IRAQI PRESIDENT AND PRIME MINISTER TO VISIT TURKEY

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 004345 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/03/2014 TAGS: PREL TU IZ SUBJECT: IRAQI PRESIDENT AND PRIME MINISTER TO VISIT TURKEY SOON REF: ANKARA 4132 Classified By: PolMilCouns Timothy A. Betts for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) . ¶1. (SBU) MFA Iraq Desk Officer Ferhat Alkan told PolMilOff Aug. 3 that both Iraq's interim president and prime minister would visit Turkey soon. President al-Yawar will be in Ankara Aug. 16 and 17 and will meet with President Sezer and FonMin Gul. Alkan said that PM Erdogan may be out of the country on that day but if he is in town he would also meet al-Yawar. PM Allawi will come to Ankara Sept. 7 at Erdogan's invitation. ¶2. (C) Alkan made it clear that the GOT is satisfied and relieved that both these visits came through so quickly after PM Allawi belatedly declined PM Erdogan's earlier invitation to visit Ankara in late July (reftel). He added that "we have a full and busy agenda" for both Iraqi leaders. ¶3. (U) Baghdad minimize considered. DEUTSCH