US embassy cable - 03ANKARA4755

UNCLAS ANKARA 004755 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR EB - JOHN FINN 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, IZ, TU 
SUBJECT: TURKISH ASSISTANCE FOR IRAQ 
 
 
REF: A. STATE 214593 
     B. ANKARA 2549 
 
 
1. (U) Baghdad minimize considered. 
 
 
2. (U) Foreign Ministry officials have advised that the GOT 
would pledge $5 million in assistance to Iraq this year. 
That pledge includes $1 million to the UN under the Flash 
Appeal, with the remainder to fund bilateral assistance, 
including through the Turkish Red Crescent (TRC) and NGOs. 
Actual contributions to date involve several convoys sent by 
the TRC and the Anatolian Development Foundation to deliver 
food, water and medicines to hospitals and the Iraqi Red 
Crescent in northern Iraq as well as Baghdad.  These were 
unilateral contributions, not coordinated with the USG or 
ICRC, and we have not been able to verify their value. 
 
 
3. (U) In addition, the GOT has proposed several in-kind 
contributions (value unknown, except where noted), some of 
which were discussed during FM Gul's visit to Washington last 
week: 
 
 
-- Provision of office furniture and computers to the Iraqi 
MFA, Baghdad University and other institutions (worth $70,000 
TO 100,000); 
 
 
-- Training Iraqi firefighters, customs officers, police and 
medical personnel.  Turkey also offered to accept some Iraqi 
cadets for Turkish military training. 
 
 
-- Offer of experts to help staff the OCPA; 
 
 
-- Loan of a 300-line mobile phone switchboard to a Turkmen 
NGO for use in the Mosul-Tal Afar-Kirkuk area; 
 
 
-- Rehabilitation/construction and equipment for hospitals in 
Baghdad and Kirkuk, plus a field hospital (amount unknown, 
but to be funded out of $4 million pledge for bilateral 
assistance); 
 
 
--Assistance with the water distribution system, roads, 
sewerage and medical supplies in Tal Afar, to be delivered 
through the TRC and NGOs; 
 
 
-- Inspect rail track and donate locomotives and carriages to 
reactivate the Turkish-Iraqi rail connection; 
 
 
-- Working with Turkish, Iraqi and American universities to 
foster exchanges. 
 
 
4. (U)  Embassy is scheduled to meet with MFA Coordinator for 
Iraq Reconstruction Ahmet Okcun July 29, and may be able to 
provide additional details after that meeting. 
DEUTSCH