Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06KIRKUK107
2006-05-02 07:14:00
CONFIDENTIAL
REO Kirkuk
Cable title:  

(C) KRG-ERBIL INTERIOR MINISTER ON BORDER TENSIONS WITH

Tags:  PREL PBTS PNAT PGOV PINR IZ TU IR 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO0309
RR RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHMOS
DE RUEHKUK #0107 1220714
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 020714Z MAY 06
FM REO KIRKUK
TO RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0612
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0650
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0043
RUEHKUK/REO KIRKUK 0678
C O N F I D E N T I A L KIRKUK 000107 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

BAGHDAD FOR POL, NCT

E.O. 12958: DECL: 5/2/2016
TAGS: PREL PBTS PNAT PGOV PINR IZ TU IR
SUBJECT: (C) KRG-ERBIL INTERIOR MINISTER ON BORDER TENSIONS WITH
TURKEY

REF: KIRKUK 97

CLASSIFIED BY: Jim Bigus, PRT Team Leader, Kirkuk, DOS.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)



C O N F I D E N T I A L KIRKUK 000107

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

BAGHDAD FOR POL, NCT

E.O. 12958: DECL: 5/2/2016
TAGS: PREL PBTS PNAT PGOV PINR IZ TU IR
SUBJECT: (C) KRG-ERBIL INTERIOR MINISTER ON BORDER TENSIONS WITH
TURKEY

REF: KIRKUK 97

CLASSIFIED BY: Jim Bigus, PRT Team Leader, Kirkuk, DOS.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)




1. (C) On the margins of the Iraqi-American Chamber of
Commerce conference in Erbil on April 27 Kurdish Regional
Government Interior Minister Karim Sinjari briefly discussed
recent border tensions with Turkey. Sinjari described the
shelling of an Iraqi (Kurdish KDP) border post at Zaha-Sidarkan,
saying the Turks lobbed shells near the post to frighten the
guards away so that they could cross the border more easily.
This was an old trick the Turks had used for years he said. "If
there is no U.S. reaction, they will enter."


2. (C) Sinjari said there were about 200,000 Turkish troops on
the border, the number they usually deploy when they intend to
cross over. There was nothing new in the Turkish tactics. The
Turks were coordinating with the Iranians in recent actions
along the border according to Sinjari. "Iran, Turkey and Syria
always cooperate when it comes to the Kurds." Sinjari also said
the Turkish military was "losing influence little by little"
inside Turkey and was using the latest maneuvers to bolster its
importance.


3. (C) COMMENT: Sinjari did not want to miss the chance to tell
the U.S. it should do something about the Turkish maneuvers.
Speculation continues on why Turkey and Iran are acting now; we
will continue to monitor political reactions to Turkish and
Iranian moves toward the Iraqi border.

BIGUS