US embassy cable - 03ANKARA3022

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 003022 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR P, NEA CROCKER, NEA/NGA AND EUR/SE; 
NSC FOR KHALILZAD; 
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH; 
DAMASCUS FOR WALKER 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/08/2013 
TAGS: PREL, MARR, TU, IZ 
SUBJECT: TURKISH REQUEST FOR SECURE PASSAGE TO BAGHDAD - 
TURKS PROCEEDING DESPITE U.S. DEMARCHE 
 
 
REF: A. STATE 120356 
     B. STATE 114629 
     C. ANKARA 2982 
 
 
 (U) Classified by A/DCM Scot Marciel.  Reasons:  1.5 (B and 
D). 
 
 
1. (C) Pol-Mil Counselor delivered Ref A demarche to MFA 
Deputy Director General for the Middle East Safak Gokturk and 
Iraq Deskoff Farhat Alkan May 8.  Gokturk responded by saying 
that the first Turkish convoy (carrying Turkey's Ambassador 
to Iraq) had already left Ankara and would cross the Iraqi 
border at Habur the morning of May 9, proceeding from there 
to Baghdad.  The second convoy, carrying their DCM, would 
proceed as planned, crossing into Iraq May 14.  Gokturk said 
the Turks were going back for two reasons: by their count, 17 
countries already had sent diplomats back to Baghdad; and the 
GOT wanted to have their own eyes and ears in Baghdad now. 
 
 
2. (C) Gokturk said he was unaware of any plans to travel 
outside of Baghdad once their staff was back, and said that 
establishing consulates in other cities would be a long-term 
project that would not begin in the near future. 
 
 
3. (C) Referring to our point about the Coalition reserving 
the right to expel anyone who interfered with Coalition 
activities, Gokturk said he hoped that point was boilerplate 
for all countries and that we did not anticipate any trouble 
from the Turkish diplomats.  The Turks certainly did not 
intend to create any difficulty for the Coalition. 
PEARSON