US embassy cable - 02ANKARA8975

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 008975 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR NEA CROCKER, NEA/NGA AND EUR/SE; 
LONDON FOR KHALILZAD, PEARCE AND EGOLDRICH; 
DAMASCUS FOR WALKER 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/13/2012 
TAGS: PREL, MARR, TU, IZ, Iraq 
SUBJECT: NORTHERN IRAQ: TURKS TELL PUK ASSISTANCE AGAINST 
ANSAR AL-ISLAM DEPENDS ON OUTCOME OF LONDON OPPOSITION 
CONFERENCE, PLUS ITF INTRIGUES 
 
 
 (U) Classified by Charge d'Affaires a.i. Robert Deutsch. 
Reasons:  1.5 (B and D). 
 
 
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Turks Link Help vs. Ansar to Conference Outcome 
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1. (C) Operation Northern Watch POLAD met with Patriotic 
Union of Kurdistan Ankara rep Bahros Galali December 13. 
Galali said he had met earlier in the week with Turkish 
military officials (NFI) who told him that if, in Turkey's 
view, the London opposition conference had a positive result, 
Turkey would do all it could to help the PUK, including in 
the fight against Ansar al-Islam.  However, if Turkey was 
unhappy with the outcome, Turkey would be unable to provide 
the PUK with assistance.  The TGS officers told Galali that 
the PUK should block the participation at the conference of 
KDP-friendly Turkmen.  The PUK declined to do so. 
 
 
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Rumors of Turkish Troops, Ammo to Border 
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2. (C) Galali told us he had information that the Turks were 
moving troops, ammunition and food stocks to the Iraqi 
border.  He had heard rumors from a number of sources that 
Turkey was training three thousand soldiers to serve in an 
"international police force" in Iraq, that the group included 
Iraqi Turkmen, and that the plan was for these soldiers to 
remain in northern Iraq indefinitely.  He said he feared 
Turkey would "attack our area and take control of our region 
until there is a new government in a stable Baghdad." 
 
 
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ITF Office Run By Turkish Turks-Visa Scams 
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3. (C) Galali told us he had been informed by a friend in the 
TGS that the Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF) office in Zakho was 
staffed by Turks, not by Iraqi Turkmen, and that he had been 
advised that the Zakho ITF office would help him get PUK 
people into Turkey for a USD 600/person fee.  Galali added 
that this week, in his effort to get PUK delegates to London, 
he had one politburo member who went to the Zahko ITF office 
with his Iraqi passport, and was first told the passport was 
invalid.  He got a new passport in Dohuk and was turned away 
by the ITF office in Zakho again.  The third time he put USD 
600 in his passport and received a Turkish visa. 
 
 
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ITF Insisting on 20 Seats, Endorsement of Views 
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4. Finally, Galali said he ran into ITF Chairman Sanan Aga at 
the Ankara airport earlier in the day.  Aga told Galali that 
the ITF was bringing 20 delegates to the London opposition 
conference, although the organizers had only offerd the ITF 8 
spots.  Aga said if the conference did not let all the ITF 
delegates in, the ITF would walk out of the conference.  Aga 
also told Galali that if the ITF did not get its positions 
approved, it would not accept the results of the conference. 
DEUTSCH