PM ERDOGAN TO ATTEND ARAB LEAGUE SUMMIT, DELIVER

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 001570 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/24/2016 TAGS: PREL EAID KAWC PHUM PREF SU TU SUBJECT: PM ERDOGAN TO ATTEND ARAB LEAGUE SUMMIT, DELIVER RELIEF SUPPLIES TO DARFUR REF: STATE 45370 Classified By: DCM NANCY MCELDOWNEY FOR REASONS 1.4 (B,D). ¶1. (SBU) MFA Under Secretary Uzumcu told Ambassador that PM Erdogan will be visiting Khartoum March 28-29 for the Arab League summit. PM Advisor Ali Yakital, (who just returned 3 months ago as Turkish ambassador in Khartoum),confirmed Erdogan was invited as a guest of the Arab League in his capacity as co-chair of the Alliance of Civilizations. Erdogan will address the summit and meet senior officials on the margins. ¶2. (C) Ambassador strongly recommended to Uzumcu that Erdogan (a) meet with the Sudanese First Vice President for the South, (b) travel to the south to show support for the CPA and, (c) visit Darfur. The Foreign Ministry confirmed to us March 24 that Erdogan will meet with First Vice President Kiir and will travel to Nyala to meet with Darfur refugees and deliver a planeload of humanitarian supplies. ¶3. (SBU) We understand that Turkish Trade Minister Kursad Tuzmen, who will be in the US next week for the annual American Turkish Council meetings, has asked for appointments at the Department to discuss trade and the Doha Round as well as Sudan. Tuzmen said he had been in Sudan recently, is working on various Turkish construction, investment and trade initiatives in the area, and wants to discuss these in Washington. ¶4. (U) Given the Prime Minister's attendance at the AL summmit, we passed reftel points to the Foreign Ministry on March 24. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON