TURKEY'S RESPONSE ON COORDINATING CONSTITUTIONAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 003964

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/06/2015
TAGS: PREL EAID PGOV ECON EIND IZ TU EUN
SUBJECT: TURKEY'S RESPONSE ON COORDINATING CONSTITUTIONAL
ASSISTANCE TO IRAQ

REF: A. STATE 124857

B. ANKARA 3844

Classified By: Acting Deputy Chief of Mission James R. Moore for reason
s 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (U) This is an action request -- see para 4.


2. (C) PolMilOff delivered ref a demarche July 6 to MFA Iraq
Desk Officer Hakan Cakil. Cakil noted plans for an
NGO-organized conference in Turkey July 12-13 on the
constitution (reported ref b). The co-host Iraqi NGO (the
Fund for Democracy and Development) was responsible for
issuing invitations for Iraqis. Cakil did not know whether
any of the Iraqi invitees were members of Iraq's
constitutional drafting committee, but said he would check
with the Iraqi NGO.


3. (C) Later July 6, MFA Head of Department for Iraq Avni
Botsali phoned PolMilOff to inquire whether the U.S. was
asking Turkey to call off items it already has in the
pipeline. In addition to the July 12-13 seminar on the
constitution, Turkey had offered political party training (as
it has been doing for some months now) to the KDP and to
Allawi's party; Botsali added that Da'wa was also considering
a Turkish offer. All of this training is to take place
before July 20, Botsali noted, since after that date the
university faculty the GOT uses will be on summer leave.
Botsali said that for previous similar training, most Iraqi
parties have primarily sent young, new party activists with a
couple of older politicians to "add weight" to the group.
Botsali did not believe that members of the constitutional
drafting committee would be part of these delegations. He
added that to turn off the party training at this late date
would serve to further strain the Turks' relations with the
KDP. PolMilOff responded that we would check with
Washington, but added that ref a talking points (in
particular the point for Ankara) did not appear to request
that the GOT cancel events already in the pipeline, but
rather not to add new events outside of Iraq before the
constitutional deadline.


4. (C) Action request: If our understanding of ref a is
wrong, please advise. We do not plan to press the Turks to
cancel planned events unless instructed otherwise.


5. (U) Iraq REOs minimize considered.
MCELDOWNEY