TURKISH MFA REQUESTS HIGH-LEVEL TALKS AND POSSIBLE

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001311

SIPDIS


DEPT FOR PRM/ANE, EUR/SE AND NEA/NGA
DEPT PASS USAID FOR BHA/OFDA - WGARVELINK/RLIBBY AND FFP
EUCOM FOR JE, JR, J5, SOJ7 AND POLAD
GENEVA FOR RMA
CENTCOM FOR J3, J5 AND POLAD


E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2013
TAGS: EAID IZ MOPS PREF PREL TU
SUBJECT: TURKISH MFA REQUESTS HIGH-LEVEL TALKS AND POSSIBLE
MOU ON HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

REF: ANKARA 946


Classified by Deputy Chief of Mission Robert Deutsch for
Reasons 1.5(B) and (D).



1. (U) This is an action cable. See para 12 for action
request.


Summary:
--------------



2. (S) MFA advised DCM that the GOT would like to hold
further talks on humanitarian assistance at a senior level,
and that a Memorandum of Understanding on this issue might be
necessary. MFA wants to hold these coordinating discussions
at an "Ambassadorial" level with Ambassador Daryal Batibay,
MFA Director General for Multilateral Political Affairs
representing Turkey. It offered to host bilateral
discussions on this during the last half of the week of March

3. DCM told MFA that he would convey this request to
Washington. This request followed a February 26 meeting at
MFA on structures for coordinating humanitarian assistance
with military needs, NGO access and other issues. End
Summary.


Humanitarian Aid Coordination:
--------------



3. (SBU) Mission Disaster Relief Officer (MDRO),accompanied
by Polmiloff, USAID,s Disaster Assistance Response Team
(DART),and representatives of the Military Coordination and
Liaison Command (MCLC),and EUCOM Forward, met with Feza
Ozturk, MFA Head of Department, International Political
Organizations, to discuss humanitarian assistance issues on
February 26.



4. (C) MDRO told Ozturk that the USG is eager to establish a
mechanism that would bring together Turkish and American
civilian and military authorities, UN agencies and other
organizations, to reconcile delivery of humanitarian supplies
to Iraq with military needs. Although the U.S. side is still
considering the most appropriate way to structure this
coordinating body, MDRO said that Diyarbakir would appear to
be the best location, based on GOT and UN plans to have a
presence there. Pending establishment of this body, MDRO
suggested that U.S. and Turkish civilian and military
authorities begin meeting regularly on these issues in Ankara.



5. (C) Ozturk agreed that there is a need to coordinate
closely, but maintained the need for definite &guidelines8
on the scope of our cooperation and the structure of a
coordinating entity, particularly with regard to its
relationship with any Turkish activities in northern Iraq.
He proposed a follow-up meeting on this issue on or about
March 7, and that he would include the Turkish General Staff
in this meeting.



6. (S) In a telephone conversation with the DCM on February
27, Tunc Ugdul, MFA Deputy Director for International
Political Organizations, referred to the previous day,s
meeting and said that the GOT would like to hold further
talks on humanitarian assistance at a senior level, and that
a Memorandum of Understanding on this issue might be
necessary. He said that Ambassador Daryal Batibay, MFA
Director General for Multilateral Political Affairs, or
another official of similar rank, could host bilateral
discussions on this during the last half of the week of March

3. DCM told Ugdul that he would convey MFA,s request to
Washington.


NGO Access and Other Issues
--------------



7. (SBU) NGO Access: At the February 26 meeting, Ozturk
reiterated that the GOT plans to allow NGOs with genuine
humanitarian aims to transit the border if there is a need
for their assistance in the area beyond Turkey,s border zone
in Iraq. The GOT does not plan to levy customs or other
duties on humanitarian goods transiting Turkey destined for
Iraq. He said NGOs were welcome to apply to MFA for permits,
but cautioned that the first application could take several
weeks to be approved. Ozturk contrasted this arrangement
with more restrictive rules for NGOs intending to provide
assistance within Turkey or the immediate border area in Iraq
(see reftel and septel). We responded that the USG, here and
in Washington, was working to inform NGOs of Turkish
procedures and that we expected the International Rescue
Committee and possibly other NGOs to apply to MFA soon.



8. (C) Use of Iskenderun Port by UN Agencies: We raised the
issue of World Food Program (WFP) access to the port of
Iskenderun. WFP told us that it had been directed by MFA
several months ago to plan on using Iskenderun for import of
relief supplies, because the port of Mersin was reserved for
military use. It emerged last week that U.S. military and
private use of Iskenderun could preclude WFP use of the port.
It also appears that Mersin will not be fully utilized by
the military. Ozturk told us he was aware of the issue and
was working with WFP on alternatives.



9. (C) Humanitarian Daily Rations (HDRs): MDRO asked MFA
whether the GOT needed any further information to approve our
request to site HDRs in Turkey. Ozturk responded that the
only outstanding issue was the actual warehouse location for
the HDRs, and that he would get back to us on this in the
near future.



10. (C) Turkish Red Crescent (TRC) Role in Northern Iraq:
MDRO pointed out that the International Committee of the Red
Cross would have the mandate for coordinating aid in zones of
conflict, and asked how Ozturk whether the TRC would obtain
an ICRC mandate to operate in northern Iraq, as contemplated
in GOT plans. Ozturk responded that TRC and the GOT would
work with ICRC on this issue. He also contended that the
Turkish military would not manage Turkish camps in northern
Iraq, but merely provide external security.


Comment and Action Request:
--------------



11. (C) Despite its professed openness to NGOs providing
assistance to Iraq, the GOT remains wary of them and would
instinctively prefer to define relationships with them in
advance, but a restrictive MOU on humanitarian assistance
could deter NGOs from even considering delivery of aid
through Turkey.



12. (S) Embassy requests Washington guidance ASAP on
Turkey,s proposal to host further coordination talks on the
framework for humanitarian assistance next week, specifically
as to whether the U.S. is willing to have a senior-level team
address these issues, with a possible MOU negotiation on the
horizon.
PEARSON