IRAQ: TURKEY'S "PEACE INITIATIVE" - SCHEDULING

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 000484 SIPDIS STATE FOR P, NEA CROCKER, NEA/NGA AND EUR/SE; OSD FOR LUTI AND HRHODE; NSC FOR KHALILZAD; LONDON FOR GOLDRICH; DAMASCUS FOR WALKER E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/20/2013 TAGS: PREL MARR TU IZ PHUM PREF UNSC SUBJECT: IRAQ: TURKEY'S "PEACE INITIATIVE" - SCHEDULING PROBLEMS, JAN. 23 MAY BE PREP SESSION ONLY, KUWAITIS NOT INVITED REF: A. STATE 16544 ¶B. ANKARA 461 ¶C. ANKARA 302 ¶D. ANKARA 201 (U) Classified by DCM Robert Deutsch. Reasons: 1.5 (B and D). ¶1. (C) DCM delivered Ref A points concerning the Turkish peace initiative to the Prime Minister's Diplomatic Advisor Turkoglu and to MFA Director General for the Middle East Burcuoglu on 1/20. They each welcomed our views and reiterated that it is the GOT's intent to send a strong message to Iraq on the need to comply with the UNSCRs. They noted scheduling problems in achieving the desired summit and said that the Jan. 23 meeting may be a preparatory session. ¶2. (C) On the issue of Kuwait each said that Kuwait's absence was intentional. The Turks believed the initiative would be more effective that way. Burcuoglu went on to characterize Kuwait as a party to the conflict with Iraq and therefore lacking potential to add weight to the initiative with the Iraqi's. He noted that Iran had argued in favor of including Kuwait while the Syrians were opposed. Since the subject was controversial, he said it was best to levave the Kuwaitis out. Burcuoglu said he had discussed the question with the Kuwaiti Ambassador here and that the GOK did not object to the formulation. Turkey welcomed Kuwait's understanding. ¶3. (C) DCM responded that considering Kuwait a party to the "conflict" and therefore disqualified was just the kind of "balance" we were concerned could creep into any declaration. This was not a conflict between Iraq and Kuwait, or Iraq and the US. It was a threat to international peace that concerned all of us. In seeking to find a peaceful resolution, there could be no equivalence between Iraq's responsibility and the international community's right to insist on full compliance and cooperation. PEARSON