US embassy cable - 05ANKARA2196

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 002196 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/16/2025 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PTER, TU, IZ 
SUBJECT: TURKS SAY NEIGHBORS MEETING POSTPONED AT 
JA'AFARI'S REQUEST 
 
REF: BAGHDAD 1592 (NOTAL) 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Eric S. Edelman for reasions 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) We read reftel with interest, but the Turks tell us a 
different story on the postponement of the Istanbul Iraq 
Neighbors' Meeting.  MFA Head of Department for Iraq Avni 
Botsali emailed us at 0130 local time April 17 to inform us 
that the "neighbors meeting is postponed since PM-designate 
Ja'afari said that the work on the formation of the new 
Transitional Government is about to be finalized and he would 
very much like to come and address the FMs as the head of the 
newly formed government."  Botsali told PolMilOff later on 
April 17 that he understood that FonMin Zebari was unhappy 
with Ja'afari's decision to request a postponement. 
 
2. (C) We followed up with Botsali April 18.  He reported 
that Ja'afari had called FonMin Gul to request that the 
meting be postponed "by about a week" to allow for the 
formation of the ITG, and that Gul had reluctantly agreed. 
Botsali reported that the next meeting was tentatively 
rescheduled for April 27-28, but added that given the events 
of this weekend the ITG would have to be officially in place; 
if not, holding such a meeting would "seem strange." 
 
3. (C) MFA Director General for the Middle East Oguz Celikkol 
had briefly discussed Ja'afari's possible participation with 
the DCM on April 12.  He reported Ja'afari's possible 
attendance and remarked that Turkey would essentially 
consider it a bonus since the meeting was at the foreign 
minister level.  When PolMilOff checked in with Department 
Head Botsali over the course of last week on this issue, 
Botsali took much the same line, though it appeared that the 
Turks were pleased that the Ja'afari visit had apparently 
become a real possibility.  However, at no time did we detect 
that the Turks had determined that Ja'afari's participation 
was a necessity for the neighbors meeting to occur. 
 
4. (U) Iraq posts minimize considered. 
EDELMAN