US embassy cable - 05ANKARA3964

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 003964 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/06/2015 
TAGS: PREL, EAID, PGOV, ECON, EIND, IZ, TU, EUN, Iraq 
SUBJECT: TURKEY'S RESPONSE ON COORDINATING CONSTITUTIONAL 
ASSISTANCE TO IRAQ 
 
REF: A. STATE 124857 
     B. ANKARA 3844 
 
Classified By: Acting Deputy Chief of Mission James R. Moore for reason 
s 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (U) This is an action request -- see para 4. 
 
2. (C) PolMilOff delivered ref a demarche July 6 to MFA Iraq 
Desk Officer Hakan Cakil.  Cakil noted plans for an 
NGO-organized conference in Turkey July 12-13 on the 
constitution (reported ref b).  The co-host Iraqi NGO (the 
Fund for Democracy and Development) was responsible for 
issuing invitations for Iraqis.  Cakil did not know whether 
any of the Iraqi invitees were members of Iraq's 
constitutional drafting committee, but said he would check 
with the Iraqi NGO. 
 
3. (C) Later July 6, MFA Head of Department for Iraq Avni 
Botsali phoned PolMilOff to inquire whether the U.S. was 
asking Turkey to call off items it already has in the 
pipeline.  In addition to the July 12-13 seminar on the 
constitution, Turkey had offered political party training (as 
it has been doing for some months now) to the KDP and to 
Allawi's party; Botsali added that Da'wa was also considering 
a Turkish offer.  All of this training is to take place 
before July 20, Botsali noted, since after that date the 
university faculty the GOT uses will be on summer leave. 
Botsali said that for previous similar training, most Iraqi 
parties have primarily sent young, new party activists with a 
couple of older politicians to "add weight" to the group. 
Botsali did not believe that members of the constitutional 
drafting committee would be part of these delegations.  He 
added that to turn off the party training at this late date 
would serve to further strain the Turks' relations with the 
KDP.  PolMilOff responded that we would check with 
Washington, but added that ref a talking points (in 
particular the point for Ankara) did not appear to request 
that the GOT cancel events already in the pipeline, but 
rather not to add new events outside of Iraq before the 
constitutional deadline. 
 
4. (C) Action request: If our understanding of ref a is 
wrong, please advise.  We do not plan to press the Turks to 
cancel planned events unless instructed otherwise. 
 
5. (U) Iraq REOs minimize considered. 
MCELDOWNEY