Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ANKARA685
2006-02-15 12:18:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:
TURKEY/IRAQ: TURKEY'S IRAQ COORDINATOR TO VISIT
how-toVZCZCXRO8024 OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK RUEHMOS DE RUEHAK #0685 0461218 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 151218Z FEB 06 FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3191 INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RHMFISS/39ABG INCIRLIK AB TU PRIORITY RHMFISS/425ABS IZMIR TU//CC// PRIORITY RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J-3/J-5// PRIORITY RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC//USDP:PDUSDP/ISA:EUR/ISA:NESA/DSCA// PRIORITY RUEHAK/USDAO ANKARA TU PRIORITY RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 000685
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/15/2016
TAGS: PREL IZ TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY/IRAQ: TURKEY'S IRAQ COORDINATOR TO VISIT
BAGHDAD FEB 23-25
REF: ANKARA 0567
Classified By: DCM Nancy McEldowney for Reasons 1.4 (B,D).
C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 000685
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/15/2016
TAGS: PREL IZ TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY/IRAQ: TURKEY'S IRAQ COORDINATOR TO VISIT
BAGHDAD FEB 23-25
REF: ANKARA 0567
Classified By: DCM Nancy McEldowney for Reasons 1.4 (B,D).
¶1. (C) Turkey's Special Representative for Iraq, Ambassador
Oguz Celikkol, told us February 14 that he plans to visit
Baghdad February 23 to 25 and hopes to meet with Ambassador
Khalilzad as well as Iraqi officials and political party
leaders (reftel). He will travel via Turkish military
aircraft and asked for U.S. support to obtain flight
clearances and permission to use military facilities at
Baghdad International Airport. Celikkol asked if U.S. or
other coalition forces could also provide security for his
travel from the airport to the Turkish Embassy in Baghdad.
¶2. (C) We made no promises to Celikkol but undertook to
inform U.S. authorities in Iraq about his visit. We are
currently seeking additional information on Celikkol's
precise travel plans, aircraft identification, and the size
of his delegation, and will provide details through
appropriate channels. Celikkol said that, for security
reasons, the MFA is not planning to make any advance public
announcement of this trip. With Turkish Ambassador to Iraq
Unal Cevikoz currently on leave in Turkey (he returns to
Baghdad just before Celikkol's visit),Celikkol expressed
reluctance to engage the Turkish Embassy there directly. We
encouraged him strongly to do so and to stay in close touch
with Embassy Baghdad.
¶3. (C) Comment. Celikkol has told us the purpose of his
trip is to advance a visit by FM Gul, once the new Iraqi
government is in place. We continue to encourage the GOT to
make high level visits to Iraq and invite Iraqi leaders to
Turkey to show its early and strong support of the new Iraqi
government. Any reasonable support we can provide to
Celikkol will help advance our goal of further solidifying
Iraq's relationship with its only democratic neighbor. End
Comment.
WILSON