Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ANKARA1738
2007-07-06 15:12:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:
TURKEY WORRIED ABOUT MALIKI "CONCESSIONS" TO KURDS
how-tonull Dianne Wampler 07/09/2007 01:55:16 PM From DB/Inbox: Dianne Wampler Cable Text: C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 01738 SIPDIS CX: ACTION: ECON INFO: CONS PA RAO FAS MGT PMA FCS POL DCM AMB DISSEMINATION: ECON /1 CHARGE: PROG APPROVED: AMB:RWILSON DRAFTED: ECON:TGOLDBERGER CLEARED: POL:JWEINER, PMA:CSEIBENTRITT VZCZCAYI106 PP RUEHC RUCNRAQ RHEFDIA RUEHAK RUEAIIA RUEKJCS RHEHAAA RUEUITH RUEKJCS RUFOADA RHMFISS RHMFISS RHMFISS RHMFISS RUEPGAB DE RUEHAK #1738 1871512 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 061512Z JUL 07 FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2880 INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RHEFDIA/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 001738
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/04/2017
TAGS: PREL IZ TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY WORRIED ABOUT MALIKI "CONCESSIONS" TO KURDS
Classified By: Ambassador Ross Wilson. Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 001738
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/04/2017
TAGS: PREL IZ TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY WORRIED ABOUT MALIKI "CONCESSIONS" TO KURDS
Classified By: Ambassador Ross Wilson. Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) Summary. Turkey's Iraq Special Envoy Oguz Celikkol
is worried that PM Maliki, under siege from Sunni and other
groups, is making political concessions to Kurdish
politicians -- including on Kirkuk -- in order to maintain
his grip on power. Celikkol's effort to work through Maliki
spokesman Ali Dabbagh to overcome Maliki's reluctance to
accept the Turkish Prime Minister's invitation to visit
Turkey in the very near future has apparently not succeeded.
Celikkol said Turkey did not believe a visit by an Iraqi
ministerial delegation, counter-proposed by Dabbagh, would be
fruitful. Meanwhile, Celikkol was encouraged by recent
energy and police training contacts with Iraq. End Summary.
--------------
Maliki Visit
--------------
2. (C) Taking advantage of a meeting he called to offer a
read-out of the recent Neighbors and trilateral energy
meetings in Istanbul (septel),Celikkol told Ambassador July
5 that he had met PM Maliki spokesman Ali Dabbagh in Istanbul
on June 30 in order to encourage acceptance of PM Erdogan's
invitation to Maliki to Turkey. He said that Turkey would
like to see: 1) additional pressure by the central government
on Barzani to act against the PKK, 2) an unambiguous
declaration that the government of Iraq considers the PKK to
be a terrorist organization, and 3) the signing of agreements
to cooperate in fighting terrorism.
3. (C) Celikkol said that after his return to Baghdad,
Dabbagh called back to say Maliki had instructed him to go to
Irbil to "pressure Barzani." It was not clear to Celikkol if
that trip had taken place. Dabbagh also proposed a visit to
Turkey by an Iraqi ministerial delegation as an alternative
and perhaps precursor to a Maliki visit. Celikkol said,
however, that Ankara viewed such a ministerial visit as not
likely to be productive, particularly in view of the
expectations for Maliki's visit that had been raised in the
Turkish press.
--------------
Frets About Maliki Concessions to Kurds
--------------
4. (C) Celikkol said he also raised with Dabbagh Turkish
concern with reports that Maliki was making concessions to
Barzani and Talabani -- including on Kirkuk -- in order to
stay in power. Dabbagh said that these rumors were not true.
However, Celikkol said he had received subsequent reports of
a Maliki/Dawa/Kurdish political alliance that seemed to
substantiate the rumors. At the same time, he was troubled
by continuing rumors of U.S. backing for a power bid by Iyad
Allawi. Ambassador replied that Allawi was the source of
these stories and that we had told him to stop. He said the
U.S. is strongly supporting the Maliki government and
believes any change NOW would delay Iraqi decision-making at
an important time. He also described recent U.S. efforts
with Barzani on the PKK.
--------------
Positive Energy and Police Training Contacts
--------------
5. (C) Meanwhile, Celikkol was positive about both the
energy meetings and the visit of U.S. Major General Hunzeker
and Iraqi National Police General Aydin Kadir to Turkey. He
thought there were good prospects for Turkey to offer
advanced police training. Ambassador agreed that this seemed
promising and that we would work to make this happen.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/
WILSON
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/04/2017
TAGS: PREL IZ TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY WORRIED ABOUT MALIKI "CONCESSIONS" TO KURDS
Classified By: Ambassador Ross Wilson. Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) Summary. Turkey's Iraq Special Envoy Oguz Celikkol
is worried that PM Maliki, under siege from Sunni and other
groups, is making political concessions to Kurdish
politicians -- including on Kirkuk -- in order to maintain
his grip on power. Celikkol's effort to work through Maliki
spokesman Ali Dabbagh to overcome Maliki's reluctance to
accept the Turkish Prime Minister's invitation to visit
Turkey in the very near future has apparently not succeeded.
Celikkol said Turkey did not believe a visit by an Iraqi
ministerial delegation, counter-proposed by Dabbagh, would be
fruitful. Meanwhile, Celikkol was encouraged by recent
energy and police training contacts with Iraq. End Summary.
--------------
Maliki Visit
--------------
2. (C) Taking advantage of a meeting he called to offer a
read-out of the recent Neighbors and trilateral energy
meetings in Istanbul (septel),Celikkol told Ambassador July
5 that he had met PM Maliki spokesman Ali Dabbagh in Istanbul
on June 30 in order to encourage acceptance of PM Erdogan's
invitation to Maliki to Turkey. He said that Turkey would
like to see: 1) additional pressure by the central government
on Barzani to act against the PKK, 2) an unambiguous
declaration that the government of Iraq considers the PKK to
be a terrorist organization, and 3) the signing of agreements
to cooperate in fighting terrorism.
3. (C) Celikkol said that after his return to Baghdad,
Dabbagh called back to say Maliki had instructed him to go to
Irbil to "pressure Barzani." It was not clear to Celikkol if
that trip had taken place. Dabbagh also proposed a visit to
Turkey by an Iraqi ministerial delegation as an alternative
and perhaps precursor to a Maliki visit. Celikkol said,
however, that Ankara viewed such a ministerial visit as not
likely to be productive, particularly in view of the
expectations for Maliki's visit that had been raised in the
Turkish press.
--------------
Frets About Maliki Concessions to Kurds
--------------
4. (C) Celikkol said he also raised with Dabbagh Turkish
concern with reports that Maliki was making concessions to
Barzani and Talabani -- including on Kirkuk -- in order to
stay in power. Dabbagh said that these rumors were not true.
However, Celikkol said he had received subsequent reports of
a Maliki/Dawa/Kurdish political alliance that seemed to
substantiate the rumors. At the same time, he was troubled
by continuing rumors of U.S. backing for a power bid by Iyad
Allawi. Ambassador replied that Allawi was the source of
these stories and that we had told him to stop. He said the
U.S. is strongly supporting the Maliki government and
believes any change NOW would delay Iraqi decision-making at
an important time. He also described recent U.S. efforts
with Barzani on the PKK.
--------------
Positive Energy and Police Training Contacts
--------------
5. (C) Meanwhile, Celikkol was positive about both the
energy meetings and the visit of U.S. Major General Hunzeker
and Iraqi National Police General Aydin Kadir to Turkey. He
thought there were good prospects for Turkey to offer
advanced police training. Ambassador agreed that this seemed
promising and that we would work to make this happen.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/
WILSON