C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 001360

SIPDIS


DEPT. FOR P, EUR, EUR/SE, NEA AND NEA/NGA;
NSC FOR AMB. KHALILZAD;
OSD FOR USDP LUTI


E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/03/2013
TAGS: PREL MARR MOPS PREF PHUM TU IZ UNSC
SUBJECT: NORTHERN IRAQ: "HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS" DEMONSTRATE
AGAINST TURKISH INTERVENTION IN IRBIL, TURKISH FLAGS BURNED

Classified by DCM Robert Deutsch. Reasons 1.5 b and d.


(C) Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Ankara rep Bahros
Galali called Operation Northern Watch POLAD March 3 to
report that in Irbil, northern Iraq, approximately "300,000
people" had marched from the regional parliament building to
the UN compound in a peaceful demonstration earlier in the
day protesting the possibility of Turkish military
intervention in northern Iraq. Galali said that some
participants burned Turkish flags and that the GOT was
already complaining about the activity. We will try to learn
more and report as more information becomes available.
PEARSON