GOT SPECIAL ENVOY AND S/I DISCUSS TURKEY-IRAQ

S E C R E T BAGHDAD 000927 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS C O R R E C T E D COPY CAPTION E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2023 TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER TU IZ SUBJECT: GOT SPECIAL ENVOY AND S/I DISCUSS TURKEY-IRAQ RELATIONS REF: BAGHDAD 866 Classified By: Classified By S/I David M. Satterfield for reasons 1.4 ( b) and (d). ¶1. (S/NF) GOT Special Envoy Murat Ozcelik told S/I Satterfield that he has met a wide-range of contacts during this visit, including Foreign Minister Zebari, ISCI CoR leader Hummam Hammoudi, Vice Presidents Abdel Mehdi and Hashimi, Speaker Mashadani and Prime Minister's advisor Sadiq Rikabi. He said he missed PM Maliki, who was in Basra. Covering similar topics to Ambassador Crocker's March 20 meeting with Ozcelik (reftel),S/I and the Special Envoy discussed the strategic framework agreement negotiations, hydrocarbons and energy security, UNAMI's role in Article 140 implementation and resolving the PKK issue. ¶2. (SBU) During the Special Envoy's trip to Basra on March 22, Ozcelik reported that Basra PRT was "extremely helpful," as were British representatives. He said they will place the Turkish consulate inside the city eventually, but plan to start with a temporary set-up, hopefully near the airbase with hardened cover. S/I and Ozcelik discussed Turkish opportunities for business investment in Basra. Ozcelik said that investment would be made even more attractive and reassuring to major Turkish companies if some initial contracts could be completed with U.S. or Coalition-related projects. Ozcelik said he also planned to talk to large Turkish companies in Istanbul to encourage investment ahead of the April 22 Neighbors Ministerial. ¶3. (S/NF) Regarding contacts with Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani, Ozcelik said he planned to travel to Mosul on March 25 and travel back to Turkey from there. Barzani was not coming to Baghdad yet. Ozcelik repeated that it is important that initial contacts be discreet "so we can understand each other" and plan the public relations aspects together. Satterfield asked whether Turkish PM advisor Ahmet Davutoglu would travel to Baghdad to also meet with Barzani. Ozcelik replied that would be fine if meeting Davutoglu is important to Barzani, but added that he (Ozcelik) has the advantage because the Turkish military has more confidence in the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs than in Davutoglu. Ozcelik said that non-kinetic proposals for resolving the PKK problem would be "more palatable" to the Turkish military if proposed by the MFA, particularly given the ruling AK party's recent legal troubles and the military's dislike of its constitutional reform efforts. ¶4. (S/NF) Comment: All of Ozcelik's comments point to an internal fight between him and Davutoglu, who is holding on to the KGK portfolio. The most recent information we have is that Nechirvan Barzani will be in Baghdad on Monday, March ¶31. Embassy Ankara might want to alert Davutoglu. End Comment. CROCKER