IRAQ: TURKISH DAILY CLAIMS KIRKUK TO BE HANDED

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 000425

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/25/2015
TAGS: KPAO PREL PGOV TU IZ UK
SUBJECT: IRAQ: TURKISH DAILY CLAIMS KIRKUK TO BE HANDED
OVER TO KURDS

REF: ANKARA 352

Classified By: Ambassador Eric S. Edelman for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


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


2. (U) The Jan. 26 edition of the Turkish daily "Milliyet"
ran a story claiming that the U.S., the UK, the IIG, and
Iraqi Kurds have reached a secret deal under which Kirkuk
will come under Kurdish control following Jan. 30 elections.
The article stated that under this agreement, elections for
both a new Governorate Council as well as a referendum on
whether Kirkuk should move under KRG control will be held in
the province about 11 months after Jan. 30 elections. The
right to vote will be accorded to 108,000 Kurdish families
who have moved to Kirkuk. The article implies that in
essence the modalities for the process outlined under Article
58 of the TAL have already been replaced by this secret
agreement. The paper quotes PUK leader Jelal Talabani as
saying "We have taken a written guarantee." Similar, less
extreme stores appeared throughout the Turkish press.


3. (C) This report is false--as is common in the Turkish
press--but it merits attention as it will feed both official
and popular paranoia about Kirkuk and adversely affect the
Turks' already-shaky faith in the TAL's Article 58 process.


4. (U) Action request: Post plans to use the following points
actively to refute these articles, unless we hear otherwise
by OOB (local time) Jan. 27 (these are points largely drawn
from the Spokesman's statement on Kirkuk of Jan. 13).:

--There is no agreement, secret or otherwise, under which the
IIG, HMG, the USG, or any other entity plans to "hand over"
control of the Kirkuk region to Iraqi Kurds or any other
group.

--The United States supports the full implementation of the
Transitional Administrative Law, including Article 58 related
to Kirkuk.

--Article 58 outlines a clear process under which the Iraqi
Transitional Government will address this issue.

--Efforts to remedy the unjust policies of the Saddam
government in and around Kirkuk, which included the forced
deportation of residents, confiscation of property and the
manipulation of administrative boundaries, are internal
issues for Iraqis to decide.

--Irresponsible and inaccurate reporting such as this
undermines the Turkish people's right to know the truth about
Iraq and the efforts of the Iraqi people to determine their
future.


5. (U) Baghdad minimize considered.
EDELMAN