US embassy cable - 04ANKARA2916

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 002916 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
NSC FOR RICE, HADLEY AND BLACKWELL 
SECDEF ALSO FOR D/SECDEF WOLFOWITZ 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/25/2029 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, IZ, TU, PTER 
SUBJECT: IRAQ: TURKEY DESIRES ANTI-TERRORISM PARA IN NEW 
UNSCR; "REAL" TURKMEN REP IN IIG 
 
REF: A. STATE 116099 
     B. ANKARA 2876 
 
 
(U) Classified by Ambassador Eric S. Edelman.  Reasons 1.4 
(b) and (d). 
 
 
1. (C) Summary:  MFA Deputy U/S Ali Tuygan told the 
Ambassador May 25 that the new Iraq Interim Government (IIG) 
should not include IGC member Mahmoud Othman (whom Turkey 
suspects of having ties with the PKK/Kongra Gel) but should 
included significant Turkoman representation.  Regarding the 
draft UNSCR, Ankara would like to see a paragraph calling on 
the new Iraq not to harbor terrorists, a clear reference to 
the PKK/Kongra Gel.  Foreign Minister Gul would likely call 
the Secretary to relay these points.  Tuygan asked that the 
USG check out a report Ankara had just received that 
residents of Makhmour refugee camp were "being moved" to 
Kirkuk (action requested para 8).  On other Iraqi issues, 
Tuygan and the Ambassador shared appreciation that the 
mil-mil mechanisms worked to resolve the potential problem 
when Turkish troops deployed to high ground just inside of 
Iraq last week, and agreed the US owed Turkey a response on 
the Peace Monitoring Force (ref b).  End summary. 
 
 
2. (C) MFA Deputy Under Secretary Ali Tuygan (who will become 
MFA Under Secretary later this summer) convoked the 
Ambassador May 25.  Tuygan said that he had met with Foreign 
Minister Gul earlier in the day who instructed Tuygan to 
raise two Iraq issues with us which Ambassador Logoglu would 
repeat in Washington: the composition of the Iraq Interim 
Government and the draft UN Security Council Resolution which 
MFA had already received from Washington. 
 
 
The Iraq Interim Government 
--------------------------- 
 
 
3. (C) Tuygan said there were many rumors about UN Special 
Representative Brahimi and his consultations/deliberations on 
the composition of the IIG, including stories about Kurdish 
leaders Barzani and Talabani arguing for "this or that."  One 
rumor that particularly concerned Ankara was that Governing 
Council member Mahmoud Othman might be under consideration 
for a position in the IIG.  Tuygan recalled how MFA U/S Ziyal 
had previously alerted the Ambassador to the GOT's belief 
that Othman had ties to the PKK/Kongra Gel terrorist group. 
 
 
4. (C) Another concern Ankara has about the IIG's eventual 
composition was the need for Turkoman representation.  As the 
third largest ethnic group in Iraq, Turkoman deserved real 
representation.  He acknowledged that the community might had 
been a "disappointment" in the past, and mused that perhaps 
they were being punished for Turkey's failings.  Nonetheless, 
if there were a repeat of the "Chapouk (the lone ethnic 
Turkoman representative on the IGC) or Othman experience," 
the GOT would have little domestic political room for 
maneuver and it could become hard to continue to cooperate on 
Iraq, he advised.  He asked that the USG pay attention to 
this issue "at the highest levels."  The Ambassador recalled 
that these points were similar to those Tuygan made to CPA 
Senior Foreign Policy Advisor Ron Neumann when he came to 
Ankara to consult about the Transition Administrative Law. 
 
 
Terrorism and the UNSCR 
----------------------- 
 
 
5. (S) Regarding the draft UNSCR, Tuygan said that MFA would 
provide considered comments after it had a chance to study 
the document.  After a preliminary reading, he was instructed 
to note that operative paragraphs 11 and 13 addressed the 
responsibility of neighboring states to prevent terrorism and 
illegal arms shipments.  Turkey believed that something 
should be said about Iraq's responsibility not to harbor 
terrorists of interest to its neighbors.  (Comment:  This is 
a clear reference to the continuing presence of the 
PKK/Kongra Gel in northern Iraq.)  The Ambassador undertook 
to convey Tuygan's comments. 
 
 
Other issues 
------------ 
 
 
6. (C) Tuygan also raised the following related subjects, 
although not apparently under instruction: 
 
 
PMF:  Tuygan reminded the Ambassador that the US owed Turkey 
an answer about whether the Iraqi members of the Peace 
Monitoring Force could be employed in Iraq's security 
services (ref b). 
Turkish Troops in Iraq:  The two agreed that the 
military-to-military mechanism to head off problems in Iraq 
(the 2-star talks) appeared to work in resolving the 
coordination problems and misinformation with the recent 
deployment of Turkish military teams to five points in Iraq 
overlooking the Turkey-Iraq border where the Turks look for 
PKK/Kongra Gel infiltration of Turkey. 
 
 
Abu Ghraib:  Tuygan noted that FM Gul would be addressing 
Iraq in parliament later that day.  On the Abu Ghraib abuse 
issue, Gul would highlight the US's pledge to bring the 
perpetrators to justice.  The Ambassador expressed 
appreciation and recalled that the President had stated that 
the investigations would go as far and as wide as necessary. 
He hoped the members, some of whom have been unhelpful in 
their remarks on the issue, would pay heed to Gul's remarks. 
 
 
Makhmour Residence and Kirkuk:  Tuygan said Ankara had just 
received an intelligence report that Turkish Kurd refugees at 
the Makhmour camp "were being moved" to Kirkuk.  He said the 
GOT did not know whether they were being induced or forced to 
relocate.  He urged the USG to look into the matter.  The 
Ambassador agreed to relay his request. 
 
 
Gul to Call the Secretary 
------------------------- 
 
 
7. (C) In closing, Tuygan said that FM Gul would likely call 
the Secretary to personally convey the points on the IIG and 
the UNSCR. 
 
 
Action Request 
-------------- 
 
 
8. (C) We request Washington and CPA look into the allegation 
that residents at Makhmour are being relocated to Kirkuk. 
 
 
9. (U) Baghdad minimize considered. 
EDELMAN