US embassy cable - 04ANKARA3050

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 003050 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT. FOR IO/UNP, EUR/SE AND NEA/NGA; 
BAGHDAD ALSO FOR CJTF-7 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/01/2024 
TAGS: PREL, TU, IZ 
SUBJECT: IRAQ: TURKEY UNHAPPY WITH IIG, SEES REVISED UNSCR 
DRAFT AS IMPROVEMENT 
 
 
REF: A. STATE 121718 
     B. STATE 121748 
     C. ANKARA 2974 
 
 
(U) Classified by DCM Robert Deutsch.  Reasons 1.4 B and D. 
 
 
1. (C) DCM spoke with MFA Director General for Middle East 
Affairs Burcuoglu June 2 to convey Ref A and B points on 
support for the Iraqi Interim Government (IIG) and the 
revised draft of the UNSC Resolution on Iraq.  On the UNSCR 
draft, Burcuoglu noted that a number of Turkey's 
recommendations (Ref C) had been incorporated, and he 
considered the revision an improvement.  However, Turkey 
remained disappointed that there was no specific reference to 
Iraqis preventing terrorist attacks from Iraq against 
neighboring states.  He acknowledged that the reference to 
UNSCR 1373 covered the issue, but stressed that the language 
as it stood would not help sway Turkish public opinion. 
 
 
2. (C) On the IIG, Burcuoglu said there was a deep sense of 
frustration, "almost indignation," at the Turkish MFA over 
the failure of the US, Brahimi and the IGC to heed Turkey's 
advice.  The Kurds, he said, were still too strongly 
represented in the IIG as they had been in the IGC, while 
there was a virtual absence of Turkmen.  This, from Turkey's 
point of view, was not an improvement.  Turkey, he went on, 
knows many of these people well and believes the IIG will 
have a legitimacy problem in Iraq just as the IGC did. 
Turkey, he said, would have difficulty working with many of 
the IIG members.  The MFA spokesman had made a statement 
about the IIG earlier in the day wishing them success 
(Anadolu Ajansi report of statement at para 3), and, 
Burcuoglu said, that was as positive as Turkey could get.  He 
concluded that depending on how the IIG evolves, it may 
impact Turkey's ability to cooperate with us in Iraq. 
 
 
3. (U) Begin text of AA Report of Turkish MFA statement on 
the IIG: 
 
 
The Iraqi Interim Government unveiled on Tuesday would 
undertake important duties, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said 
on Wednesday.  Turkish MFA spokesman Namik Tan told a weekly 
press conference that the Iraqi Interim Government would work 
to ensure peace, stability and security in the country, and 
better living conditions for the Iraqi people.  It will also 
ensure a democratic political transition, hold general 
elections, and enable a new Iraqi government to take office, 
he added.  Tan expressed Turkey's wish that the interim 
government would meet the expectations of the Iraqi people 
and the international community when fulfilling its 
responsibilities.  An Iraqi government in which all the Iraqi 
people could be equally represented could be elected 
democratically, Tan stated.  Tan wished that the interim 
government should keep election of such an Iraqi government 
in mind when fulfilling its duties. 
 
 
End text. 
 
 
4.(U) Baghdad minimize considered. 
EDELMAN