ANKARA PUK REP SAYS IRAQI KURDS WILL GIVE UP

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 004205 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/19/2015 TAGS: PREL PGOV TU IZ SUBJECT: ANKARA PUK REP SAYS IRAQI KURDS WILL GIVE UP EVERYTHING IN CONSTITUTIONAL DEBATE IF "THEY GIVE US KIRKUK" REF: A. BAGHDAD 2981 ¶B. ANKARA 4186 ¶C. BAGHDAD 2994 Classified By: Counselor for Political-Military Affairs Timothy A. Bett s for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) The PUK's representative in Ankara, Bahros Galali, told us July 19 that all the Kurds want in the constitutional negotiations was Kirkuk; as long as they get this prize they will give on everything else. He bemoaned the slow pace of the Article 58 process and compensation, and blamed Barzani for standing in the way of consensus in forming the provincial government. Galali's "right now" approach on the final status of Kirkuk appears to differ with what Talabani has recently said in Baghdad. End summary. ¶2. (C) PolMilOff met July 19 with the PUK's representative to Turkey, Bahros Galali. Galali said he had just returned from both Baghdad and northern Iraq; he reported that he was with President Talabani in Baghdad when President Bush called to congratulate Talabani on getting Sunni Arab representation on the constitutional drafting committee. Galali added that President Bush asked Talabani to pass on his congratulations to Masoud Barzani for his election as KRG President. Galali: Just Give Us Kirkuk and the Rest Is Easy -------------- --- ¶3. (C) Galali was familiar with the Kurds' recent ambitious submission of demands to the constitutional committee (outlined ref a). Employing ref a comments, PolMilOff noted there were only 11 days left before the Aug. 1 deadline (by which date the TNA Speaker must request an extension),and to come in now with such extensive demands would make negotiations difficult. Galali replied that the Kurdish document was simply the Kurds' negotiating position; they are ready to compromise. ¶4. (C) PolMilOff asked Galali what it would take for the Kurds to support the new constitution. Galali said is was very simple. Their negotiating partners must: --Redraw district and provincial boundaries so that cities and towns that Saddam took from Kirkuk are returned to the province, and --Recognize that Kirkuk "is a Kurdish city" (he later amended this to mean the province) and place it under KRG control. ¶5. (C) Galali emphasized that the U.S. must weigh in with the Sunnis and Shia to get them to agree. He sought to assure us that the Kurds were ready to work closely with the Arabs and Turkmen in Kirkuk so that these communities "will be happy" to live in Kirkuk as a Kurdish city. PolMilOff responded that the failure to stand up a consensus provincial government in Kirkuk was not a promising sign. Galali blamed Barzani for standing in the way of consensus, and said Talabani is working on Barzani to be more cooperative. He emphasized, however, that Arabs brought in by the Saddam regime must be compensated and they must leave Kirkuk. He reported that a group of such Arabs recently met with Talabani and asked that the IPCC provide them with swift compensation so they could return south. Galali bemoaned the slow pace of the IPCC and the Article 58 process in general. Comment: Right on Kirkuk? -------------- ¶6. (C) Galali (unlike his KDP colleague in town) has generally proven to be well-connected to his party leader and to the positions of the Iraqi Kurds in general. We defer to our colleagues in Iraq on his view that all the Kurds want out of the constitution is Kirkuk, especially given Talabani's recent comments to the Deputy Secretary (ref c) that he favors a slower approach on solving the future of Kirkuk. ¶7. (U) Iraq REOs minimize considered. MCELDOWNEY