US embassy cable - 05ANKARA3329

UNCLAS ANKARA 003329 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECIN, IZ, MARR, PREL, TU, Iraq 
SUBJECT: TURKEY AND IRAQ WILL MEET TO DISCUSS TRUCKER 
SECURITY, BORDER ISSUES AND CONSULATES 
 
Sensitive But Unclassified. 
 
1.  (U) The press reported June 10 that bilateral working 
group meetings on transportation security and consular 
affairs agreed to during the Ankara visit of PM Jafari will 
be held at a technical level on June 13 (transportation) and 
June 16 (consular).  MFA Chief of Section for Iraq Economic 
Relations Sedef Yavuzalp confirmed that the two sides had 
agreed to the meetings.  However, the transportation security 
meeting would not take place on June 16 because preparations 
had not yet been made.  MFA Iraq Desk Officer Hasan Sekizkok, 
however, confirmed to PolMilOff that Iraq and Turkey will 
hold bilateral talks on consular matters in Ankara on June 
16.   MFA DG for Consular Affairs Amb. Murat Ersavci will 
lead the Turkish delegation; the Iraqi HOD will be the MFA 
Undersecretary responsible for administrative and consular 
affairs.  Sekizkok said he expected visa matters to dominate 
the discussion. 
 
2.  (SBU) Yavuzalp explained that Turkey's agreement to hold 
a second bilateral transportation security meeting with the 
Iraqis did not mean that Turkey did not want to hold another 
trilateral (U.S.-Turkey-Iraq) trucker security meeting. 
(Note:  The first bilateral meeting was held in December 2004 
following the November trilateral.)  She said the bilateral 
with the Iraqis would be a working group meeting.  Econoff 
offered that the U.S. was pleased that Turkey and Iraq were 
working bilaterally to address transportation and border 
issues.  Yavuzalp said the 
Turks and Iraqis would discuss the U.S. role at the working 
group meeting on transportation. 
MOORE