GOT SPECIAL ENVOY AND S/I DISCUSS TURKEY-IRAQ

S E C R E T BAGHDAD 000927

SIPDIS
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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