TURKISH RED CRESCENT DELIVERS HUMANITARIAN AID TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 005452

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/19/2015
TAGS: PREL MOPS EAID TU IZ
SUBJECT: TURKISH RED CRESCENT DELIVERS HUMANITARIAN AID TO
CAMPS NEAR TALAFAR, COMPLAINS PUBLICLY OF TREATMENT BY CF

REF: A. ANKARA 5247 AND PREVIOUS

B. GETTINGER-HILL EMAIL 09/20/05

Classified By: Acting DCM Timothy A. Betts for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (U) This is an action request--please see para. 8.


2. (C) Summary: Press coverage of the Turkish Red Crescent's
delivery of humanitarian assistance to displaced persons'
camps near Talafar has included accusations by Red Crescent
that U.S. forces intimidated Turkish aid workers and
attempted to block and/or dictate the terms of distribution.
Turkish MFA shares some of Red Crescent's concerns, but would
prefer to accentuate the positive. We would appreciate
information from Iraq on what may have occurred so we can
counter Red Crescent's claims. End summary.


3. (U) Sept. 15-18, Turkish Red Crescent delivered 10
truckloads (two convoys of five trucks each) of humanitarian
assistance (HA) to displaced persons' camps near Talafar. We
coordinated closely with the Turkish MFA to ensure
coordination on the Iraqi side with Task Force Freedom, which
had arranged for a private security contractor, Falcon
Security, to provide escort to Talafar. The Turks' HA
included 3500 sizable food packets, 7800 1.5 liter bottles of
water, quilts, gas stoves, medicine, and other materials.


4. (C) MFA Head of Department for Economic Affairs Sedef
Yavuzalp phoned PolMilOff late Sept. 16 to report on an
apparent dispute between the Turkish Red Crescent and TFF at
Fort Talafar. According to Yavuzalp, TFF confiscated Red
Crescent's cell phones and communications equipment and were
ordering the convoy to proceed to another location to offload
its cargo; apparently Red Crescent did not want to go to this
location. Both sides apparently solved the dispute; on Sept.
17 Red Crescent delivered HA to the Nawha camp east of
Talafar, and returned safely to Turkey.


5. (U) On. Sept. 19 and 20, increasingly negative press
stories--directly quoting Turkish Red Crescent officials as
sources--claimed that U.S. forces in Iraq blocked Turkish Red
Crescent from delivering aid, were abusive to Red Crescent
personnel and fired over their heads, seized Red Crescent's
cell phones and communications equipment, and became enraged
when residents of a displaced persons' camp enthusiastically
greeted the Turks.


6. (C) On Sept. 20, ECONCouns and PolMilOff called on MFA
Deputy Director General for Economic Affairs Mehmet Gucuk to
discuss the issue. Gucuk emphasized that "first and
foremost" Turkey is pleased that the Turkish convoys unloaded
their cargo and returned safely to Turkey. However, MFA was
concerned that the Red Crescent staff's cell phones were
allegedly taken. Additionally, according to Gucuk, Falcon
Security's team of "peshmerga" (actually former pesh now
working for Falcon) took a poor attitude toward the Turks and
"incited" U.S. forces accordingly. That said, Gucuk lamented
much of the press coverage as "far from the truth," and
asserted that he had urged Red Crescent authorities not to
take their concerns to the press in the absence of complete
information. He said he would discuss the issue again with
Red Crescent, and that the Ministry planned to release a
"neutral" press statement later on Sept. 20 (full text of
MFA's statement in para. 9 below). He emphasized the need
for the Turkish people to hear the positive message, namely
that the Red Crescent has provided aid to the people of
Talafar.


7. (C) ECONCouns noted that we do not have a complete report
from our authorities in northern Iraq on what may have
occurred, and agreed that we should work with MFA to make
this a good news story. We are also ready to meet with the
Red Crescent should MFA deem it advisable. Both we and the
Turks agreed that--in the event Turkey sends additional
humanitarian aid to Iraq in the near future--we should
coordinate more closely (and with the Iraqis if possible) on
the destination of the aid and the security ground rules.


8. (C) Comment and action request: Gucuk was embarrassed by
the Red Crescent's harshly negative attacks on U.S. forces in
the Turkish press. While the MFA shares some of Red
Crescent's concerns, we believe they would prefer to settle
the issue as we would: quietly. The U.S. should be only on
the sidelines of what should be a good-news story; instead we
are the star attraction in an ugly press cycle (Red Crescent
is known in Turkey for being feckless and corrupt). At the
same time, we are handicapped by our lack of visibility on
what actually happened in northern Iraq. We often hear
Turkish complaints about the conduct of peshmerga and former
peshmerga in northern Iraq. We also know that we are
fighting a war and cannot always attend to the niceties. We
understand per ref b that REO Mosul is inquiring with Task
Force Freedom on what may have occurred; we are looking
forward to getting the facts as quickly possible to counter
Red Crescent's accusations. End comment and action request.


9. (U) Text of MFA statement on HA delivery to Talafar
(informal embassy translation):
BEGIN TEXT

No: 141
Sept. 20, 2005

Statement

On behalf of our government and the Turkish nation,
humanitarian assistance worth about U.S.$ 400,000 has been
sent to Iraq to be delivered to vulnerable people in Talafar,
who are facing a disastrous situation.

Within this context, our Ministry, in cooperation with the
Turkish Cooperation and Development Administration (TIKA) and
Turkish Kizilay (Turkish Red Crescent Organization),has sent
10 trucks (18 personnel and 2 communication vehicles) of
humanitarian aid composed of mixed food packages, drinking
water, water purification tablets, medicine and around 200
tents to Talafar in 2 convoys.

Distribution of the humanitarian aid of the first convoy
consisted of 5 trucks, which were deployed 5-6 km from
Talafar in Fort Talafar, was completed on September 16, 2005
at a tent city a few kilometers from Talafar.

On September 17 2005, the second convoy of 5 trucks which
arrived at the tent city was obliged to return to Fort
Talafar in the same day without unloading the aid due to the
chaotic situation there, which included residents attempting
to loot the aid.

During the transfer of the humanitarian aid some problems
were encountered, originating from the current local
conditions related to the place and distribution methods of
the aid materials. However, as a result of the action taken
by our Ministry in cooperation with the Turkish Kizilay
Association, the U.S. Embassy in Ankara and our Embassy in
Baghdad, these problems have been solved.

Our convoy consisting of 10 trucks and 5 communication
vehicles went to Zakho Sept. 18 under the security protection
provided by U.S. forces and stayed the night there. The
Kizilay Convoy passed through the Habur Gate on September 19,
2005 at 9.00 AM and re-entered our country.

We have been taking the necessary initiatives with the U.S.
and Iraqi officials in order to prevent such difficulties
while transferring humanitarian aid in the future.

END TEXT
MCELDOWNEY