US embassy cable - 04ANKARA5100

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 005100 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/10/2014 
TAGS: MARR, MOPS, PREL, TU, IZ 
SUBJECT: MFA PROTESTS TURKMEN CASUALTIES IN TAL AFAR 
 
Classified By:  Classified By: A/DCM James Moore.  Reasons 1.4 (b) and 
(d). 
 
 1. (C) Summary:  The Director General for Middle East 
Affairs summoned A/DCM to the MFA the evening of September 9 
to express strong concern about Turkmen civilian casualties 
being incurred during current operations against insurgents 
in Tal Afar.  The protest was motivated by anticipated 
political fallout and public reaction in light of the Foreign 
Minister,s September 8 press statement that U.S./coalition 
operations against insurgents last weekend in Tal Afar were 
not directed at the Turkmen population.  In a separate 
conversation with the Ambassador, the MFA Deputy 
Undersecretary for Political Affairs said that fallout from 
the operation in Tal Afar could jeopardize Turkey,s overall 
cooperation with the U.S. on Iraq.  The GOT is not objecting 
to the operation per se, but rather is warning that Turkmen 
civilian casualties could have a significant enough impact on 
public opinion to undermine GOT efforts to continue 
cooperation with us on Iraq.  End summary. 
 
2. (C) MFA Middle East Political Affairs DG Tahsin Burcuoglu 
called in A/DCM to convey the message from Foreign Minister 
Gul, who is traveling in Estonia, that today,s operations in 
Tal Afar put the GOT in a highly sensitive position.  Gul, as 
well as MFA spokesperson Namik Tan, stated September 8 that 
last weekend,s operations by U.S./coalition forces against 
insurgents in Tal Afar were in no way directed against the 
Turkmen population. 
 
3. (C) The Foreign Minister,s request, as conveyed by 
Burcuoglu, is that U.S./coalition forces in Tal Afar not use 
excessive force and that all possible measures be taken to 
prevent civilian casualties.  A/DCM emphasized that 
operations were targeting insurgents, that every effort was 
being taken to avoid collateral casualties, that U.S. 
military liaison officers were in contact with Turkish 
Special Forces in Tal Afar, and that large numbers of 
civilians left the area ahead of the fighting.  He told 
Burguoglu that Gul,s statement was absolutely true as 
regards last weekend,s skirmishes and the current fighting. 
 
4. (C) Underlining the sensitivity of the situation as 
perceived by the GOT, Foreign Minister Gul, Burcuoglu 
reported, telephoned Secretary Powell this afternoon to 
convey Turkish concerns, but was unable to speak with him. 
In addition, as A/DCM was enroute to MFA, Deputy 
Undersecretary for Political Affairs Ali Tuygan phoned the 
Ambassador to raise the same set of concerns.  Tuygan told 
the Ambassador the current situation in Tal Afar could 
undermine Turkey,s overall cooperation with the U.S. in 
Iraq.  The Ambassador replied that in the first instance it 
was important to determine the facts on the ground in Tal 
Afar and not react to rumors.  Ambassador told Tuygan the 
operation was aimed at insurgents and not the Turkmen 
population but that his understanding was that some number of 
the insurgents were, in fact, Shia Turkmen.  He also told 
Tuygan that he believed efforts were in train to keep Turkish 
Special Forces in Northern Iraq informed as the operation 
unfolded.  Ambassador undertook to provide fuller information 
to the MFA as it became available. 
 
5.  (C) DG Burcuoglu said that an operation in Tal Afar in 
which Turkmen civilians are killed makes it difficult for his 
government to explain why the U.S. is not taking action 
against the PKK in northern Iraq.  He also cited unconfirmed 
reports that Kurdish groups in Tal Afar are providing false 
information to U.S./coalition troops that would lead them to 
mistakenly target Turkmen civilians. 
 
6.  (C) Comment:  In the face of extensive and often 
exaggerated media coverage of Turkmen casualties in Tal Afar 
last weekend, the MFA in its September 8 statements was 
attempting to be constructive.  The current fighting appears 
to have unnerved the GOT, and it comes on the heels of 
significant concern over several recent hostage takings and 
killings of Turkish truck drivers in Iraq.  U/S Tuygan,s 
remark that the current offensive could undermine Turkish 
cooperation with the U.S. across the board in Iraq shows how 
threatened the GOT feels by the prospect of significant 
civilian Turkmen casualties.  The MFA did not dispute the 
need to confront insurgent forces in Tal Afar; rather, their 
concern is based on the political fallout and negative public 
opinion they believe will be generated by further Turkmen 
casualties, and how this could make working with us on other 
Iraq-related initiatives much more difficult. 
End comment. 
 
Minimize Considered. 
EDELMAN