NATO/IRAQ: TURKEY GAME PLAN ON IRAQ FOR THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 000898

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EU/SE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/15/2015
TAGS: PREL IZ
SUBJECT: NATO/IRAQ: TURKEY GAME PLAN ON IRAQ FOR THE
FEBRUARY 22 NATO SUMMIT

REF: USNATO 110

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Robert Deutsch
for reasons 1.4 ( b) and (d).


1. (C) Post agrees with USNATO perspective (reftel) that
Turkey could and should contribute additional support the
NATO training mission in Iraq beyond its offer to provide
leadership training to Iraqi security forces at its NATO
Center of Excellence in Ankara (an offer which has not
elicited any Iraqi response). However, following Iraq's
emphatic rejection of Turkey's October 2003 offer to
contribute troops to the coalition, the Government of Turkey
(GOT) has perceived its forces as unwelcome in Iraq. The two
Turkish staff members currently assigned to NATO headquarters
in Baghdad are Turkey's demonstration of support. However
they were not directly contributed by the GOT, but rather,
the GOT accepted their detailing by the NATO command to which
they were assigned to help administer the NATO mission in
Baghdad.


2. (C) In post's view, Turkey would need to be convinced
that Iraq would welcome its troops before it would offer any
additional direct support to the NATO mission in Iraq. We
understand that the Iraqis privately told US officials that
Iraq would not have concerns with a Turkish contribution to
the NATO mission there. In soliciting a contribution of
Turkish personnel to fill remaining NATO staffing gaps in
Baghdad, post believes our chances of success would increase
if the Iraqis were to weigh in authoritatively with the Turks
and tell them directly that Turkish contributions to the NATO
mission in Iraq would be most welcome.


3. (U) Baghdad minimize considered. EDELMAN