TURKISH MFA AND ANKARA REP DENY IRAQI TURKMEN

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 006766

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/02/2014
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM PREL PINS IZ TU
SUBJECT: TURKISH MFA AND ANKARA REP DENY IRAQI TURKMEN
FRONT IS BOYCOTTING ELECTIONS

REF: BAGHDAD 1916

Classified By: PolMilCouns Timothy A. Betts for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
.


1. (C) PolMilOff contacted both the Ankara Iraqi Turkmen
Front (ITF) representative, Ahmet Muratli, as well as the MFA
Iraq Desk, to see if we could verify reftel report that the
ITF had signed a statement calling for a boycott of Jan. 30
elections in Iraq. Muratli strongly denied that the ITF
sought an election boycott, and also denied that the ITF had
signed the statement of the Iraqi National Foundation
Congress. Muratli explained that a senior leader of the ITF,
Cemal San, had attended the Iraqi National Foundation
Congress meeting which produced the statement, but only in
his capacity as an observer from the "Iraq Supreme Election
Council." (Note: We think Muratli may have meant the IECI,
but we have not been able to confirm if San is an IECI
member. End note.) He repeated that San did not sign the
statement nor did the ITF endorse it in any way. Muratli
went on to say that San had appeared on Turkmeneli television
in Iraq to deny reports that the ITF supported an election
boycott, and that Muratli himself had also released a
statement to this effect.


2. (C) MFA Iraq Desk Director Avni Botsali also emphatically
denied that the ITF supported an election boycott.


3. (U) Baghdad minimize considered.
EDELMAN