US embassy cable - 03ANKARA2049

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002049 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR PRM/ANE, EUR/SE, EUR/PRA AND NEA/NGA 
DEPT PASS USAID FOR BHA/OFDA - WGARVELINK AND FFP 
EUCOM FOR JE, JR, J5, SOJ7 AND POLAD 
GENEVA FOR RMA 
CENTCOM FOR J3, J5 AND POLAD 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/27/2013 
TAGS: EAID, IZ, PREF, PREL, TU, WFP 
SUBJECT: TFIZ01: MFA PREPARED TO MEET TRILATERALLY WITH USG 
AND UN REPRESENTATIVES; UPDATES FROM ICRC AND WFP TURKEY 
REPRESENTATIVES 
 
 
REF: ANKARA 1971 AND PREVIOUS 
 
 
(U) Classified by Deputy Chief of Mission 
Robert Deutsch for reasons 1.5 (B) and (D). 
 
 
1. (U) This cable contains an action request.  See para 10. 
 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
 
2. (C) Feza Ozturk, MFA Head of Department for International 
Political 
Organizations called a meeting on March 27 with Mission 
Disaster 
Relief Officer (MDRO) and UNHCR Deputy Representative for 
Turkey 
to provide a formal and positive response to PRM A/S Dewey's 
proposal for a trilateral coordination mechanism on 
humanitarian 
assistance.  MFA also passed on definitive approval to the 
longstanding U.S. request to site Humanitarian Daily Rations 
in 
Turkey, subject to consultation with Turkish authorities on 
the 
storage location.  International Committee of the Red Cross 
(ICRC) 
representative Finn Ruda characterized the situation in 
northern Iraq 
as relatively calm, and updated us on ICRC,s negotiations 
with the GOT 
to establish a temporary presence in Turkey.  World Food 
Program (WFP) 
Emergency Coordinator John Murray described plans to ship 
food to 
northern Iraq and procure wheat flour in Turkey.  End Summary. 
 
 
MFA Agrees to Trilateral Meetings 
--------------------------------- 
 
 
3. (C) MDRO met with Steven Corliss, the Deputy Turkey 
Representative 
for UNHCR, and Feza Ozturk, MFA Head of Department for 
International Political Organizations, on March 27 at MFA's 
request.  USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) 
Leader 
also attended.  Ozturk stated that, with some modifications, 
the 
GOT had approved A/S Dewey's March 12 proposal that Turkey 
host an 
informal structure which would bring together U.S. and 
Turkish 
civilians as well as representatives of UN agencies in Turkey 
to 
discuss humanitarian assistance issues in Turkey and northern 
Iraq.  Ozturk proposed that these meetings be held at the 
working level at MFA in Ankara and at the GOT's crisis center 
in 
Diyarbakir.  The GOT does not now see the need to hold 
analogous 
meetings in Silopi, as Dewey had proposed, as civilian 
authorities in Silopi report to the Regional Governor in 
Diyarbakir.  He stated that MFA did not see this mechanism as 
a 
decision-making body, but rather a forum to share information 
and coordinate activities.  For the time being and 
until/unless 
NGO applications to transit relief to northern Iraq are 
approved, the GOT does not envisage NGO participation in 
these 
meetings.  The GOT will not publicize these meetings before 
the 
media.  Ozturk proposed that we hold the first such meeting 
in 
Ankara on April 3. 
4. (C) Corliss responded that the UN Resident Coordinator was 
familiar with the U.S. proposal and in principle agreed that 
this 
mechanism would be useful.  However, Corliss emphasized that, 
since relief for northern Iraq would be the initial focus of 
discussion, an agency other than UNHCR should probably serve 
as 
the UN's principal interlocutor.  Corliss stated that he 
would seek 
instructions from the Resident Coordinator as to whether and 
how the 
UN would participate in these meetings.  MDRO thanked Ozturk 
for 
Turkey's positive response, and suggested keeping the 
structure 
flexible would enable us to respond to changing needs for 
coordination.  MDRO told Ozturk and Corliss that he would 
consult 
within the Embassy on USG representation in Diyarbakir. 
 
 
5. (C) Ozturk closed the meeting by transmitting the GOT's 
formal 
approval of the U.S. request to site HDRs in Turkey.  He 
stated 
that MFA and the Turkish General Staff would like to be 
"consulted" as to the storage location for the rations and 
offered himself as the principal point of contact on this 
issue. 
 
 
ICRC on Northern Iraq and Negotiations with the GOT 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
 
6. (SBU) MDRO also met with Finn Ruda, Regional 
Representative for 
Southeast Europe, on March 27.  Ruda characterized the 
situation 
in northern Iraq, where ICRC maintains 4 expatriate staff, as 
relatively calm.  Internally displaced persons (IDPs) have 
left the 
cities for rural areas, but have in many cases already 
returned to 
their homes.  They have not moved toward the Turkish border. 
 
 
7. (C) Ruda told us that MFA had assured him that ICRC would 
be able 
to transport relief materials across the Turkish border when 
there 
is a need for this assistance.  ICRC has not formally 
requested GOT 
permission to transport aid yet.  However, Ruda opined that 
access 
to northern Iraq from Turkey will be difficult at best, and 
said that 
ICRC, like other humanitarian organizations is considering 
alternate 
transit countries, such as Syria. 
 
 
8. (C) On ICRC negotiations with the GOT to establish a 
"temporary 
operational presence", Ruda expressed frustration at delays 
in 
striking a deal, but said that two sides have negotiated an 
agreement 
acceptable to ICRC and that he is now waiting for the GOT,s 
final 
approval on this. 
 
 
WFP on Shipments to Northern Iraq, Local Procurement, and 
Various Bureaucratic Hassles 
---------------------------- 
9. (C) WFP Emergency Coordinator John Murray told us that the 
GOT 
may be poised to take several large positive decisions on 
transit of 
relief for northern Iraq.  He said MFA was still considering 
WFP,s 
request to send 6,000 metric tons of food to northern Iraq. 
MFA had 
asked WFP for assurances that the relief would be fairly 
distributed 
to Turcoman and Arab IDPs as well as Kurds, and WFP responded 
that 
its local staff were responsible for distribution.  This 
response 
appears to have satisfied MFA.  Murray also noted that MFA 
was working 
to secure Cabinet approval for a 50,000 metric ton line of 
credit to 
WFP from Turkey,s strategic grain reserves.  In addition, 
WFP plans to 
buy 30,000 metric tons of wheat flour in Turkey.  Asked 
whether the 
GOT had granted transit permission for this, Murray responded 
that 
WFP could send the food through Syria if Turkey did not give 
permission. 
On transportation assets, Murray told us that WFP has firm 
contracts 
in hand for Turkish trucking companies to deliver food in 
northern 
Iraq.  However, WFP continues to run up against bureaucratic 
obstacles 
in Turkey at its warehouse in Gaziantep, and in registering 
as a 
legal entity in Turkey, despite two months of talks with the 
Turkish 
Government on these issues. 
 
 
Comment/Action Request 
---------------------- 
 
 
10. (C) At the initial joint meeting with MFA and UN 
agencies, Embassy 
plans to raise the importance of facilitating relief supplies 
across 
the Habur Gate to Iraq and discuss U.S. participation in 
Diyarbakir- 
based meetings.  We would welcome Washington guidance on 
other issues 
to be raised in this forum. 
PEARSON