US embassy cable - 03ANKARA1311

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001311 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR PRM/ANE, EUR/SE AND NEA/NGA 
DEPT PASS USAID FOR BHA/OFDA - WGARVELINK/RLIBBY AND FFP 
EUCOM FOR JE, JR, J5, SOJ7 AND POLAD 
GENEVA FOR RMA 
CENTCOM FOR J3, J5 AND POLAD 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2013 
TAGS: EAID, IZ, MOPS, PREF, PREL, TU 
SUBJECT: TURKISH MFA REQUESTS HIGH-LEVEL TALKS AND POSSIBLE 
MOU ON HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE 
 
REF: ANKARA 946 
 
 
Classified by Deputy Chief of Mission Robert Deutsch for 
Reasons 1.5(B) and (D). 
 
 
1. (U) This is an action cable.  See para 12 for action 
request. 
 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
 
 
2. (S) MFA advised DCM that the GOT would like to hold 
further talks on humanitarian assistance at a senior level, 
and that a Memorandum of Understanding on this issue might be 
necessary.  MFA wants to hold these coordinating discussions 
at an "Ambassadorial" level with Ambassador Daryal Batibay, 
MFA Director General for Multilateral Political Affairs 
representing Turkey.  It offered to host bilateral 
discussions on this during the last half of the week of March 
3.  DCM told MFA that he would convey this request to 
Washington.  This request followed a February 26 meeting at 
MFA on structures for coordinating humanitarian assistance 
with military needs, NGO access and other issues.  End 
Summary. 
 
 
Humanitarian Aid Coordination: 
------------------------------ 
 
 
3. (SBU) Mission Disaster Relief Officer (MDRO), accompanied 
by Polmiloff, USAID,s Disaster Assistance Response Team 
(DART), and representatives of the Military Coordination and 
Liaison Command (MCLC), and EUCOM Forward, met with Feza 
Ozturk, MFA Head of Department, International Political 
Organizations, to discuss humanitarian assistance issues on 
February 26. 
 
 
4. (C) MDRO told Ozturk that the USG is eager to establish a 
mechanism that would bring together Turkish and American 
civilian and military authorities, UN agencies and other 
organizations, to reconcile delivery of humanitarian supplies 
to Iraq with military needs.  Although the U.S. side is still 
considering the most appropriate way to structure this 
coordinating body, MDRO said that Diyarbakir would appear to 
be the best location, based on GOT and UN plans to have a 
presence there.  Pending establishment of this body, MDRO 
suggested that U.S. and Turkish civilian and military 
authorities begin meeting regularly on these issues in Ankara. 
 
 
5. (C) Ozturk agreed that there is a need to coordinate 
closely, but maintained the need for definite &guidelines8 
on the scope of our cooperation and the structure of a 
coordinating entity, particularly with regard to its 
relationship with any Turkish activities in northern Iraq. 
He proposed a follow-up meeting on this issue on or about 
March 7, and that he would include the Turkish General Staff 
in this meeting. 
 
 
6. (S) In a telephone conversation with the DCM on February 
27, Tunc Ugdul, MFA Deputy Director for International 
Political Organizations, referred to the previous day,s 
meeting and said that the GOT would like to hold further 
talks on humanitarian assistance at a senior level, and that 
a Memorandum of Understanding on this issue might be 
necessary.  He said that Ambassador Daryal Batibay, MFA 
Director General for Multilateral Political Affairs, or 
another official of similar rank, could host bilateral 
discussions on this during the last half of the week of March 
3.  DCM told Ugdul that he would convey MFA,s request to 
Washington. 
 
 
NGO Access and Other Issues 
--------------------------- 
 
 
7.  (SBU) NGO Access:  At the February 26 meeting, Ozturk 
reiterated that the GOT plans to allow NGOs with genuine 
humanitarian aims to transit the border if there is a need 
for their assistance in the area beyond Turkey,s border zone 
in Iraq.  The GOT does not plan to levy customs or other 
duties on humanitarian goods transiting Turkey destined for 
Iraq.  He said NGOs were welcome to apply to MFA for permits, 
but cautioned that the first application could take several 
weeks to be approved.  Ozturk contrasted this arrangement 
with more restrictive rules for NGOs intending to provide 
assistance within Turkey or the immediate border area in Iraq 
(see reftel and septel).  We responded that the USG, here and 
in Washington, was working to inform NGOs of Turkish 
procedures and that we expected the International Rescue 
Committee and possibly other NGOs to apply to MFA soon. 
 
 
8. (C) Use of Iskenderun Port by UN Agencies:  We raised the 
issue of World Food Program (WFP) access to the port of 
Iskenderun.  WFP told us that it had been directed by MFA 
several months ago to plan on using Iskenderun for import of 
relief supplies, because the port of Mersin was reserved for 
military use.  It emerged last week that U.S. military and 
private use of Iskenderun could preclude WFP use of the port. 
 It also appears that Mersin will not be fully utilized by 
the military.  Ozturk told us he was aware of the issue and 
was working with WFP on alternatives. 
 
 
9. (C) Humanitarian Daily Rations (HDRs):  MDRO asked MFA 
whether the GOT needed any further information to approve our 
request to site HDRs in Turkey.  Ozturk responded that the 
only outstanding issue was the actual warehouse location for 
the HDRs, and that he would get back to us on this in the 
near future. 
 
 
10. (C) Turkish Red Crescent (TRC) Role in Northern Iraq: 
MDRO pointed out that the International Committee of the Red 
Cross would have the mandate for coordinating aid in zones of 
conflict, and asked how Ozturk whether the TRC would obtain 
an ICRC mandate to operate in northern Iraq, as contemplated 
in GOT plans.  Ozturk responded that TRC and the GOT would 
work with ICRC on this issue.  He also contended that the 
Turkish military would not manage Turkish camps in northern 
Iraq, but merely provide external security. 
 
 
Comment and Action Request: 
--------------------------- 
 
 
11. (C) Despite its professed openness to NGOs providing 
assistance to Iraq, the GOT remains wary of them and would 
instinctively prefer to define relationships with them in 
advance, but a restrictive MOU on humanitarian assistance 
could deter NGOs from even considering delivery of aid 
through Turkey. 
 
 
12. (S) Embassy requests Washington guidance ASAP on 
Turkey,s proposal to host further coordination talks on the 
framework for humanitarian assistance next week, specifically 
as to whether the U.S. is willing to have a senior-level team 
address these issues, with a possible MOU negotiation on the 
horizon. 
PEARSON