NORTHERN IRAQ: TURKMEN FRONT AGREES TO ATTEND

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 008730 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA CROCKER, NEA/NGA AND EUR/SE; LONDON FOR GOLDRICH; DAMASCUS FOR WALKER E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/28/2012 TAGS: PREL MARR TU IZ SUBJECT: NORTHERN IRAQ: TURKMEN FRONT AGREES TO ATTEND OPPOSITION CONFERENCE, WANTS PRO-KDP TURKMEN COUNTED AGAINST SOMEONE ELSE'S NUMBERS REF: A. ANKARA 8142 ¶B. ANKARA 7993 ¶C. ANKARA 7775 ¶D. ANKARA 7550 ¶E. ANKARA 7509 ¶F. ANKARA 7148 (U) Classified by Pol-Mil Counselor Stuart Brown. Reasons: 1.5 (B and D). ¶1. (C) Operation Northern Watch POLAD met with Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF) Ankara rep and Executive Committee member Dr. Mustafa Ziya November 29. Ziya shared the text (see para 3) of the opposition conference steering committee's response to the ITF's complaint letter of November 5 (ref B). ziya noted that the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) continued to oppose granting ITF requests. He said that the ITF had agreed to participate in the London conference after ITF Chairman Sanan Aga received a letter from four senior USG official encouraging its participation. Ziya added that the ITF now had only one demand - that the pro-KDP Turkmen cited ref A not be counted against the 6 percent of the seats reserved for Turkmen (which, with the addition of the independents, is now closer to 4 percent, he claimed). "Let them come as part of the KDP group, or as independents," he said. Ziya hoped that, with USG help, this problem could be solved. We stressed that the ITF should not expect USG intervention on this point. Ziya then assured ONW POLAD that ITF reps in London would continue to negotiate this with the steering committee. ¶2. (C) Ziya told us that the KDP and SCIRI had a "secret" agreement to support each other's positions at the conference, including on the KDP's draft constitution. With a total of 113 seats, Ziya said, the KDP and SCIRI would drive the outcome. Ziya worried that if the KDP draft were approved, the federal structure would separate 4 million Sunnis from the south/center of Iraq, leaving the southern/central federal unit with 80 percent Shi'a. Ziya also promised us an advanced copy of the ITF's presentation for the conference, which he expected would win approval from 90 percent of the delegates. ¶3. (C) Text of Steering Committee Reply to ITF (As translated by the ITF) Begin Text: Preparation of the Iraqi Opposition Congress, London, 20/11/02 ITF Responsibilities We received your letter on the Opposition Congress and we analyzed your requests in detail during our meetings in a positive manner. Please find below our suggestions on your requests. ¶1. All documents, statements and participation of branches, emerging after the opposition congress will be considered seriously by the preparation committee. ¶2. Concerning your request on participating the preparation activities; As you also know, the six person's group decided on the August Washington meeting, not to enlarge the preparation committee beyond their group and also to finance the congress all by their own. The commission is a technical committee whose activities will have an end immediately with the start of the congress. The participation of any group might be considered as an example for the others and our former experiences have proved that large preparation activities, participated by 20 groups or more are mostly resulted nor practical neither beneficial. ¶3. The participation rates of the 1992 Salahadeen congress have been taken essential to the participation of the political, national and religious trends for the coming congress. As there are no clear statistics about the structure and population rates of the Iraqi community, the determined participation rates might appear to be unfair. All of us feel treated unjustly about this case. It is hard to change these rates at the moment since a change in favor of one group will affect the others. Actually the participation rates will not affect the results of the congress because the results will depend on political conciliation, not on votes. all documents will be presented as drafts, open to discussion. ¶4. In order to ensure your participation to this congress which is the hope of all Iraqi people, the commission increased the number of the Turkmen delegation to 15 persons, including 8 persons from the ITF. This means a majority for the Turkmen participation. We expect you positive contribution to this very important congress which is expected forwardly by the Iraqi community and also the whole district. The Preparation Committee End Text. DEUTSCH