Letter from President Talabani to POTUS

UNCLAS BAGHDAD 003690 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: DECL: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV TU IZ SUBJECT: Letter from President Talabani to POTUS ¶1. (U) Post received a letter from Iraqi President Jalal Talabani on November 5, addressed to President Bush. The following is the English text. ¶2. (U) BEGIN TEXT: The Honorable George W. Bush President of the United States of America The White House Washington DC. November 4, 2007 Dear Mr. President, No matter what challenges we face here in our new democracy I have always been certain of one thing: the strong, unflinching support of your leadership and the devoted friendship of the people of the United States. The rising tension resulting from ongoing conflict between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) causes me to write today. The Prime Minister of Turkey, Recap Tayyip Erdogan, is arriving in the United States to meet with you, to discuss what actions Turkey and possibly the United States should take to deal with increased violent actions by the PKK. So I ask you, as a friend and fellow president, to help us persuade Turkey not to invade Iraq, an action that would destabilize the Kurdistan Region, the most stable and prosperous part of Iraq. There is no doubt in my mind that Prime Minister Erdogan is genuinely seeking peaceful solutions to problems raised by the violence. We understand Turkey's frustration with the actions of the PKK. We are just as frustrated. However, we sincerely believe that the only way to solve this long-running problem is through honest dialogue not further violence or international conflict. My government and the Kurdistan Regional Government have reaffirmed their commitment to resolving the issues we share with Turkey in a peaceful, non violent way. Our efforts to secure the release of the Turkish hostages, as well as our steps to close down PKK front offices, better defend our borders and restrict PKK movement are all indications of our sincere commitment to good neighborly relations. We want to keep building our positive relations with our friends and neighbors. In that spirit, I would be deeply grateful for your continued efforts to encourage all parties to deal with these issues in diplomatic and no-violent ways. Sincerely, Jalal Talabani END TEXT. CROCKER