycle of meetings. Ates laid out three reasons for the GOT's
resistance: 1) The GOT, in conjunction with the U.S. Drug
Enforcement Agency (DEA) recently hosted a conference in
Istanbul which focused on similar topics and hosting another
such conference in Turkey would seem redundant and
counter-productive; 2) The GOT believes that those countries
which host roundtables such as the one UNODC is proposing,
are usually countries that are failing in their attempts to
combat drug-trafficking--the GOT does not want to be
perceived in this way; and 3) From a political perspective,
the GOT feels strongly that if Turkey were to be the focus of
an expert-level meeting, Turkey would become a target for
criticism.
4. (SBU) Comment: Econoff reiterated that the intended
purpose of the expert-level meeting would be to highlight
Turkey's best practices and efforts in disrupting trafficking
routes through the region and participants at the meeting
would focus on learning from Turkey's successful endeavors in
combating drug trafficking. In light of this, Ates told
Econoff that he would consult with Turkish Authorities again
and ask if they would consider hosting an expert-level
meeting. Ates made it clear, however, that the GOT would not
be willing to serve as the focus of a meeting. If the GOT
agreed to host a meeting, Ates said that it would not be
possible to hold one this year. Ates also said that these
matters would be discussed further at the Vienna consultative
meeting. Econoff requested that Ates inform the USG if
Turkish Authorities changed their minds about hosting or
about serving as the focus of one of the upcoming
expert-level meetings. It may be useful for the U.S.
delegation to contact the GOT delegation in Vienna before the
meetings begin.
EDELMAN