COMMUNICATING WITH TURKISH OFFICIALS ON IRAQ

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 003475

SIPDIS


STATE FOR EB/IFD AND EUR/SE


E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/28/2008
TAGS: EAID EFIN PREL IZ TU
SUBJECT: COMMUNICATING WITH TURKISH OFFICIALS ON IRAQ
RECONSTRUCTION/PERSONNEL


REF: A. (A) STATE 123372

B. (B) STATE 130


(U) Classified by DCM Robert Deutsch. Reason: 1.5(b,d).



1. (C) Reftels instructed embassies to identify a high-level
point of contact in host governments for a virtual e-mail
contact group on Iraq reconstruction, and to ask host
governments to send resumes to State and ORHA of experts who
might be able to support Iraqi ministries. Embassy strongly
supports both initiatives, but believes it is important that
we be able to follow and, where appropriate, comment on any
information and resumes the Turkish Government sends to
Washington.



2. (C) With the Department's assistance, we resolved this
problem vis-a-vis the resumes by asking the GOT to e-mail
them to us first, so we can identify possible problems or
potential conflicts of interest. We wonder if a similar
approach might be possible on the virtual e-mail contact
group, so that an Embassy POC could be sure that information
is distributed in both directions -- U.S. to GOT and GOT to
U.S. -- and could follow up on questions or ideas. We are
reluctant to stand in the way of modern communications, but
think it is important that Embassy be able to provide context
for information Turkish authorities provide to the USG.
PEARSON