NORTHERN IRAQ: CALLING IN TURKS' PROMISE TO END PMF

S E C R E T ANKARA 000676 SIPDIS NOFORN DEPT. FOR EUR/SE AND NEA/NGA E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/04/2013 TAGS: PTER PREL MOPS MARR PINR TU IZ SUBJECT: NORTHERN IRAQ: CALLING IN TURKS' PROMISE TO END PMF REF: A. ANKARA 519 ¶B. 03 ANKARA 7526 ¶C. 03 ANKARA 6804 (U) Classified by Ambassador Eric Edelman. Reasons 1.5 b and d. Recommendation at para 2. ¶1. (S/NF) As Ref A and the January 27 Turkish press and official reactions to Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) "PM" Nechirvan Barzani's reported statement demonstrate, the Turkish-led Peace Monitoring Force (PMF) in northern Iraq continues to be an irritant that has outlived its usefulness. Iraqi Kurdish leaders and, we understand, US forces, would like to see it disbanded as soon as possible. The PMF, whose sole purpose was to monitor the 1997 cease-fire between the KDP and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, is now monitoring nothing, but remaining garrisoned in northern Iraq as a foreign-led force of armed Iraqi Turkmen and Assyrians outside the CJTF-7 chain-of-command and that of the Iraqi security structures. As noted Ref C, according to reporting in other channels, TGS officials in mid-2003 asked the KDP not to press for an end to the PMF, promising that Turkey would unilaterally disband the force by the end of 2003. During VCJCS General Pace's early December visit here, TGS declared the PMF a success story and proposed that it be incorporated into the new Iraqi security structures possibly to train new recruits (Ref B). As we enter the second month of 2004, it is time to put this potential irritant away and ask the Turks to bring the PMF to an end, per their promise. ¶2. (S/NF) RECOMMENDATION: As previewed in Refs B and C, we recommend that the Department instruct a bilateral approach to the Turks at a senior level making clear that the USG, the CPA, CJTF-7 and the Iraqi Governing Council want the PMF disbanded, as its mission is complete. We should make this approach quietly and allow the Turks to claim that they are unilaterally disbanding the force after its successful completion of its mission. We should assure the Turks that no Iraqi party has been informed of the demarche and that it is not being carried out at the request of any Iraqi party, but because the end of the PMF is in the interest of the US and Iraq. If we are not explicit about this point, the Turks will assume that we are requesting this at the behest of the Iraqi Kurds, and will both be less likely to comply and irritated that yet again, the USG will appear to be siding with the Iraqi Kurds over Turkey. As recommended Ref B, we could suggest that the individual Iraqi PMF members be encouraged to enlist in the new Iraqi security structures, and assure the Turks that the coalition would publicly welcome the application of PMF members for positions in those structures. ¶3. (U) Baghdad Minimize Considered. EDELMAN