TURKEY/IRAQ: DAS BRYZA MEETING WITH IRAQ

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001876 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/07/2016 TAGS: PREL IZ TU SUBJECT: TURKEY/IRAQ: DAS BRYZA MEETING WITH IRAQ COORDINATOR CELIKKOL Classified By: DCM Nancy McEldowney for reasons 1.4 (b,d). -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) Turkish Government Iraq Coordinator Oguz Celikkol told DAS Bryza he was satisfied with his recent meetings in Washington on U.S. - Turkey cooperation in Iraq. He suggested Kirkuk's status should be resolved first through negotiations and only then subjected to a plebiscite. Turkey sees Jafari as weak on security issues and hopes the new Interior and Defense ministers will be more open to cooperation. If so, the GOT will be ready to re-start trilateral talks. Celikkol said he was disappointed that Turkmen would not be represented on the Iraqi National Security Council and worried this could heighten tension. He said Tal Afar remained calm; the GOT is encouraging infrastructure development but remains wary of the security situation. He complained Barzani had still not responded to Turkish offers to open additional border gates. End Summary -------------- Kirkuk and Turkmen -------------- ¶2. (C) In an April 4 meeting with Bryza, Celikkol was positive about his recent meetings in Washington and indicated he had briefed former Congressman Livingston and Rep Whitfield on Turkish support for Iraq. He said Turkey appreciated Ambassador Khalilzad's efforts in Iraq and welcomed better U.S. understanding of Turkish concerns regarding Kirkuk. He added that a widely acceptable solution for Kirkuk should be negotiated and then submitted to a plebiscite. Simply holding a plebiscite without first working out a proposed solution could lead to serious tension. ¶3. (C) Celikkol complained that the Turkmen would not be represented in the new 19-member Iraqi Security Council, which could aggravate inter-ethnic tension. He admitted that the Turkmen were politically divided along confessional lines but was optimistic that, with Turkey's encouragement, they would become more unified culturally. He hoped a solution could be found to include Turkmen in decision-making structures. -------------- Trilateral Talks and Security Ministries -------------- ¶4. (C) Addressing the political situation in Iraq, Celikkol agreed the pieces are coming together, with the Prime Ministership as the last major hurdle remaining. He said the �A;GOT is not against Jafari but views him as weak on security issues. The GOT is eager to see competent Iraqi defense and interior ministers named who will be more open to Turkey's offers of security assistance than the incumbents. Turkey is talking to all major political groups in Iraqi and encouraging fast agreement on a government. ¶5. (C) Bryza asked if the GOT would be prepared to re-start trilateral (Turkey-U.S.-Iraq) security talks. Celikkol recognized the need to resume the talks, but wanted to see who will be named to the interior and defense posts. He noted Turkey's previous disappointments on security cooperation with Iraq. Celikkol acknowledged the GOT is considering the list of Iraqi security equipment needs which we had provided earlier. -------------- Talafar Reconstruction and Border Gates -------------- ¶6. (C) Bryza asked about the situation in Tal Afar. Celikkol reported the situation there is quiet at the moment and Turkey is investigating, through its TIKA development agency, support to infrastructure projects there. While encouraging Turkish firms already in the area to get involved, the GOT ANKARA 00001876 002 OF 002 remains concerned about security. Baghdad authorities have also been urging Turkish firms to consider projects in the capital, he added. ¶7. (C) On the issue of additional border crossings, Celikkol said the Turkish offer of two or more new gates which he repeated during his March contacts in Baghdad, still stands. Turkey is willing to add a rail crossing as well. He said that Barzani has still not responded. Celikkol surmised that Barzani is still worried a gate at Ovakoy would be out of his control, while noting that, according to Turkish information, Barzani's concerns were unjustified in that the KDP appears to control the entire border area. Celikkol admitted, however, that the GOT will insist that Ovakoy be one of the new gates since it has been presented to the Turkish public as a more direct link to Turkey's Turkmen cousins in northern Iraq. He speculated that Barzani might face similar problems in agreeing to the Ovakoy crossing, since it had been presented to Iraqi Kurds as the Turks' favored proposal. -------------- Turkey's Mosul Consulate -------------- ¶8. (C) Celikkol expressed appreciation fr U.S. support to Turkey's efforts to open a consulate in Mosul, understood our current limitations there, and said Turkey would ask the Mosul governorate for further logistical support needed to stand up the consulate. ¶9. (U) DAS Bryza has cleared this cable. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON