US embassy cable - 03ANKARA1799

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 001799 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR PRM/ANE, EUR/SE, NEA/NGA, IO AND SA/PAB 
NSC FOR DWORKEN, MANN, KHALILZAD, QUANRUD AND BRYZA 
DEPT PASS USAID FOR NATSIOS; DCHA/OFDA FOR GARVELINK, 
MCCONNELL, MARX, AND FARNSWORTH; ANE/AA FOR CHAMBERLAIN; 
USAID/A, DCHA/AA, 
DCHA/RMT, DCHA/OFDA, DCHA/FFP, DCHA/OTI, DCHA/DG, ANE/AA 
AND USAID/AA 
ROME FOR FODOG; GENEVA FOR RMA AND NKYLOH 
EUCOM FOR J3, J5, SOJ7 AND POLAD 
CENTCOM FOR J3, J5 AND POLAD 
PACOM FOR POLAD 
GENEVA FOR RMA 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2013 
TAGS: AA, EAID, EFIN, IZ, MOPS, PHUM, PREF, PREL, TU, WFP 
SUBJECT: DART: MARCH 18 NGO COORDINATION MEETING IN ANKARA 
 
 
REF: ANKARA 1380 
 
 
Classified by DART for Reasons 1.5(B) and (D). 
 
 
This cable was draft by Disaster Assistance Response Team 
(DART) Field Office/North and cleared by Embassy Ankara. 
 
 
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Summary 
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1. (C) On March 18, DART Field Office/North facilitated the 
first coordination meeting among Non-Governmental 
Organizations (NGOs), the United Nations (U.N.), and USG 
humanitarian personnel in Ankara, Turkey.  Representatives 
from ten NGOs were in attendance, namely: Mercy Corps 
International (MCI), Action Against Hunger/France (ACF), 
International Medical Corps (IMC), Oxfam/UK, Northwest 
Medical Team (NWMT), American Red Cross (AmRC), World Relief, 
CARE International, International Rescue Committee (IRC), and 
Save the Children/US (SCF/US).  U.N. High Commissioner for 
Refugees (UNHCR) and the U.N. Office for the Coordination for 
Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) officials were in attendance 
on behalf of the U.N.  Four DART Field Office/North members 
and the Embassy MDRO took part in the coordination meeting on 
behalf of the USG. 
 
 
2. (C) The two-hour meeting covered overall humanitarian 
coordination issues, the reluctance of the U.N. to facilitate 
future meetings, and an opportunity for NGOs to outline the 
steps they have taken to register with the Government of 
Turkey (GOT), as well as provide information on the sectors 
that they are focusing on.  NGOs expressed the need to 
continue these coordination meetings on a regular basis, and 
DART Field Office/North will facilitate a second coordination 
meeting the morning of March 22.  Additionally, the NGO 
community expressed the desire to meet with U.S. military 
personnel to discuss the dissemination of information on 
security issues.  NGOs are also seeking information on 
organizations that will respond to a potential Chemical or 
Biological attack on civilian populations. 
 
 
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U.N. Reluctance to Coordinate NGO Meetings 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
3. (C) UN OCHA is willing to track the transit and 
registration process and lobby on behalf on NGOs with the GOT 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).  However, UN OCHA 
indicated that they are unable, at this time, to coordinate 
any meetings with unregistered NGOs because the GOT insists 
that only registered NGOs participate in U.N. facilitated 
coordination meetings.   UN OCHA stressed they are willing to 
continue to 
be an observer at future NGO coordination discussions. 
Several NGOs voiced concern over the U.N.,s reluctance to 
host future NGO coordination meetings, and UNHCR and UN OCHA 
indicated 
that they would take the issue up with the U.N. Resident 
Coordinator.  DART Field Office/North urged U.N. 
representatives to host NGO coordination meetings for issued 
related to humanitarian assistance in northern Iraq. 
 
 
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Current Registration Process 
---------------------------------- 
4. (U) Based on information provided by NGOs during the 
coordination meeting, NGOs, in addition to applying for a 
transit permit and registration license, must now submit a 
request to the MFA for a crisis permit as well.  NGOs voiced 
frustration that the process for providing humanitarian 
assistance now requires three separate applications; transit, 
registration, and crisis permits.  NGOs asked if UN OCHA 
could provide guidance to all organizations seeking to 
register with the GOT.  UN OCHA is discussing the matter 
internally and will provide an update at the next 
coordination meeting. 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
Update on the NGO Registration Process 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
5. (U) Each NGO presented a brief overview of the status of 
their registration with the MFA, as well as some indication 
of the area and/or sectors that they are focusing on: 
 
 
A.    International Rescue Committee ) IRC submitted both 
their transit permit and registration documents to the MFA on 
March 10.  They are looking at providing assistance to 
northern Iraq, with a focus on primary health, children,s 
issues, and water and sanitation. 
 
 
B.    International Medical Corps ) IMC submitted both a 
transit and registration application to the MFA on March 12. 
They would like to focus on primary health care and health 
education in northern Iraq. 
 
 
C.    Mercy Corps International ) MCI just arrived in Ankara 
and is working to draft transit and registration materials to 
submit to the MFA.  MCI indicated that they have a strong 
working relationship with Peace Winds/Japan, an international 
NGO currently working in northern Iraq. 
 
 
D.    Action Against Hunger ) ACF has no plans to establish 
an office or transit goods through Turkey.  ACF sent a 
representative to Ankara in case of a refugee crisis within 
Turkey and they will focus on nutrition if such a crisis 
presents itself. 
 
 
E.    Oxfam/UK ) Oxfam/UK is in discussions with UNHCR to 
provide emergency water and sanitation services in refugee 
camps on the Turkish side of the border.  If the Turkish 
military plans on crossing the border, Oxfam/UK made it very 
clear that they will not apply for a transit permit with the 
MFA. 
 
 
F.    Northwest Medical Team ) NWMT applied for a transit 
permit on March 18 and will focus on primary health concerns 
beyond any potential Turkish buffer zone in northern Iraq. 
 
 
G.    American Red Cross ) AmRC has had a relationship with 
the Turkish Red Crescent for three years and is in a position 
to provide technical assistance to the Red Crescent if needed. 
 
 
H.    World Relief ) World Relief is submit their 
registration documents with the MFA, but has yet to do so. 
They are not looking at transiting goods through Turkey, but 
intend to establish an office to provide technical assistance 
to 
local NGOs. 
 
 
I.    CARE International ) CARE arrived in Ankara on March 
16 and is looking into the possibility of obtaining both a 
transit permit and registration license. 
 
 
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Future Coordination Meetings 
------------------------------------ 
6. (C) NGOs expressed the need to continue coordination 
meetings on a regular basis.  Due to the U.N.,s reluctance 
to facilitate meetings with unregistered organizations, DART 
Field Office/North will facilitate a second coordination 
meeting on March 22.  Additionally, the NGO community 
expressed the desire to meet with U.S. Military personnel 
on March 22 to discuss the dissemination of information on 
security issues.  NGOs are also seeking information on 
organizations that will respond to a potential CBRNE attack 
on civilian populations.  DART Field Office/North is 
attempting to arrange for U.S. military personnel to meet 
with NGOs and is seeking guidance from OFDA/Washington on 
Chemical and Biological response concerns through separate 
channels. 
PEARSON