US embassy cable - 05ANKARA898

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 000898 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EU/SE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/15/2015 
TAGS: PREL, IZ 
SUBJECT: NATO/IRAQ: TURKEY GAME PLAN ON IRAQ FOR THE 
FEBRUARY 22 NATO SUMMIT 
 
REF: USNATO 110 
 
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Robert Deutsch 
for reasons 1.4 ( b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) Post agrees with USNATO perspective (reftel) that 
Turkey could and should contribute additional support the 
NATO training mission in Iraq beyond its offer to provide 
leadership training to Iraqi security forces at its NATO 
Center of Excellence in Ankara (an offer which has not 
elicited any Iraqi response).  However, following Iraq's 
emphatic rejection of Turkey's October 2003 offer to 
contribute troops to the coalition, the Government of Turkey 
(GOT) has perceived its forces as unwelcome in Iraq.  The two 
Turkish staff members currently assigned to NATO headquarters 
in Baghdad are Turkey's demonstration of support.  However 
they were not directly contributed by the GOT, but rather, 
the GOT accepted their detailing by the NATO command to which 
they were assigned to help administer the NATO mission in 
Baghdad. 
 
2.  (C) In post's view, Turkey would need to be convinced 
that Iraq would welcome its troops before it would offer any 
additional direct support to the NATO mission in Iraq.  We 
understand that the Iraqis privately told US officials that 
Iraq would not have concerns with a Turkish contribution to 
the NATO mission there.  In soliciting a contribution of 
Turkish personnel to fill remaining NATO staffing gaps in 
Baghdad, post believes our chances of success would increase 
if the Iraqis were to weigh in authoritatively with the Turks 
and tell them directly that Turkish contributions to the NATO 
mission in Iraq would be most welcome. 
 
3. (U) Baghdad minimize considered.  EDELMAN