NORTHERN IRAQ: PAVING THE WAY FOR US-TURKEY-KURD

S E C R E T ANKARA 000629 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR P, EUR, EUR/SE, NEA AND NEA/NGA; NSC FOR AMB. KHALILZAD; OSD FOR WOLFOWITZ; JOINT STAFF FOR CJCS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/23/2013 TAGS: PREL MARR PREF PHUM TU IZ UNSC SUBJECT: NORTHERN IRAQ: PAVING THE WAY FOR US-TURKEY-KURD TRILATS (III) REF: A. STATE 18029 ¶B. ANKARA 625 ¶C. ANKARA 539 ¶D. ANKARA 283 ¶E. ANKARA 278 Classified by Ambassador W. Robert Pearson. Reasons 1.5 b and d. ¶1. (U) This is an urgent action request. See Para 3. ¶2. (S) During mil-mil discussions Jan. 24 on SOF planning for northern Iraq, the TGS proposed to SOCEUR BG Jones a need for Turkish, US, KDP, PUK and Turkmen military reps together to discuss military coordination in northern Iraq. Turkish SOF suggested a common understanding of each party's role would be necessary to execute successfully. ¶3. (S) Action Request: We urgently request points by OOB Ankara time Monday, Jan. 27, for the Ambassador to use with the Turks explaining the role of each group involved in northern Iraq during and after hostilities, and affirming that we are ready now to begin discussions between Turkey and the US to prepare for five-way (US-TU-KDP-PUK-Iraqi Turkmen Front) talks the first week of February (during Amb. Khalilzad's visit to Ankara). We would propose the first agenda item of those talks be issuing political guidance to military commanders of US and Turkish SOF and of KDP and PUK forces to sit down together and coordinate their efforts in northern Iraq. End Action Request. PEARSON