IRAQ: URGENT TURKEY-US-IRAQI OPPOSITION MEETING

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 001487 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR NEA, NEA/NGA, EUR, EUR/SE; NSC FOR AMB. KHALILZAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/07/2013 TAGS: PREL TU IZ SUBJECT: IRAQ: URGENT TURKEY-US-IRAQI OPPOSITION MEETING REF: STATE 61835 Classified by Ambassador W. Robert Pearson. Reasons 1.5 b and d. ¶1. (C) DCM conveyed to MFA Director General for Middle Eastern Affairs Tahsin Burcuoglu on March 8 reftel urgent request for Turkey to consider a meeting in the very near future of the US, Turkey and the Iraqi opposition, including the Iraqi Turkmen Front. Burcuolgu said he had been expecting us to make this approach based on Amb. Logoglu's recent meeting with Amb. Khalilzad and the March 7 phone call between VPOTUS and PM Gul. Burcuoglu asked about specifics regarding the timing, format, agenda and Iraqi participation beyond the KDP, PUK and ITF that the US had in mind. DCM replied that we did not have specific details on these points apart from the content of reftel, that we would welcome Turkey's views, and that we would seek more details from Washington. Burcuoglu said that format, agenda and composition of the group would be important to Turkey. ¶2. (C) Burcuoglu noted that Turkey was aware that the Constitutional Monarchists, INA, INM and the Arab tribes were not happy about the Salahadeen opposition meeting and had not attended it. He wondered whether we intended to include those groups. He said he would try to reach Undersecretary Ziyal and Deputy Undersecretary Tuygan, and convey the US points to them for their consideration. ¶3. (C) He also told DCM that Amb. Khalilzad mentioned to Amb. Logoglu that Turkish officers had been given access to detained ITF security officer Izzat. Burcuoglu said this was not the case, according to all GOT information. He asked that we ensure Washington was aware that Turkish officers had not yet had access to Izzat. PEARSON