IRAQ: TURKEY DESIRES ANTI-TERRORISM PARA IN NEW

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 002916

SIPDIS


NSC FOR RICE, HADLEY AND BLACKWELL
SECDEF ALSO FOR D/SECDEF WOLFOWITZ


E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/25/2029
TAGS: PREL PGOV IZ TU PTER
SUBJECT: IRAQ: TURKEY DESIRES ANTI-TERRORISM PARA IN NEW
UNSCR; "REAL" TURKMEN REP IN IIG

REF: A. STATE 116099

B. ANKARA 2876


(U) Classified by Ambassador Eric S. Edelman. Reasons 1.4
(b) and (d).



1. (C) Summary: MFA Deputy U/S Ali Tuygan told the
Ambassador May 25 that the new Iraq Interim Government (IIG)
should not include IGC member Mahmoud Othman (whom Turkey
suspects of having ties with the PKK/Kongra Gel) but should
included significant Turkoman representation. Regarding the
draft UNSCR, Ankara would like to see a paragraph calling on
the new Iraq not to harbor terrorists, a clear reference to
the PKK/Kongra Gel. Foreign Minister Gul would likely call
the Secretary to relay these points. Tuygan asked that the
USG check out a report Ankara had just received that
residents of Makhmour refugee camp were "being moved" to
Kirkuk (action requested para 8). On other Iraqi issues,
Tuygan and the Ambassador shared appreciation that the
mil-mil mechanisms worked to resolve the potential problem
when Turkish troops deployed to high ground just inside of
Iraq last week, and agreed the US owed Turkey a response on
the Peace Monitoring Force (ref b). End summary.



2. (C) MFA Deputy Under Secretary Ali Tuygan (who will become
MFA Under Secretary later this summer) convoked the
Ambassador May 25. Tuygan said that he had met with Foreign
Minister Gul earlier in the day who instructed Tuygan to
raise two Iraq issues with us which Ambassador Logoglu would
repeat in Washington: the composition of the Iraq Interim
Government and the draft UN Security Council Resolution which
MFA had already received from Washington.


The Iraq Interim Government
--------------



3. (C) Tuygan said there were many rumors about UN Special
Representative Brahimi and his consultations/deliberations on
the composition of the IIG, including stories about Kurdish
leaders Barzani and Talabani arguing for "this or that." One
rumor that particularly concerned Ankara was that Governing
Council member Mahmoud Othman might be under consideration
for a position in the IIG. Tuygan recalled how MFA U/S Ziyal
had previously alerted the Ambassador to the GOT's belief
that Othman had ties to the PKK/Kongra Gel terrorist group.



4. (C) Another concern Ankara has about the IIG's eventual
composition was the need for Turkoman representation. As the
third largest ethnic group in Iraq, Turkoman deserved real
representation. He acknowledged that the community might had
been a "disappointment" in the past, and mused that perhaps
they were being punished for Turkey's failings. Nonetheless,
if there were a repeat of the "Chapouk (the lone ethnic
Turkoman representative on the IGC) or Othman experience,"
the GOT would have little domestic political room for
maneuver and it could become hard to continue to cooperate on
Iraq, he advised. He asked that the USG pay attention to
this issue "at the highest levels." The Ambassador recalled
that these points were similar to those Tuygan made to CPA
Senior Foreign Policy Advisor Ron Neumann when he came to
Ankara to consult about the Transition Administrative Law.


Terrorism and the UNSCR
--------------



5. (S) Regarding the draft UNSCR, Tuygan said that MFA would
provide considered comments after it had a chance to study
the document. After a preliminary reading, he was instructed
to note that operative paragraphs 11 and 13 addressed the
responsibility of neighboring states to prevent terrorism and
illegal arms shipments. Turkey believed that something
should be said about Iraq's responsibility not to harbor
terrorists of interest to its neighbors. (Comment: This is
a clear reference to the continuing presence of the
PKK/Kongra Gel in northern Iraq.) The Ambassador undertook
to convey Tuygan's comments.


Other issues
--------------



6. (C) Tuygan also raised the following related subjects,
although not apparently under instruction:


PMF: Tuygan reminded the Ambassador that the US owed Turkey
an answer about whether the Iraqi members of the Peace
Monitoring Force could be employed in Iraq's security
services (ref b).
Turkish Troops in Iraq: The two agreed that the
military-to-military mechanism to head off problems in Iraq
(the 2-star talks) appeared to work in resolving the
coordination problems and misinformation with the recent
deployment of Turkish military teams to five points in Iraq
overlooking the Turkey-Iraq border where the Turks look for
PKK/Kongra Gel infiltration of Turkey.


Abu Ghraib: Tuygan noted that FM Gul would be addressing
Iraq in parliament later that day. On the Abu Ghraib abuse
issue, Gul would highlight the US's pledge to bring the
perpetrators to justice. The Ambassador expressed
appreciation and recalled that the President had stated that
the investigations would go as far and as wide as necessary.
He hoped the members, some of whom have been unhelpful in
their remarks on the issue, would pay heed to Gul's remarks.


Makhmour Residence and Kirkuk: Tuygan said Ankara had just
received an intelligence report that Turkish Kurd refugees at
the Makhmour camp "were being moved" to Kirkuk. He said the
GOT did not know whether they were being induced or forced to
relocate. He urged the USG to look into the matter. The
Ambassador agreed to relay his request.


Gul to Call the Secretary
--------------



7. (C) In closing, Tuygan said that FM Gul would likely call
the Secretary to personally convey the points on the IIG and
the UNSCR.


Action Request
--------------



8. (C) We request Washington and CPA look into the allegation
that residents at Makhmour are being relocated to Kirkuk.



9. (U) Baghdad minimize considered.
EDELMAN