US embassy cable - 04ANKARA1316

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001316 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT. FOR NEA/NGA AND EUR/SE; BAGHDAD ALSO FOR CJTF-7 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/03/2014 
TAGS: PREL, ETRD, MARR, PTER, TU, IZ 
SUBJECT: TURKOMAN BOOKS SEIZED AT IRAQ-TURKEY BORDER - KDP 
CLAIMS INFLAMMATORY CONTENT; TURKS SAY KDP HAS NO RIGHT TO 
SEIZE THE BOOKS 
 
 
REF: COHEN-REMLER-ROLLINSON E-MAILS OF MARCH 2-4 
 
 
(U) Classified by DCM Robert Deutsch.  Reasons 1.4 b and d. 
 
 
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Summary 
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1. (C) On March 2, the Turkish MFA informed Post that a 
shipment of 8,000 books in Arabic being sent to Turkmen in 
Kirkuk by the Turkoman Cooperation and Cultural Foundation 
were seized and the Turkish citizen drivers of the trucks 
carrying the books detained by KDP officials at the Ibrahim 
Khalil border gate on Feb. 29.  The trucks, drivers and books 
were then taken to Dohuk.  The Turkish MFA asked us to seek 
the driver's release, and assure that the books were sent on 
to Kirkuk.  The drivers and trucks were released March 2, but 
the KDP will not release the books.  Emboff was called into 
the MFA March 3 where MFA Iraq Dept. Head Serra Erarslan 
complained about the incident and stated that Turkey does not 
believe the KDP has any authority to seize printed material 
being sent from Turkey to Iraq.  She said the action was not 
taken in the context of a legal action, and that the GOT felt 
it had nowhere to turn in cases like this but to the US 
Embassy.  When we pointed out that Turkey regularly seized 
printed material coming to Turkey from Iraq that the Turks 
considered inflammatory, she objected to the comparison of 
Turkey, a legitimate state, with the KDP, a party operating 
on its own authority.  End Summary. 
 
 
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Books Seized for Inflammatory Content 
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2. (U) An Iraqi Turkoman NGO attempted Feb. 29 to send from 
Turkey to Kirkuk a shipment of 8,000 books in Arabic, written 
by the head of the Turkoman Cooperation and Cultural 
Foundation entitled Turkmen in Iraq and Human Rights.  The 
Iraqi Kurds at the Ibrahim Khalil border crossing seized the 
books and arrested the truck drivers, claiming the books were 
inflammatory, giving false reports of Kurdish massacres of 
Iraqi Turkmen in northern Iraq, claiming the KDP had wronged 
the Iraqi Turkmen, and libeling KDP leader Masoud Barzani. 
The Turkish drivers and their trucks were released at 1830 
March 2, but the KDP refuses to release the books. 
 
 
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Turkish MFA Protests Seizure 
---------------------------- 
 
 
3. (C) On March 3, Emboff was called into the MFA by Iraq 
Department Head Serra Erarslan, who gave Emboff a copy of the 
book.  She said that the GOT felt it had nowhere to turn in 
cases like this.  The Turks call the US Embassy, but the USG 
did not seize the books and was not likely to get them 
released.  Turkey, she said, does not recognize the KDP as 
having any legitimate authority to take legal actions such as 
confiscating books or determining what printed material is 
acceptable.  She noted that the Iraqi Transitional 
Administrative Law (TAL) would have provisions for free press 
and free speech, but feared that it would leave the KDP in 
charge of the border with Turkey and leave interpretations of 
the application of TAL provisions for free speech and press 
up to the KDP's discretion.  "Barzani will act like a king" 
and decide whether or not to use the law, she said.  Western 
standards that the US hoped to introduce in Iraq via the TAL, 
she said, were unlikely to be respected 
 
 
4. (C) Emboff noted to her that neither she nor he knew what 
the book actually said (as neither read Arabic) and that the 
matter begged a legal determination of whether the content 
was indeed inflammatory.  At this, Erarslan replied that the 
Iraqi Kurds publish maps that show large areas of Turkey as 
belonging to Kurdistan.  Emboff pointed out that Turkish 
authorities do not let such material cross the border into 
Turkey.  Erarslan objected to the comparison of Turkey, a 
sovereign state governed by the rule of law, and the KDP. 
She said there could be no notion of reciprocity in cases 
like this.  We undertook to convey her concerns to Washington 
and Baghdad. 
 
 
5. (C) Comment:  Strong aversion among Turkish officials to 
recognize the KDP as a legitimate governing authority in 
northern Iraq, regardless of the TAL, will continue to 
complicate customs and other border issues between Iraq and 
Turkey for the foreseeable future.  The level of dislike and 
distrust -- on both sides -- should not be underestimated. 
Until June 30, the USG provides a buffer or mediator of sorts 
in disputes like this one.  The difficulties may well 
escalate after June 30, unless there is more evident 
authority exerted by Baghdad over immigration and customs 
affairs at the border. End comment. 
 
 
6. (U) Baghdad minimize considered. 
EDELMAN