Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
02ANKARA8730
2002-11-29 12:21:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:  

NORTHERN IRAQ: TURKMEN FRONT AGREES TO ATTEND

Tags:  PREL MARR TU IZ 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
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).


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