IRAQ: TURKISH MFA IRAQ COORDINATOR TO VISIT

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 000974 SIPDIS CPA FOR AMB. BREMER AND JONES E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/18/2014 TAGS: PREL ETRD MARR PTER TU IZ SUBJECT: IRAQ: TURKISH MFA IRAQ COORDINATOR TO VISIT BAGHDAD FEB. 24-26, SEEKS MEETING WITH AMB. BREMER (U) Classified by Ambassador Eric Edelman. Reasons 1.5 b and d. ¶1. (C) Ambassador was approached by Turkish MFA Iraq Coordinator Osman Koruturk February 18 and called by MFA Deputy Undersecretary Ali Tuygan February 19 to seek assistance in getting Koruturk a meeting with CPA Administrator Bremer during Koruturk's visit to Baghdad February 24-26. While we defer to CPA as to whether Amb. Bremer can see Koruturk, we strongly urge that Amb. Jones meet him, with Amb. Bremer making a short drop-by if possible. Koruturk's visit offers an excellent opportunity for CPA to raise with a credible senior Turkish interlocutor the range of issues on the Iraq-Turkey agenda, including: cross-border trade, Habur and the possibility of a second border crossing, CPA policy on the PKK and its successor and front organizations, the northern oil pipeline, police trainers for the Jordan training facility, and discrepancies in the SOMO and TPIC account figures. ¶2. (C) We hope that CPA will take advantage of this opportunity and stand ready to assist in any way we can. ¶3. (U) Baghdad minimize considered. EDELMAN