Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ASHGABAT651
2008-05-21 07:18:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN: SAUDI AMBASSADOR SAYS OVER 1,000
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C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 000651
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL/IRF
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/20/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KIRF TU SA TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: SAUDI AMBASSADOR SAYS OVER 1,000
TURKMEN PERFORMED HAJJ
REF: ASHGABAT 0171
Classified By: CDA RICHARD E. HOAGLAND: 1.4 (B),(D).
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 000651
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL/IRF
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/20/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KIRF TU SA TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: SAUDI AMBASSADOR SAYS OVER 1,000
TURKMEN PERFORMED HAJJ
REF: ASHGABAT 0171
Classified By: CDA RICHARD E. HOAGLAND: 1.4 (B),(D).
1. (C) On May 19, Saudi Arabian Ambassador Abdel Aziz
Al-Ghadeer told Charge that in 2007 1,100 Turkmen had
received special Saudi hajj visas, in addition to the
planeload of 188 pilgrims officially sponsored and funded by
Turkmenistan's government (reftel). The ambassador somewhat
reluctantly confirmed these numbers, and requested that Post
not make this information public.
2. (C) Ambassador Al-Ghadeer said a Turkish travel agency
had helped the visa recipients, who paid for their own
pilgrimage travel, to arrange flights through Istanbul to
Jedda, then on to Mecca. He implied his embassy had
coordinated this effort, but he declined to elaborate the
details. He did note, however, that he expects
Turkmenistan's government to fund three planeloads of
pilgrims for the next hajj.
3. (C) COMMENT: Post reported reftel that some Turkish
businessmen resident in Turkmenistan had facilitated
self-financed hajj trips of Turkmen Muslims in the past. We
suspect the Saudis collaborated with the Turks to achieve the
substantially larger number of Turkmen pilgrims who performed
the most recent hajj. Because Turkmen do not need visas to
travel to Turkey, a number of the Turkmen pilgrims might have
receivd their Saudi visas in Istanbul. We suspect the Saudi
Ambassador has been deploying "quiet diplomacy" to help the
Turmen authorities feel more comfortable with the large
numbers of Turkmen travelling to Mecca to perform the hajj.
END COMMENT.
HOAGLAND
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL/IRF
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/20/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KIRF TU SA TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: SAUDI AMBASSADOR SAYS OVER 1,000
TURKMEN PERFORMED HAJJ
REF: ASHGABAT 0171
Classified By: CDA RICHARD E. HOAGLAND: 1.4 (B),(D).
1. (C) On May 19, Saudi Arabian Ambassador Abdel Aziz
Al-Ghadeer told Charge that in 2007 1,100 Turkmen had
received special Saudi hajj visas, in addition to the
planeload of 188 pilgrims officially sponsored and funded by
Turkmenistan's government (reftel). The ambassador somewhat
reluctantly confirmed these numbers, and requested that Post
not make this information public.
2. (C) Ambassador Al-Ghadeer said a Turkish travel agency
had helped the visa recipients, who paid for their own
pilgrimage travel, to arrange flights through Istanbul to
Jedda, then on to Mecca. He implied his embassy had
coordinated this effort, but he declined to elaborate the
details. He did note, however, that he expects
Turkmenistan's government to fund three planeloads of
pilgrims for the next hajj.
3. (C) COMMENT: Post reported reftel that some Turkish
businessmen resident in Turkmenistan had facilitated
self-financed hajj trips of Turkmen Muslims in the past. We
suspect the Saudis collaborated with the Turks to achieve the
substantially larger number of Turkmen pilgrims who performed
the most recent hajj. Because Turkmen do not need visas to
travel to Turkey, a number of the Turkmen pilgrims might have
receivd their Saudi visas in Istanbul. We suspect the Saudi
Ambassador has been deploying "quiet diplomacy" to help the
Turmen authorities feel more comfortable with the large
numbers of Turkmen travelling to Mecca to perform the hajj.
END COMMENT.
HOAGLAND