TURKEY UNABLE TO SEND SENIOR MFA REP TO MNF-I

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 002520 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10 TAGS: MARR MOPS PREL OTRA IZ TU SUBJECT: TURKEY UNABLE TO SEND SENIOR MFA REP TO MNF-I CONFERENCE ON IRAQ REF: STATE 140269 Classified By: AMBASSADOR ROSS WILSON FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) MFA Head of Department in the Office of the Iraq Coordinator, Aydin Selcen, told us October 11 that, because of the Iraq Neighbor's Ministerial meeting Turkey plans to host in Istanbul on November 2-3, the MFA does not expect Turkey's Special Representative for Iraq, Ambassador Oguz Celikkol, to be able to attend the MNF-I Iraq Conference in Bahrain on October 29-31. ¶2. (C) Selcen told us that the MFA recommended to the Turkish General Staff (TGS) that a senior military officer participate in the conference. Thus far we have no confirmation from TGS on who will attend. ¶3. (C) Separately on October 11, in a meeting with Celikkol, Ambassador urged that Turkey have diplomatic representation at the conference. Celikkol told Ambassador that Turkey's ambassador to Bahrain would likely attend. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON