US embassy cable - 05ANKARA5452

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 005452 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/19/2015 
TAGS: PREL, MOPS, EAID, TU, IZ, Iraq 
SUBJECT: TURKISH RED CRESCENT DELIVERS HUMANITARIAN AID TO 
CAMPS NEAR TALAFAR, COMPLAINS PUBLICLY OF TREATMENT BY CF 
 
REF: A. ANKARA 5247 AND PREVIOUS 
     B. GETTINGER-HILL EMAIL 09/20/05 
 
Classified By: Acting DCM Timothy A. Betts for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (U) This is an action request--please see para. 8. 
 
2. (C) Summary: Press coverage of the Turkish Red Crescent's 
delivery of humanitarian assistance to displaced persons' 
camps near Talafar has included accusations by Red Crescent 
that U.S. forces intimidated Turkish aid workers and 
attempted to block and/or dictate the terms of distribution. 
Turkish MFA shares some of Red Crescent's concerns, but would 
prefer to accentuate the positive.  We would appreciate 
information from Iraq on what may have occurred so we can 
counter Red Crescent's claims.  End summary. 
 
3. (U) Sept. 15-18, Turkish Red Crescent delivered 10 
truckloads (two convoys of five trucks each) of humanitarian 
assistance (HA) to displaced persons' camps near Talafar.  We 
coordinated closely with the Turkish MFA to ensure 
coordination on the Iraqi side with Task Force Freedom, which 
had arranged for a private security contractor, Falcon 
Security, to provide escort to Talafar.  The Turks' HA 
included 3500 sizable food packets, 7800 1.5 liter bottles of 
water, quilts, gas stoves, medicine, and other materials. 
 
4. (C) MFA Head of Department for Economic Affairs Sedef 
Yavuzalp phoned PolMilOff late Sept. 16 to report on an 
apparent dispute between the Turkish Red Crescent and TFF at 
Fort Talafar.  According to Yavuzalp, TFF confiscated Red 
Crescent's cell phones and communications equipment and were 
ordering the convoy to proceed to another location to offload 
its cargo; apparently Red Crescent did not want to go to this 
location.  Both sides apparently solved the dispute; on Sept. 
17 Red Crescent delivered HA to the Nawha camp east of 
Talafar, and returned safely to Turkey. 
 
5. (U) On. Sept. 19 and 20, increasingly negative press 
stories--directly quoting Turkish Red Crescent officials as 
sources--claimed that U.S. forces in Iraq blocked Turkish Red 
Crescent from delivering aid, were abusive to Red Crescent 
personnel and fired over their heads, seized Red Crescent's 
cell phones and communications equipment, and became enraged 
when residents of a displaced persons' camp enthusiastically 
greeted the Turks. 
 
6. (C) On Sept. 20, ECONCouns and PolMilOff called on MFA 
Deputy Director General for Economic Affairs Mehmet Gucuk to 
discuss the issue.  Gucuk emphasized that "first and 
foremost" Turkey is pleased that the Turkish convoys unloaded 
their cargo and returned safely to Turkey.  However, MFA was 
concerned that the Red Crescent staff's cell phones were 
allegedly taken.  Additionally, according to Gucuk, Falcon 
Security's team of "peshmerga" (actually former pesh now 
working for Falcon) took a poor attitude toward the Turks and 
"incited" U.S. forces accordingly.  That said, Gucuk lamented 
much of the press coverage as "far from the truth," and 
asserted that he had urged Red Crescent authorities not to 
take their concerns to the press in the absence of complete 
information.  He said he would discuss the issue again with 
Red Crescent, and that the Ministry planned to release a 
"neutral" press statement later on Sept. 20 (full text of 
MFA's statement in para. 9 below).  He emphasized the need 
for the Turkish people to hear the positive message, namely 
that the Red Crescent has provided aid to the people of 
Talafar. 
 
7. (C) ECONCouns noted that we do not have a complete report 
from our authorities in northern Iraq on what may have 
occurred, and agreed that we should work with MFA to make 
this a good news story.  We are also ready to meet with the 
Red Crescent should MFA deem it advisable.  Both we and the 
Turks agreed that--in the event Turkey sends additional 
humanitarian aid to Iraq in the near future--we should 
coordinate more closely (and with the Iraqis if possible) on 
the destination of the aid and the security ground rules. 
 
8. (C) Comment and action request: Gucuk was embarrassed by 
the Red Crescent's harshly negative attacks on U.S. forces in 
the Turkish press.  While the MFA shares some of Red 
Crescent's concerns, we believe they would prefer to settle 
the issue as we would: quietly.  The U.S. should be only on 
the sidelines of what should be a good-news story; instead we 
are the star attraction in an ugly press cycle (Red Crescent 
is known in Turkey for being feckless and corrupt).  At the 
same time, we are handicapped by our lack of visibility on 
what actually happened in northern Iraq.  We often hear 
Turkish complaints about the conduct of peshmerga and former 
peshmerga in northern Iraq.  We also know that we are 
fighting a war and cannot always attend to the niceties.  We 
understand per ref b that REO Mosul is inquiring with Task 
Force Freedom on what may have occurred; we are looking 
forward to getting the facts as quickly possible to counter 
Red Crescent's accusations.  End comment and action request. 
 
9. (U) Text of MFA statement on HA delivery to Talafar 
(informal embassy translation): 
BEGIN TEXT 
 
No: 141 
Sept. 20, 2005 
 
Statement 
 
On behalf of our government and the Turkish nation, 
humanitarian assistance worth about U.S.$ 400,000 has been 
sent to Iraq to be delivered to vulnerable people in Talafar, 
who are facing a disastrous situation. 
 
Within this context, our Ministry, in cooperation with the 
Turkish Cooperation and Development Administration (TIKA) and 
Turkish Kizilay (Turkish Red Crescent Organization), has sent 
10 trucks (18 personnel and 2 communication vehicles) of 
humanitarian aid composed of mixed food packages, drinking 
water, water purification tablets, medicine and around 200 
tents to Talafar in 2 convoys. 
 
Distribution of the humanitarian aid of the first convoy 
consisted of 5 trucks, which were deployed 5-6 km from 
Talafar in Fort Talafar, was completed on September 16, 2005 
at a tent city a few kilometers from Talafar. 
 
On September 17 2005, the second convoy of 5 trucks which 
arrived at the tent city was obliged to return to Fort 
Talafar in the same day without unloading the aid due to the 
chaotic situation there, which included residents attempting 
to loot the aid. 
 
During the transfer of the humanitarian aid some problems 
were encountered, originating from the current local 
conditions related to the place and distribution methods of 
the aid materials.  However, as a result of the action taken 
by our Ministry in cooperation with the Turkish Kizilay 
Association, the U.S. Embassy in Ankara and our Embassy in 
Baghdad, these problems have been solved. 
 
Our convoy consisting of 10 trucks and 5 communication 
vehicles went to Zakho Sept. 18 under the security protection 
provided by U.S. forces and stayed the night there.  The 
Kizilay Convoy passed through the Habur Gate on September 19, 
2005 at 9.00 AM and re-entered our country. 
 
We have been taking the necessary initiatives with the U.S. 
and Iraqi officials in order to prevent such difficulties 
while transferring humanitarian aid in the future. 
 
END TEXT 
MCELDOWNEY