TALAFAR SITUATION: TURKS ALLEGE IRANIAN (AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 005221

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/07/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV MOPS EAID TU IZ
SUBJECT: TALAFAR SITUATION: TURKS ALLEGE IRANIAN (AND
KURDISH) INTERFERENCE

REF: ANKARA 5209 AND PREVIOUS

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


1. (C) Summary: A senior Turkish MFA official speculated that
Iran and/or the Iraqi Kurds may be "playing a game" in
Talafar in order to eventually control the city, using CF ops
to their own ends. We continue to try to feed as much
factual information on Talafar as possible to the Turks in
order to put a brake on these conspiracy theories. On
humanitarian assistance, we urged the Turks to coordinate
with both the ITG and us as far in advance as possible. The
Turks are grateful for our press statement on Talafar. End
summary.


2. (C) PolMilCouns met Sept. 7 with MFA Director General for
the Middle East Oguz Celikkol as part of our continuing
dialogue with the Turks on the situation in Talafar. We
handed him Embassy's just-released press statement (text
reftel); Celikkol in turn informed us that MFA had just
released its own statement (full text in para. 7 below).
Celikkol expressed his appreciation for our statement: "The
minister (FonMin Gul) will be pleased."


3. (SBU) Celikkol reported that the Iraqi Red Crescent had
already been in touch with Turkey about Turkey's offer to
provide humanitarian assistance, and that Turkey may be ready
within days to send a convoy, using whatever route we would
recommend (i.e., either over the Habur Gate or through
Syria). PolMilCouns advised that this HA effort would also
need to be coordinated with the ITG, and urged the GOT to
give both us and the Iraqis as much lead time as possible in
order to make the necessary security and logistical
arrangements.


4. (C) Celikkol related (but did not hand over) reports "that
we cannot evaluate" that Iranian intelligence and/or the Badr
Brigade are infiltrating the city as part of an effort for
Iran to eventually control it. Celikkol hypothesized that
the Iranians were seeking to control the major transit route
from other countries (Syria and--if a second border gate were
built near Talafar--Turkey) into Mosul and then central Iraq.
Celikkol cited reports that CF had captured two Iranian
intelligence agents in Talafar (NOTE: We haven't seen such
reports. END NOTE.) PolMilCouns responded firmly that--per
Task Force Freedom--we had no information that the Badr
Brigade was a force in Talafar.


5. (C) Celikkol speculated that "There is a game being played
in Talafar." He repeated Turkish assertions that the Kurds
(specifically the KDP) are meddling in the city and fomenting
sectarian strife in order to expand their influence, citing
reports of "tent cities" set up by the KDP in two towns
northeast of Talafar from which Kurds will move en masse into
Talafar following combat operations there. (NOTE: He
identified the towns as Sinjar and Summe, but we understand
there is a town called Sinjar far to the west of Talafar, not
northeast of it, unless there are two towns by the same name.
END NOTE.) He then added that perhaps the Iranians were
seeking to empty Talafar of Sunni Turkmen in order to move
Shias in and thus extend their own influence. PolMilCouns
pointed out the apparent inconsistencies in the Turks'
information. Nonetheless, Celikkol repeated his concern that
"someone" is "playing a game" over Talafar.


6. (C) Comment: We report these dubious (and perhaps
contradictory) conspiracy theories with trepidation, lest
they diminish the very real importance Talafar holds for the
Turks or serve to discredit Celikkol, normally a reliable and
rational interlocutor. The problem is that the Turkish press
runs the same kind of stories as gospel truth: During the
September 2004 major counter-insurgency operation, for
example, the press reported daily that the operation was all
a plan to empty the Turkmen out of Talafar and move the Kurds
in (old ideas like this apparently die hard). We appreciate
REO Mosul's and Embassy Baghdad's efforts to keep us in the
loop on the situation there so that we can continue to try to
counter what appears to be deliberate disinformation the
Turks are receiving. End comment.


7. (U) Informal Embassy translation of text of Turkish MFA
press statement on Talafar:

BEGIN TEXT
Middle East Department

Sept. 7, 2005
MFA Spokesperson's Response to a Question on the Situation in
Talafar

Turkey has been seeking a solution for Talafar for a long
time. Talafar residents have been living under very negative
conditions. Turkey believes that these conditions must be
improved very quickly, and is ready to participate in such an
effort as much as it can. We have completed our preparations
for sending humanitarian assistance to Talafar as soon as
possible and also to support efforts to solve the city's
infrastructure problems in the medium term. The Turkish Red
Crescent (Kizilay) is in contact with the relevant parties to
send emergency aid material to the city at earliest
convenience.

Turkey stresses that the inhabitants of Talafar should not be
confused with terrorists and insurgents coming from outside
the city. Turkey also wishes to identify the source of
disquiet between different segments of the community there.
As is already known, our Foreign Minister invited Talafar's
tribal and group leaders to Ankara in order to seek
conciliation among them. Turkey will continue its endeavors
on the matter.

Before the Talafar operation, the US officials stated that it
was necessary to launch a limited military operation against
specific targets in the city due to the increasing armed
attacks against Multinational Force disturbing peace in the
city.

We have made our sensitivities about the operation clear to
US officials in a very strong way and asked them to take all
measures not to harm civilians in the city.

We will continue our contacts with the US officials in order
to send emergency aid to Talafar and to prevent civilians
from being harmed in the operations.


END TEXT
MCELDOWNEY