NORTHERN IRAQ: MULTIPARTY TALKS (V) - TURKS

S E C R E T ANKARA 000859

SIPDIS


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


E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/02/2013
TAGS: PREL MARR PREF PHUM TU IZ UNSC
SUBJECT: NORTHERN IRAQ: MULTIPARTY TALKS (V) - TURKS
UNWILLING TO DISCUSS MILITARY PLANS W/IRAQI KURDS, PREPARED
TO DISCUSS POLITICAL FUTURE OF IRAQ


REF: A. LEMPERT-PEARSON E-MAIL OF 2/1/03

B. ANKARA 800

C. ANKARA 629 AND PREVIOUS

D. STATE 18029


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



1. (S) DCM met MFA DG for Middle East Tahsin Burcuoglu
February 3 to discuss the upcoming multi-party talks per Ref

A. Burcuoglu said the Turks would set up separate bilats for
Amb. Khalilzad and his delegation at MFA and at TGS on
February 5. For the multi-party talks on Feb. 6, Burcuoglu
said, "we are not ready to have multi-party talks without the
Iraqi Turkmen Front. A US-Turkey-KDP/PUK meeting is not
acceptable to us. We are not prepared to discuss a Turkish
military presence in northern Iraq with the Kurds. On
numbers of troops and other details, they will be
notified...that's all. We will never discuss Turkish
military presence issues with those guys or ask for their
permission. Discussing the political fate and future of Iraq
and northern Iraq is another issue and we are prepared for
those talks with the Kurds and the ITF."



2. (S) DCM pushed back using Ref A points but Burcuoglu
wouldn't budge. He told us his instruction from U/S Ziyal
was to ask if the US was requesting talks without the ITF to
appease Barzani. He then tried to argue that the ITF was the
sole legitimate representative of the Iraqi Turkmen - a
principled position which Turkey would not change - but that
the KDP and the PUK were not the only reps of the Iraqi
Kurds. DCM noted that being unable to have the
US-Turkey-KDP/PUK talks would prevent us from dealing with
issues that needed to be addressed. Burcuoglu said the MFA
position was clear - talks must include the ITF and the Turks
would not discuss military planning with the Kurds. Turkey
was ready for US-Turkey-KDP/PUK-ITF talks on the 6th on the
future of Iraq and northern Iraq.



3. (S) Burcuoglu also expressed Turkish security concerns
about holding the Iraqi opposition conference in northern
Iraq if the date slips beyond mid-February. He referred to
rumors that US air strikes would begin by Feb. 18 and a
ground assault by Feb. 28, and wondered how the conference
could go forward with such possibilities hanging over its
head. He added that Turkey was increasingly concerned about
Iranian involvement with the opposition, and suggested that
INC leader Ahmed Chalabi might declare a provisional
government from Iran. We urged Burcuoglu to raise all of
Turkey's concerns with Amb. Khalilzad on Feb. 5.
PEARSON