US embassy cable - 05ANKARA3844

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 003844 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/29/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, TU, IZ, Iraq 
SUBJECT: TURKEY CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC ON IRAQ, CONTINUES 
OUTREACH, SEEKS LOW-PUBLICITY PKK TRILATERALS 
 
REF: A. ANKARA 3049 
     B. ANKARA 3028 
 
Classified By: Acting DCM James R. Moore for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
1. (C) Turkey is "cautiously optimistic" on the future of 
Iraq, according to Osman Koruturk, the GOT's Special Envoy 
for Iraq.  Turkey is continuing its outreach to political 
parties, and is facilitating a conference on the constitution 
at a Turkish mountain resort July 12-13.  Koruturk claimed 
Turkish relations with the Iraqi Kurds were good, adding that 
the Kurdish leaders know independence is not viable.  Turkish 
MFA officials believe the June 22 Brussels conference was a 
success.  The Turks are prepared for technical expert-level 
PKK trilateral talks in Washington, but seek a low profile. 
End summary. 
 
Outreach Continues 
------------------ 
 
2. (C) Turkey is "cautiously optimistic" on the future of 
Iraq, GOT Special Envoy for Iraq Osman Koruturk told the 
Charge during their July 1 courtesy call.  Though the 
security situation is of concern, Koruturk said he sees 
progress on the political front.  He evaluated Sunni outreach 
as the key to the process, and said Turkey will continue its 
outreach to all political groups as the constitutional 
process proceeds. 
 
3. (SBU) In addition, the GOT is facilitating a conference on 
the constitution July 12-13 near Istanbul of about 20-30 
Iraqis of all backgrounds.  A Turkish NGO (Center for Middle 
Eastern and Balkan Studies) and Iraqi NGO (Fund for Democracy 
and Development, headed by Ghassan Atiyyah) are co-sponsors. 
The Turks are inviting U.S., British, and Turkish scholars as 
well. 
 
4. (C) Koruturk reported that the June 22 Iraq Conference in 
Brussels was a success.  MFA Deputy Director General for the 
Middle East Safak Gokturk echoed Koruturk, and also noted the 
Iraqi delegation was well-prepared: they made clear what they 
expected of the international community and what they would 
do themselves.  Gokturk also believed that the conference 
went a long way (though not completely) to overcome the rift 
among those nations who supported OIF and those who did not. 
Gokturk thought the conference sent a strong warning to those 
who seek to use the Iraq war as a wedge to divide the 
"western allies." 
 
Kurds Know Independence Not Viable 
---------------------------------- 
 
5. (C) Koruturk expressed no concerns about the Kurds' role 
in the process; he said Turkey supported Talabani's election 
as President of Iraq (COMMENT: True.  END COMMENT) and 
averred that Turkey's relations with KRG President Barzani 
were also good (COMMENT: We doubt it.  END COMMENT.). 
Koruturk said Turkey is not worried about any particular 
Kurdish group (KDP and PUK), but does worry "about things 
like referenda," referring to the Jan. 30 "unofficial" 
referendum on independence held in the KRG.  Koruturk 
believed that Kurdish leaders do not think that a Kurdish 
state is viable: "If the surrounding countries don't want 
good relations with them, then their life will be difficult," 
he said. 
 
PKK Trilats: We're Ready, But No Reporters, Please 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
6. (C) Koruturk told the Charge that Turkey was ready to 
proceed with technical-level PKK trilaterals in Washington. 
He asked that the meeting not be publicized.  To do so, he 
argued, would create two negative consequences: 
 
--Public interest in the PKK--especially vis-a-vis the 
U.S.--is so high that the press would draw attention to any 
lack of concrete action to cause problems in the U.S.-Turkish 
relationship.  Koruturk recalled that at a recent briefing he 
held for senior journalists on Iraq, the journalists only 
wanted to discuss PKK and seemed uninterested in other 
aspects of Iraq. 
 
--Additionally, Koruturk did not want the PKK to draw succor 
from reporting that would tend to confirm the view--even if 
false--that the U.S. is not taking action against it. 
7. (C) Charge noted that S/I Amb. Jones would be prepared to 
discuss some non-kinetic steps we are interested in pursuing 
during his July 5 meeting with Koruturk in Washington. 
Koruturk responded that action against the PKK would improve 
Turkish public opinion about the U.S., which in turn would 
"free my government to do more" in Iraq. 
 
8. (U) Iraq REOs minimize considered. 
MCELDOWNEY