US embassy cable - 03ANKARA3306

UNCLAS ANKARA 003306 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR PRM/ANE, EUR/SE AND NEA/NGA 
DEPT PASS USAID FOR DHCA/OFDA 
EUCOM FOR JE, JR, J5, SOJ7 AND POLAD 
GENEVA FOR RMA 
CENTCOM FOR J3, J5 AND POLAD 
KUWAIT FOR HOC AND MDRO 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, IZ, TU 
SUBJECT:  Turkish Red Crescent Travel to Iraq to Explore 
Adopting a Hospital 
 
 
Ref:  State 108198 
 
 
1. (U) MFA Ambassador for Iraq Reconstruction Issues Ahmed 
Rifat Okcun called in Econ Counselor April 21 on Turkish 
Red Crescent (TRC) plans to visit Iraq to discuss 
assistance for hospitals with the Iraqi Red Crescent.  MFA 
Head of Department for Multilateral Political 
Organizations Feza Ozturk and Mission Disaster Relief 
Officer (MDRO) also attended the meeting. 
 
 
2. (SBU) Referring to reftel demarche on "adopting" Iraqi 
hospitals, Okcun stated that TRC would like to assist two 
small hospitals (not further identified) in Kirkuk and 
Baghdad by providing repairs, new equipment and several 
doctors and nurses for up to one year.  The Turkish 
Ministries of Health and Labor would provide the staff and 
equipment.  TRC intends to send a 12-person delegation to 
Iraq to discuss needs, but would not deliver supplies or 
equipment at this time.  The group will be led by TRC 
Disaster Affairs Director Omer Tasli and will include Dr. 
Cevdet Erdol, an Ak Party MP (travelling as a medical 
professional, rather than a politician, according to 
Okcun).  The group includes one GOT employee, a 
construction expert from the Public Works  Ministry. 
 
 
3. (SBU) In a conference call with Okcun during the 
meeting, TRC Director General Fatih Evren told us that TRC 
intended to cross the Habur Gate into Iraq on May 23 and 
to spend approximately three days each in Kirkuk and 
Baghdad, with a brief stop in Mosul as well.  MDRO advised 
TRC and MFA that the HOC should be notified 96 hours in 
advance of any movements by humanitarian organizations. 
TRC and MFA agreed to postpone the visit until May 26 and 
to provide further details of the delegation's itinerary 
to MDRO.  Embassy will provide delegation details by fax 
to the Kuwait Humanitarian Operations Center (HOC). 
 
 
4. (SBU) Ozturk said that the International Committee of 
the Red Cross (ICRC) has not been informed of this trip, 
but that TRC would brief ICRC, MFA and the Embassy after 
the return of the delegation. 
Pearson