US embassy cable - 05ANKARA2578

UNCLAS ANKARA 002578 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, IZ, TU, Iraq 
SUBJECT: IRAQ: GOT OFFERS CONDOLENCES FOR ERBIL AND OTHER 
ATTACKS, GUL CALLS BARZANI 
 
Sensitive but unclassified--please protect accordingly.  Not 
for Internet distribution. 
 
1. (SBU) The Turkish MFA released a statement following the 
May 4 Erbil bombing, condemning this and other recent 
terrorist attacks in Iraq (text in para. 2).  MFA Head of 
Department for Iraq Avni Botsali told PolMilOff the evening 
of May 4 that FonMin Gul had also called KDP leader Masoud 
Barzani to offer condolences.  COMMENT: Relations between 
Barzani and the Turks have been strained of late, so this 
phone call is good news.  The Turkish statement is also 
positive, offering advanced medical care as Ankara did after 
the twin bombings of KDP and PUK gatherings last year.  END 
COMMENT. 
 
2. (U) Text of informal embassy translation of MFA statement 
follows: 
 
BEGIN TEXT 
 
Turkish Republic Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
Information Department 
No 71 
May 4, 2005 
 
Announcement 
 
We have learned with sorrow that more than 200 civilians have 
been killed and many injured in terrorist attacks against the 
police station close to the KDP-I Headquarters building in 
Erbil today as well as attacks in Mosul and Baghdad and 
elsewhere in Iraq during the past week. 
 
We condemn these attacks, which aim at impeding the 
establishment of stability in Iraq. 
 
We urge all political parties, groups, and leaders in Iraq to 
ignore these provocations and to act with common sense, 
responsibility, and decency.  We also urge all parties to 
participate in the political process and work above all to 
foster a spirit of unity, cooperation, dialogue and 
reconciliation during the sensitive period through which our 
neighbor Iraq is passing. 
 
We offer our condolences to the brother Iraqi nation, the 
Iraqi Transitional Government and KDP leadership, and the 
relatives of those who lost their lives in the terrorist 
attacks and we wish a speedy recovery to those who were 
injured. 
 
Our government has already informed the relevant authorities 
in Iraq that we are ready to facilitate transfer and medical 
treatment for casualties for whom treatment is not available 
in Iraq. 
 
END TEXT 
 
3. (U) Iraq posts minimize considered. 
EDELMAN