US embassy cable - 04ANKARA6766

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 006766 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/02/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, KDEM, PREL, PINS, IZ, TU 
SUBJECT: TURKISH MFA AND ANKARA REP DENY IRAQI TURKMEN 
FRONT IS BOYCOTTING ELECTIONS 
 
REF: BAGHDAD 1916 
 
Classified By: PolMilCouns Timothy A. Betts for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
. 
 
1. (C) PolMilOff contacted both the Ankara Iraqi Turkmen 
Front (ITF) representative, Ahmet Muratli, as well as the MFA 
Iraq Desk, to see if we could verify reftel report that the 
ITF had signed a statement calling for a boycott of Jan. 30 
elections in Iraq.  Muratli strongly denied that the ITF 
sought an election boycott, and also denied that the ITF had 
signed the statement of the Iraqi National Foundation 
Congress.  Muratli explained that a senior leader of the ITF, 
Cemal San, had attended the Iraqi National Foundation 
Congress meeting which produced the statement, but only in 
his capacity as an observer from the "Iraq Supreme Election 
Council." (Note: We think Muratli may have meant the IECI, 
but we have not been able to confirm if San is an IECI 
member.  End note.)  He repeated that San did not sign the 
statement nor did the ITF endorse it in any way.  Muratli 
went on to say that San had appeared on Turkmeneli television 
in Iraq to deny reports that the ITF supported an election 
boycott, and that Muratli himself had also released a 
statement to this effect. 
 
2. (C) MFA Iraq Desk Director Avni Botsali also emphatically 
denied that the ITF supported an election boycott. 
 
3. (U) Baghdad minimize considered. 
EDELMAN