Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ANKARA6671
2006-12-15 15:24:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:
TURKEY/IRAQ: CONTROVERSIAL SUNNI CONFERENCE
how-toVZCZCXRO6466 PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK DE RUEHAK #6671 3491524 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 151524Z DEC 06 FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0314 INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEKDAI/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY RUEHAK/USDAO ANKARA TU PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC//USDP:PDUSDP/ISA:EUR/ISA:NESA// PRIORITY RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU PRIORITY RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J-3/J-5// PRIORITY RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK PRIORITY RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY RHMFISS/425ABS IZMIR TU//CC// PRIORITY RHMFISS/39ABG INCIRLIK AB TU PRIORITY RUEPGAB/MNF-I C2X BAGHDAD IZ PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 006671
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/14/2016
TAGS: PREL PTER PGOV TU IZ
SUBJECT: TURKEY/IRAQ: CONTROVERSIAL SUNNI CONFERENCE
PROCEEDS IN ISTANBUL; IRAQI EMBASSY PROTESTS
REF: ANKARA 6372
Classified By: POL/C Janice G. Weiner for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 006671
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/14/2016
TAGS: PREL PTER PGOV TU IZ
SUBJECT: TURKEY/IRAQ: CONTROVERSIAL SUNNI CONFERENCE
PROCEEDS IN ISTANBUL; IRAQI EMBASSY PROTESTS
REF: ANKARA 6372
Classified By: POL/C Janice G. Weiner for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) The Turkish press reported Dec. 15 that a
controversial Sunni Arab conference on Iraq -- that had been
postponed at the GOT's request so as not to conflict with
Iraqi PM Maliki's Nov. 15-16 visit to Ankara -- was held in
Istanbul Dec. 13-15. According to press, the gathering (see
reftel) was "backed by Qatar," and participants included
"some radical Sunni groups." One participant was apparently
Hareth al-Dari, head of Iraq's Association of Muslim
Scholars. We understand al-Dari is the subject of an Iraqi
arrest warrant.
2. (C) We followed up briefly with the GOT's Deputy Special
Envoy for Iraq, Fazli Corman. He confirmed that this was the
same conference the GOI had objected to one month previously.
He emphasized that the GOT was powerless to stop the
conference from proceeding, and that Turkey had provided no
assistance or support. Corman reported that the Iraqi
Embassy here had called on the MFA Dec. 14 to protest the
meeting, and that the Iraqi Kurds were apparently also angry.
3. (C) Corman also told us that his superior, GOT Special
Envoy Celikkol, was in Istanbul Dec. 15 to hold private
meetings with some participants. He underscored that
Celikkol was only doing so to gather more information on the
conference (since no GOT representatives attended) and to
persuade Sunni Arabs to participate peacefully in Iraqi
politics. We plan to follow up with Celikkol himself in the
coming days and will report septel.
4. (U) The Turkish MFA released a statement Dec. 15 noting
that the conference took place. MFA emphasized that Turkey
is a free country, that many civil society groups hold
meetings there as a matter of course, and that it hoped that
the conference would contribute to an atmosphere that would
end the daily bloodshed in Iraq. The statement reaffirmed
Turkey's support for the Maliki government and for a
democratic, stable Iraq.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/
WILSON
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/14/2016
TAGS: PREL PTER PGOV TU IZ
SUBJECT: TURKEY/IRAQ: CONTROVERSIAL SUNNI CONFERENCE
PROCEEDS IN ISTANBUL; IRAQI EMBASSY PROTESTS
REF: ANKARA 6372
Classified By: POL/C Janice G. Weiner for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) The Turkish press reported Dec. 15 that a
controversial Sunni Arab conference on Iraq -- that had been
postponed at the GOT's request so as not to conflict with
Iraqi PM Maliki's Nov. 15-16 visit to Ankara -- was held in
Istanbul Dec. 13-15. According to press, the gathering (see
reftel) was "backed by Qatar," and participants included
"some radical Sunni groups." One participant was apparently
Hareth al-Dari, head of Iraq's Association of Muslim
Scholars. We understand al-Dari is the subject of an Iraqi
arrest warrant.
2. (C) We followed up briefly with the GOT's Deputy Special
Envoy for Iraq, Fazli Corman. He confirmed that this was the
same conference the GOI had objected to one month previously.
He emphasized that the GOT was powerless to stop the
conference from proceeding, and that Turkey had provided no
assistance or support. Corman reported that the Iraqi
Embassy here had called on the MFA Dec. 14 to protest the
meeting, and that the Iraqi Kurds were apparently also angry.
3. (C) Corman also told us that his superior, GOT Special
Envoy Celikkol, was in Istanbul Dec. 15 to hold private
meetings with some participants. He underscored that
Celikkol was only doing so to gather more information on the
conference (since no GOT representatives attended) and to
persuade Sunni Arabs to participate peacefully in Iraqi
politics. We plan to follow up with Celikkol himself in the
coming days and will report septel.
4. (U) The Turkish MFA released a statement Dec. 15 noting
that the conference took place. MFA emphasized that Turkey
is a free country, that many civil society groups hold
meetings there as a matter of course, and that it hoped that
the conference would contribute to an atmosphere that would
end the daily bloodshed in Iraq. The statement reaffirmed
Turkey's support for the Maliki government and for a
democratic, stable Iraq.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/
WILSON