US embassy cable - 04ANKARA6675

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 006675 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/30/2014 
TAGS: EAID, ETRD, IZ, PREL, PTER, TU 
SUBJECT: ANKARA TRILATERAL MEETING TO IMPROVE SECURITY FOR 
TURKISH TRUCKERS IN IRAQ 
 
REF: STATE 195610 
 
Classified By: DCM Robert Deutsch for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) Summary:  Responding to a U.S. proposal (reftel) for 
Joint Iraq, Turkey, U.S. talks on trucker security, the 
Turkish government organized the first meeting in Ankara 
November 30.  All three delegations agreed that the half-day 
meeting was successful in clarifying ongoing MNF-I security 
procedures and identifying a number of practical steps to 
improve security for Turkish truck drivers in Iraq.  The most 
notable aspect of this meeting was what did not occur:  none 
of the delegations strayed into tangential and controversial 
issues that have hindered cooperation in the past, such as 
fees charged by Kurdish authorities or the location of the 
second border crossing.  There was strong media interest, 
which helped Turkish officials demonstrate that they are 
taking steps to protect Turkish truckers.  All three 
countries sent sizable and well-prepared delegations to the 
talks.  Most important, the Turks and Iraqis came prepared to 
reach agreement on practical steps forward.  The results of 
the meeting will be summarized in a final report.  The text 
of the draft report is included in para 8.  A short press 
release was issued (para 9).  End Summary. 
 
2.  (C) Turkish delegation head, MFA Deputy Under Secretary 
Osman Koruturk reported that 59 Turkish drivers have been 
killed in Iraq, a large number have been kidnapped (most have 
since been released), and 46 have been seriously wounded.  He 
emphasized that as the numbers have increased there has been 
rising public -- and therefore -- political concern about the 
role of Turkish truckers in support of the coalition in Iraq. 
 The government recognizes that coalition efforts to 
stabilize Iraq are in Turkey's best interest, and Turkish 
companies want to continue to truck supplies into Iraq. 
However, further deterioration of the security situation for 
Turkish truckers could result in an interruption of supplies, 
something the GOT wants to avoid.  Koruturk said that it is 
the responsibility of the Iraqi government, with help from 
MNF-I, to provide security for the drivers. 
 
3.  (C) Akif Ayhan, MFA Office Director for Bilateral 
Economic Affairs, laid out some preliminary proposals from 
the Turkish side:  more police checkpoints on the main truck 
routes in Iraq; facilities to provide safe parking and 
overnight accommodations for truckers; improved convoy 
escorts, including use of airborne support; including all 
trucks under convoy security schemes -- the Turks said that 
only 30 percent of trucks were protected by MNF-I escorts 
(Note:  this represents 100 percent coverage for MNF-I 
convoys -- not all convoys are under MNF-I responsibility.); 
consider using different routes within Iraq; and help to 
identify and expedite the return to Turkey of drivers wounded 
or killed in Iraq.  Ayhan added that a second border gate 
would offer more route alternatives.  (Note:  This was the 
only time that the controversial issue of the second border 
gate was mentioned.)  A representative of the Turkish General 
Staff provided a briefing on the alternative routes from 
Turkey to Baghdad and the TGS assessment of security threats 
on each. 
 
4.  (C) The U.S. delegation was led by Ankara DCM Robert 
Deutsch, who acknowledged the important role of Turkish 
truckers in support of coalition troops and reconstruction 
efforts in Iraq.  He noted that MNF-I provides security 
escorts only for trucks providing supplies for coalition 
troops or for coalition humanitarian assistance efforts.  He 
added that the U.S. and MNF are committed to improving 
security procedures for truckers, but emphasized that trucker 
security will remain a problem until the overall security in 
Iraq improves, and that is why the recent engagement in 
Fallujah was so important.  Colonel Virgil Williams, 
representing MNF-I, reported that security for those 
supporting the coalition was a high priority for MNF-I. 
Williams explained current MNF-I protection procedures for 
truck convoys.  He said the coalition forces constantly 
assess the threat and measures to counter the threat; he 
added that the current convoy security system meets mission 
requirements.  The minimum protection is one security 
platform for 10 trucks; it is the option of the commander on 
the ground to increase the number of escorts.  Williams added 
that MNF-I does not provide airborne support for convoys, but 
air support can be utilized to respond to specific threats. 
In response to Turkish concerns that convoys were not 
protected on their return run to Turkey, Williams assured the 
Turks that security is provided both ways.  DCM Deutsch 
noted, however, that some truckers choose not to wait for the 
northbound convoy and strike out on their own.  Koruturk said 
the Turks would inform their drivers that this would no 
longer be allowed. 
5.  (C) Iraqi delegation head, MFA Under Secretary Hamid al 
Bayati, also expressed his appreciation for the important 
role Turkish drivers play in support of coalition forces and 
Iraq's reconstruction.  He pointed out that foreign 
terrorists have poured into Iraq, killing innocent civilians 
and creating security problems throughout Iraq.  He made a 
point to emphasize that after the operation in Fallujah, 
which eliminated a safe haven for the terrorists, the 
security situation throughout Iraq has markedly improved.  He 
expected the situation to improve even more after elections 
in January.  Al Bayati said the goal of the Iraqi delegation 
was to decide today on practical steps to improve security 
for Turkish truckers and to cooperate on implementation of 
the agreed upon steps.  He stated that security for Turkish 
citizens in Iraq is the responsibility of the sovereign Iraqi 
government, noting that the multi-national forces continue to 
make sacrifices to help Iraq fulfill that responsibility.  He 
said that in the short-term, the Iraqi Defense and Interior 
Ministries  would work together to identify the best routes 
for the truckers and prepare plans to protect the drivers. 
He said that Iraqi forces cannot provide protection for 
individual trucks -- they must be formed into convoys.  He 
acknowledged the special problem of trucks that break down en 
route and promised to find a solution.  In the long-term, he 
proposed that Turkey and Iraq cooperate to build a depot at 
the border, where supplies from Turkey could be off-loaded 
and transported into Iraq by Iraqi truckers.  In this way, 
Turkish drivers would not need to travel on dangerous roads 
in Iraq.  Al Bayati explained that foreigners draw special 
attention from the terrorists, who threaten them in order to 
put pressure on their governments not to cooperate with the 
coalition.  He said the Oil Ministry had established a small 
depot near the border to off-load and store refined products 
from Turkey and planned to increase the capacity of that 
facility.  The Transportation Ministry was taking stock of 
available trucks and drivers in Iraq to assess the 
feasibility of such a plan for other classes of goods. 
Additionally, Fakhri Rishan, Trade Ministry Senior Advisor, 
said the Iraqi side had already identified some locations for 
the rest/accommodations areas.  He recommended that 
representatives from the Trade and Transportation Ministries 
form a working group to quickly agree on sites and begin 
construction. 
 
6.  (C) Koruturk responded that Turkey agreed to the sites 
proposed by the Iraqi side.  However, he said the government 
could not agree to the proposal to establish a depot because 
this might affect transport agreements.  (Akif Ayhan later 
explained to Econoff that the Turks feared that limiting the 
Turkish truckers to deliveries at the border might set a 
precedent for restricting Turkish trucks making deliveries in 
Iraq in the future.) 
 
7.  (C) During a side meeting of representatives from each 
delegation, a number of agreements were reached for inclusion 
in a final report.  Iraq agreed to:  1) increase the number 
of police checkpoints; 2) provide security for Turkish trucks 
not already included in MNF-I convoys; 3) establish a working 
group to set up a joint venture to undertake construction of 
safe parking areas and accommodations for truckers -- Iraq's 
Interior and Defense Ministries agreed to provide security 
for these facilities; 4) establish temporary transfer points, 
where containers can be transferred from Turkish trucks to 
Iraqi trucks for onward delivery inside Iraq; and 5) 
establish a satellite-based communication network (GSM and 
GPS) to monitor and communicate with truckers while in Iraq. 
Koruturk said Turkey would pay for the system.  Turkey and 
Iraq agreed on the need to urge Syria not to interrupt trucks 
and trains transiting Syria.  Koruturk suggested that this 
could be done by each country on a bilateral basis.  (Note: 
Neither Iraq nor Turkey sought U.S. involvement in this 
dialogue.)  No agreement was reached on a Turkish suggestion 
to establish a hotline between Turkish commanders in 
southeast Turkey and U.S. and Iraqi commanders in northern 
Iraq.  The sides agreed to pursue technical meetings on the 
specific Iraqi-Turkish agreements, most likely in Baghdad. 
They agreed that there would be a follow up trilateral, but 
the place and time were not settled. 
 
8.  (C) Text of Draft Meeting Report.  (Note:  Some of the 
following points will be modified in the final paper to 
reflect subsequent agreements.) 
 
MNF (USA) 
As a Request 
 
Reinforcement of the existing measures: 
- Military escort. 
- Airborne support. 
- More accompanying vehicles. 
- More troops. 
- Lowest number of Turkish trucks in a single convoy. 
- Smaller but more effective units/teams. 
- Extending the route segments and increasing the checkpoints 
under protection. 
 
Bilateral (Iraq) 
 
- Increasing police checkpoints (as many as possible). 
- If possible, coverage by Iraqi national escort for convoys. 
- Safe parking and accommodation facilities (to be 
identified).  (There is already a joint venture initiative 
between the Iraqi Land Transportation Company and a Turkish 
firm; protection for such areas will be provided by the Iraqi 
Defense and Interior Ministries, but construction work will 
be carried out by the Iraqi Ministry of Transportation in 
cooperation with their Turkish counterparts.) 
- Temporary shifting locations:  exchanging containers with 
Iraqi vehicles/drivers.  (To be further discussed.) 
- Establishing a network of communications by satellite for 
monitoring of trucks. 
- Tripartite consultation between Turkey, Iraq and Syria for 
trucking and railway transportation. 
- Follow-up meetings of the Forum (Ankara/Habur etc.) 
- Setting a time schedule for the implementation of the 
measures agreed. 
- Exchanging of information through a hotline (liaison 
officers from the military). 
- Habur truck monitoring system with counterpart at Mosul. 
 
9.  (U) Text of Press Release: 
 
The convening of the tripartite meeting of Turkey, Iraq and 
the United States, the latter representing the Multi National 
Force in Iraq, was decided following the increase in the 
security risks in Iraq which has also resulted in the killing 
of a growing number of Turkish truck drivers. 
 
The first Trilateral Transport Security Forum was held in 
Ankara on 30 November 2004 with the participation of 
high-level civilian and military authorities from Turkey, 
Iraq and the United States. 
 
During the meeting, particular focus was given to the 
security difficulties in Iraq and concrete ways to overcome 
them.  These deliberations have produced a set of additional 
measures that will be effectively implemented.  The Iraqi 
side, together with the authorities of the Multi National 
Force, will work to put these measures into practice. 
 
The meeting also took note of the efforts that improve the 
overall security situation in Iraq. 
 
At the end of the meeting, the parties also decided to 
establish a follow-up mechanism with a view to monitor the 
state of implementation of the elements of agreement and to 
make these measures when needed, in the process of their 
implementation. 
EDELMAN