MFA PROTESTS TURKMEN CASUALTIES IN TAL AFAR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 005100

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/10/2014
TAGS: MARR MOPS PREL TU IZ
SUBJECT: MFA PROTESTS TURKMEN CASUALTIES IN TAL AFAR

Classified By: Classified By: A/DCM James Moore. Reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).


1. (C) Summary: The Director General for Middle East
Affairs summoned A/DCM to the MFA the evening of September 9
to express strong concern about Turkmen civilian casualties
being incurred during current operations against insurgents
in Tal Afar. The protest was motivated by anticipated
political fallout and public reaction in light of the Foreign
Minister,s September 8 press statement that U.S./coalition
operations against insurgents last weekend in Tal Afar were
not directed at the Turkmen population. In a separate
conversation with the Ambassador, the MFA Deputy
Undersecretary for Political Affairs said that fallout from
the operation in Tal Afar could jeopardize Turkey,s overall
cooperation with the U.S. on Iraq. The GOT is not objecting
to the operation per se, but rather is warning that Turkmen
civilian casualties could have a significant enough impact on
public opinion to undermine GOT efforts to continue
cooperation with us on Iraq. End summary.


2. (C) MFA Middle East Political Affairs DG Tahsin Burcuoglu
called in A/DCM to convey the message from Foreign Minister
Gul, who is traveling in Estonia, that today,s operations in
Tal Afar put the GOT in a highly sensitive position. Gul, as
well as MFA spokesperson Namik Tan, stated September 8 that
last weekend,s operations by U.S./coalition forces against
insurgents in Tal Afar were in no way directed against the
Turkmen population.


3. (C) The Foreign Minister,s request, as conveyed by
Burcuoglu, is that U.S./coalition forces in Tal Afar not use
excessive force and that all possible measures be taken to
prevent civilian casualties. A/DCM emphasized that
operations were targeting insurgents, that every effort was
being taken to avoid collateral casualties, that U.S.
military liaison officers were in contact with Turkish
Special Forces in Tal Afar, and that large numbers of
civilians left the area ahead of the fighting. He told
Burguoglu that Gul,s statement was absolutely true as
regards last weekend,s skirmishes and the current fighting.


4. (C) Underlining the sensitivity of the situation as
perceived by the GOT, Foreign Minister Gul, Burcuoglu
reported, telephoned Secretary Powell this afternoon to
convey Turkish concerns, but was unable to speak with him.
In addition, as A/DCM was enroute to MFA, Deputy
Undersecretary for Political Affairs Ali Tuygan phoned the
Ambassador to raise the same set of concerns. Tuygan told
the Ambassador the current situation in Tal Afar could
undermine Turkey,s overall cooperation with the U.S. in
Iraq. The Ambassador replied that in the first instance it
was important to determine the facts on the ground in Tal
Afar and not react to rumors. Ambassador told Tuygan the
operation was aimed at insurgents and not the Turkmen
population but that his understanding was that some number of
the insurgents were, in fact, Shia Turkmen. He also told
Tuygan that he believed efforts were in train to keep Turkish
Special Forces in Northern Iraq informed as the operation
unfolded. Ambassador undertook to provide fuller information
to the MFA as it became available.


5. (C) DG Burcuoglu said that an operation in Tal Afar in
which Turkmen civilians are killed makes it difficult for his
government to explain why the U.S. is not taking action
against the PKK in northern Iraq. He also cited unconfirmed
reports that Kurdish groups in Tal Afar are providing false
information to U.S./coalition troops that would lead them to
mistakenly target Turkmen civilians.


6. (C) Comment: In the face of extensive and often
exaggerated media coverage of Turkmen casualties in Tal Afar
last weekend, the MFA in its September 8 statements was
attempting to be constructive. The current fighting appears
to have unnerved the GOT, and it comes on the heels of
significant concern over several recent hostage takings and
killings of Turkish truck drivers in Iraq. U/S Tuygan,s
remark that the current offensive could undermine Turkish
cooperation with the U.S. across the board in Iraq shows how
threatened the GOT feels by the prospect of significant
civilian Turkmen casualties. The MFA did not dispute the
need to confront insurgent forces in Tal Afar; rather, their
concern is based on the political fallout and negative public
opinion they believe will be generated by further Turkmen
casualties, and how this could make working with us on other
Iraq-related initiatives much more difficult.
End comment.

Minimize Considered.
EDELMAN