POPULATION MOVEMENT IN NORTHERN

UNCLAS ADANA 0080

SIPDIS


SENSITIVE


DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE AND NEA/NGA AND PRM


E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM TU ADANA
SUBJECT: POPULATION MOVEMENT IN NORTHERN
IRAQ NOT TOWARD TURKEY


1. (SBU) Summary: According to contacts in
southeastern Turkey, population movements in
northern Iraq in anticipation of war are not
toward the Turkish border. Rather, those on the
move are generally seeking to leave cities for
the perceived safety of villages higher up in the
hills. The Habur gate is calm for now. End
summary.



2. (SBU) With the situation in northern Iraq
quite fluid, we offer the following information
relayed to us on March 18 by various contacts in
southeastern Turkey.


Hakkari
::::::::::::



3. (SBU) The mayor of Hakkari and one of our
Hakkari human-rights contacts both confirm that
they have received no information about refugees
heading toward Hakkari province's border with
Iraq. That border is covered with snow, they
note. Their contacts in northern Iraq have spoken
of internal refugee movements within northern
Iraq only.


Sirnak
::::::::::



4. (SBU) The UNHCR Coordinator in Silopi, who
has been travelling extensively, said he had
neither seen nor heard of refugee movement toward
the Turkish border for now. He believed the
pattern of internal movement inside northern Iraq
consists of people leaving cities (notably Mosul
and Dohuk) for the countryside, particularly the
mountains. The migrants' logic is that cities
are perceived as more likely to be attacked.
Sirnak province's Habur gate between Turkey and
Iraq is very calm at the moment, he said,
something that was confirmed by an oil-trader in
Silopi who has good contacts in northern Iraq.
HOLTZ