US embassy cable - 04ANKARA4340

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 004340 
 
SIPDIS 
 
ALSO FOR MNF-I NORTH 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/01/2014 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, PHUM, IZ, TU 
SUBJECT: TERRORISTS IN IRAQ MURDER TURKISH HOSTAGE; 
TRUCKING ASSOCIATION CALLS FOR HALT TO SHIPPING INTO IRAQ 
AS GOT CONSIDERS NEXT STEPS 
 
REF: A. STATE 166182 
     B. STATE 166961 
 
Classified By: PolMilCouns Timothy A. Betts for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
. 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
1. (U) This is an action request.  Please see para. 11. 
 
2. (C) Turkish MFA confirmed Aug. 2 the murder of a Turkish 
citizen who had been held hostage in Iraq.  In response to 
this and other recent murders of Turkish truckers in Iraq, a 
major association of Turkish trucking companies called for a 
ban on Turkish trucks going into Iraq in support of coalition 
forces.  Some major Turkish trade associations have condemned 
the ban.  A Turkish MFA official complained to PolMilOff that 
coalition security measures for trucking convoys in Iraq are 
inadequate and must be improved.  On Aug. 3 he repeated this 
complaint and asked that we formally pass this to Washington. 
 MFA believes that four truckers and one additional Turkish 
civilian have been murdered in recent days, and that two or 
three Turks are hostages.  FonMin Gul told the press Aug. 2 
that Iraq is the biggest threat in the region, but added that 
Turkey will continue to engage in Iraq.  We request 
Washington's guidance para. 11 on security measures we take 
for U.S.-contracted trucks in Iraq.  Preliminary GOT 
responses to reftel demarches on Iraq in paras. 12 and 13. 
End summary. 
 
MFA Confirms Death of Turkish Hostage, Criticizes 
Coalition Security for Convoys 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
3. (C) When PolMilOff arrived at MFA Aug. 2 to deliver ref a 
demarche, MFA Iraq Department Chief Mehmet Kemal Bozay 
confirmed to us that a Turkish "trucker," Murat Yuce, who had 
apparently been held hostage by the Zarqawi group had been 
murdered.  The killing was shown on the Internet.  He said 
the senior leadership in the Ministry was going to meet later 
August 2 to make a policy assessment of the situation. 
 
4. (C) Bozay added that he had seen press reports indicating 
that the International Transporters Association (ITA), a body 
representing Turkish trucking companies, had released a 
statement indicating that Turkish truckers would halt 
transport of goods for the U.S. military in Iraq.  Such a 
development would be "very serious," Bozay said.  Bozay also 
complained to PolMilOff that he understood that U.S. military 
security escorts for trucking convoys were inadequate: 
normally only one jeep or APC for up to 30 trucks, and that 
the U.S. vehicle often sped far ahead of the pack "at 130 or 
140 kilometers per hour."  Bozay said he had been told that 
the lead vehicle did not stop if one of the trucks in the 
convoy had a mechanical problem or was fired upon. 
 
5. (C) When Bozay and PolMilOff met again Aug. 3, Bozay 
requested that we forward to Washington Ankara's complaint 
regarding convoy security.  He said that this is Ankara's 
chief concern in this matter.  PolMilOff responded by citing 
security measures the coalition has taken to protect 
truckers, such as having fuel trucks empty their loads in 
Mosul as opposed to pushing further into Iraq.  Bozay said he 
appreciated this information, and even interrupted our 
meeting to pass this information to his boss, Director 
General for Middle East Tahsin Burcuoglu, who was at that 
moment chairing a meeting of ministry officials as well as 
the ITA and other trucking associations in Turkey on next 
steps in this issue.  MFA officials will then present their 
findings to FonMin Abdullah Gul upon his return to Ankara 
Aug. 4, and he would decide how to proceed, including how to 
engage the U.S. on this issue.  Bozay emphasized, however, 
that the GOT's overall policy to contribute to the 
stabilization of Iraq had not changed.  He said that MFA "was 
not behind" the ITA's call for a ban on trucking to Iraq. 
 
ITA Calls for Ban on Trucking to Iraq, But Effect Unclear 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
6. (SBU) In announcing the ban on trucking to Iraq, ITA head 
Cahit Soysal told the press Aug. 2 that "In today's 
conditions there is no security for drivers in Iraq.  Until 
security can be guaranteed we have stopped transporting goods 
for U.S. forces."  However, preliminary reporting from the 
Habur crossing from Turkey to Iraq indicates that truck 
traffic to Iraq has been moving at normal levels.  Fuel and 
humanitarian shipments have reportedly not been affected so 
far, although AmConsul Adana PO reported near the border Aug. 
3 that traffic on the road was lighter than normal. 
Meanwhile, both the Union of Turkish Exporters and another 
transport association, RODER, said that ITA made the wrong 
choice, and the head of the Turco-Iraqi Business Council told 
the press that trade between Turkey and Iraq would continue. 
Yuce Not a Trucker, but Four Turkish Truckers 
Reportedly Killed So Far 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
7. (SBU) Though the Turkish press initially identified Yuce 
as a trucker, his company, Bilintur, told AmConsul Istanbul 
PolEconOff that Yuce was a plumber, not a trucker.  Bilintur 
is a subcontractor responsible for the laundry at a U.S. 
base.  MFA official Bozay added that another Bilintur 
employee, Abdulrahman Gezmen, had been killed in the same 
incident in which Yuce was seized. 
 
8. (C) Bozay told PolMilOff that four truckers have been 
killed in convoys in coalition support since mid-July, most 
of them in the past 10 days.  Bozay said that MFA believes 
two Turks who were in coalition-supported trucking convoys 
are currently hostages: Abdullahrahman Demir and Sayid 
Unurlu.  Finally, another trucker, Tefik Alkan, has not been 
heard from since July 26. 
 
FonMin Gul: Iraq the Greatest Regional Danger, but Still 
Our Neighbor 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
9. (U) On Aug. 2, Turkish FonMin Gul told the press that 
"Iraq is the greatest potential danger for the region."  He 
said Turkey was working in both "visible" and "invisible" 
ways to seek the release of other Turks held hostage there. 
Gul added that the GOT was seeking Iraq's "stability and 
peace as a neighbor.  However, as you can see there is a 
serious security problem there.  Every day almost 100 Iraqis 
are being killed.  Our relations will remain as relations 
with a neighboring country."  (Comment: We read Gul's final 
remark as a sign that the GOT does not wish to disengage from 
Iraq.  When PolMilOff raised this point to Bozay, he 
confirmed that this is what the FonMin meant.  End comment.) 
 
10. (C) When PolMilOff asked what Gul meant by "visible and 
invisible" means, Bozay responded that the Turkish embassy in 
Baghdad was asking other missions there--especially those who 
have also had their citizens kidnapped--for assistance in a 
sort of informal information exchange.  Bozay was firm that 
the GOT does not pay ransom for Turkish hostages and does not 
encourage companies to do so, though he admitted that some 
companies may do so anyway. 
 
Action Request 
-------------- 
 
11. (C) We doubt that the convoy security system is as 
inadequate as Bozay portrayed.  We request Washington advise 
us of what procedures MNF-I employs in protecting convoys of 
trucks crossing the Habur Gate carrying coalition and 
humanitarian supplies.  (We understand commercial traffic 
proceeds at its own risk.) 
 
Iraq Demarches: Status Report 
----------------------------- 
 
12. (C) In response to ref a demarche (condemning hostage 
taking and murders), Bozay told PolMilOff that he would 
present our points to the MFA's senior leadership meeting the 
afternoon of Aug. 2.  He said that he personally could see 
merit in an OIC statement on terrorism in Iraq, noting that 
"from time to time" the OIC Secretary General issued 
statements on current events.  Following up, he told 
PolMilOff Aug. 3 that this issue would soon be placed before 
FonMin Gul. 
 
13. (S) On ref b demarche (Syria-Iraq border security), Bozay 
responded that our point about Zarqawi insurgents crossing 
into Iraq from Syria carries special resonance, given that it 
was apparently Zarqawi's people who murdered a Turkish 
citizen.  Bozay made no commitments, but said he would pass 
our message up the line in MFA and get back to us. 
14. (U) Baghdad minimize considered. 
DEUTSCH