TURKEY REQUESTS CONVOY SUPPORT FOR MOSUL CONSULATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 006082 SIPDIS SIPDIS BAGHDAD PLEASE ALSO PASS TO MNFI, MND-N, AND PRT MOSUL E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/25/2016 TAGS: MOPS PREL TU IZ SUBJECT: TURKEY REQUESTS CONVOY SUPPORT FOR MOSUL CONSULATE Classified By: PolCouns Janice G. Weiner for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) This is an action request. ¶2. (C) On Oct. 19, Turkish Consul General for Mosul-designate ¶H. Avni Botsali contacted us to request CF assistance for a convoy of up to ten Turkish trucks carrying construction materials for the consulate there. Specifically, Botsali requested that the trucks be permitted to join an already-existing CF convoy from the Habur Gate to FOB Marez on or about Oct. 28 or 29, then to join a convoy from Marez back to Habur one or two days later. We understand MNF-I has provided this assistance on one of Botsali's previous visits to Mosul. Botsali is not requesting security assistance for the convoy after it leaves Marez to go to the Turkish consulate; he believes the Ninewa provincial authorities are prepared to provide this. ¶3. (C) Botsali informed us that he has requested similar convoy security assistance from the Iraqi Deputy Foreign Minister and Iraqi MFA Director General for Consular Affairs, as well as the Dohuk and Ninewa provincial authorities. To date the Iraqi authorities have yet to provide a substantive response. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON