TURKEY PREPARED TO ENGAGE IN IRAQI NEIGHBORS PLUS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000931

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/19/2017
TAGS: PREL TU IZ EG IR SY
SUBJECT: TURKEY PREPARED TO ENGAGE IN IRAQI NEIGHBORS PLUS
MEETING, BUT FM GUL MAY NOT ATTEND

REF: A. STATE 50497


B. ANKARA 832

C. ANKARA 805 AND PREVIOUS

ANKARA 00000931 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Ambassador Ross Wilson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: Turkey will send a delegation to Sharm
el-Shaikh to participate in the May 3-4 meetings of the
International Compact with Iraq and the Neighbors Plus
Ministerial, but FM Gul may be unable to make the trip due to
domestic political requirements. GOT Special Envoy for Iraq
Amb. Oguz Celikkol said FM Mottaki, who visited here on April
17, complained about the Sharm venue for the ICI and Iraq
Neighbors Plus meetings, and he lobbied for Turkey to join a
bid to go back to the Neighbors-Only first meeting agreed in
Baghdad in March. FM Gul rejected this. Celikkol also noted
that Iraq has asked Turkey to host a meeting of the energy
working group, one of three committees established under the
Neighbors process.
END SUMMARY

TURKEY TO ATTEND BUT NOT CLEAR AT WHAT LEVEL
--------------


2. (C) Ambassador conveyed the Secretary's oral message (ref
a) urging participation in the International Compact with
Iraq (ICI) meeting to GOT Special Envoy for Iraq Ambassador
Oguz Celikkol. Celikkol said Turkey intends to send a
delegation to Sharm el-Shaikh for May 3-4 meetings both of
the ICI and the Iraq Neighbors Plus Ministerial, though they
have not yet announced that decision publicly nor responded
to the Egyptian invitation. The GOT is still trying to
decide the level of its representation, with the
participation of FM Gul in question due to domestic
requirements related to Turkey's presidential election
process, which will likely be in full swing that week.

IRANIANS UNHAPPY WITH SHARM EL-SHAIKH...SYRIANS WAITING TO
HEAR GOT VIEWS
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3. (C) Celikkol noted the Iranians are very unhappy with PM
Maliki's decision to hold the Neighbors Plus meeting in
Egypt. This was the main subject of FM Mottaki's visit here
April 17. Mottaki complained about Zebari's lack of
consultation regarding Sharm, and he lobbied for a return to
the Baghdad formula -- Neighbors Only in Egypt first and
Neighbors-Plus to follow. Celikkol said Mottaki was going to
Damascus next to make the same pitch. Celikkol made clear
that Ankara still doesn't like how the decisions played out,
but that Gul was very clear: The decision on Sharm has
already been announced, it will go ahead, and the important
thing is Iraq, not the venue.


4. (C) Referring to Turkish press reports indicating Iranian
officials had tied their participation in the meeting in
Egypt to the release of Iranian officials arrested by
coalition forces in Erbil, Ambassador asked Celikkol whether
the Iranians had raised the issue. Celikkol said Mottaki
complained about Iranian officials remaining in custody but
neither attempted to connect their release to Iranian
participation in the ministerial nor requested GOT assistance
in securing their release. Iran's connecting the release of
its officials and participation at Sharm had been reported to
the Turks by Iraqi government officials, according to
Celikkol.


5. (C) Syria has also reportedly expressed misgivings about
the Iraqi decision and had asked the GOT for its views on
participation. Celikkol said the Turks have not yet gotten
back to the SARG but will, once the GOT decides who is going.
He did not express a view as to whether or not the Syrians
will attend.

IRAQ REQUESTS TURKEY HOST MEETING OF NEIGHBORS PROCESS ENERGY
WORKING GROUP

ANKARA 00000931 002.2 OF 002


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6. (C) According to Celikkol, Iraq had responded favorably to
an earlier Turkish request to participate in all three
working groups established as part of the Neighbors process.
Turkey had initially only been included in the energy working
group but had asked that it also be able to participate in
groups focused on border security and refugees. In its
positive reply, Iraq also asked the Turks to consider hosting
in Ankara an initial meeting of the energy group, preferably
prior to the May 3-4 meetings in Egypt. Celikkol told us
that trying to organize such a meeting in the short time
remaining would not be feasible. It might make most sense to
have concurrent meetings of all three working groups in one
venue, sometime in May following the ministerial. He seemed
open to Turkey being a host, but regarded the question as
premature.

Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/

WILSON