TURKISH MFA ON IRAQ: NEIGHBORS MEETING, SUPPORT

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 001960

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/03/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV TU IZ
SUBJECT: TURKISH MFA ON IRAQ: NEIGHBORS MEETING, SUPPORT
FOR ITG, PKK DEMARCHE

REF: A. BAGHDAD 1435


B. FBIS GMP 20050405000015

Classified By: Counselor for Political-Military Affairs Timothy A. Bett
s for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (SBU) MFA Department Head for Iraq Avni Botsali briefed
PolMilOff April 5 on plans for the next Iraq neighbors
meeting, which will take place in Istanbul April 18-19.
Participants will be Iraq, its neighbors, and Egypt. Senior
officials will convene on the 18th, foreign ministers on the
19th. Whether there is an ITG in place or not, Turkey plans
of course to invite the Iraqi foreign minister, but in any
case does not plan to invite the prime minister to that
meeting. Botsali said as soon as the ITG is formed, PM
Erdogan will invite his counterpart to Ankara.


2. (SBU) Botsali said Turkey is pleased with the appointment
of Hachim al-Hassani as Speaker of the TNA, and the GOT hopes
this development means that ITG formation is soon to follow.
Botsali reported that Turkey's Ambassador to Baghdad, Unal
Cevikoz, has already paid a courtesy call on al-Hassani, and
that the Turkish Speaker of Parliament, Bulent Arinc, has
already sent a formal message of congratulations to the Iraqi
Speaker.


3. (C) Finally, Botsali reported that Amb. Cevikoz called on
IIG FonMin Zebari April 5 to demarche the Iraqis on PKK
meetings planned for early April in northern Iraq (see ref
a),but he did not yet have a readout. (Comment: An April 5
Mesopotamian News Agency story claims one of the two meetings
referred to by the Turks concluded April 4--see ref b. End
comment.)


4. (U) Iraq posts minimize considered.
EDELMAN