Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BAGHDAD3130
2007-09-17 16:38:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Baghdad
Cable title:
FOLLOWING UP ON PM MALIKI'S VISIT TO TURKEY
how-toVZCZCXRO9524 OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK DE RUEHGB #3130 2601638 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 171638Z SEP 07 FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3422 INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 003130
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/16/2017
TAGS: PGOV IZ TU
SUBJECT: FOLLOWING UP ON PM MALIKI'S VISIT TO TURKEY
REF: NEA/I CLASSIFIED O/I OF SEPT. 14
Classified By: Political Counselor Matt Tueller for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).
(C) We met Sept. 16 with Prime Minister Maliki's Political
Advisor, Sadiq Rikabi, and advised him of Turkey's interest
in following up on Maliki's promise to send a team from the
Ministry of the Interior (MOI) to Ankara to conclude a
memorandum of understanding (MOU) on security. Rikabi
promised to raise the issue with Maliki, but cautioned that
Maliki's relations with KRG leader Masud Barzani were "not
easy" and that the PM could not simply give Barzani orders,
particularly on an issue as sensitive as this. However,
Rikabi was sympathetic to the Turkish position, and faulted
Iraq's Kurdish leadership for providing support to the PKK.
He emphasized that Turkey is the only neighboring state not
playing a negative role in Iraq. "The Turks are the only
ones who are not playing the sectarian card, who are not
supporting militants, and who are not using their media to
attack the Iraqi government," said Rikabi, who added that
Ankara was the one capital with which he foresaw "normal"
relations in the near term.
BUTENIS
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/16/2017
TAGS: PGOV IZ TU
SUBJECT: FOLLOWING UP ON PM MALIKI'S VISIT TO TURKEY
REF: NEA/I CLASSIFIED O/I OF SEPT. 14
Classified By: Political Counselor Matt Tueller for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).
(C) We met Sept. 16 with Prime Minister Maliki's Political
Advisor, Sadiq Rikabi, and advised him of Turkey's interest
in following up on Maliki's promise to send a team from the
Ministry of the Interior (MOI) to Ankara to conclude a
memorandum of understanding (MOU) on security. Rikabi
promised to raise the issue with Maliki, but cautioned that
Maliki's relations with KRG leader Masud Barzani were "not
easy" and that the PM could not simply give Barzani orders,
particularly on an issue as sensitive as this. However,
Rikabi was sympathetic to the Turkish position, and faulted
Iraq's Kurdish leadership for providing support to the PKK.
He emphasized that Turkey is the only neighboring state not
playing a negative role in Iraq. "The Turks are the only
ones who are not playing the sectarian card, who are not
supporting militants, and who are not using their media to
attack the Iraqi government," said Rikabi, who added that
Ankara was the one capital with which he foresaw "normal"
relations in the near term.
BUTENIS