TURKEY-IRAQ-U.S. TRILATERAL SECURITY TALKS WORKING

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000193 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/25/2019 TAGS: PREL MARR IZ TU SUBJECT: TURKEY-IRAQ-U.S. TRILATERAL SECURITY TALKS WORKING GROUP HOLDS SECOND MEETING REF: A. BAGHDAD 150 ¶B. ANKARA 92 Classified By: Minister Counselor for Political Military Affairs Michae l H. Corbin for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (S) Summary: The Turkish government urged Iraq to isolate the PKK before the end of winter by cutting off supplies of food and weapons at a meeting of the Iraq-Turkey-U.S. Trilateral Working Group (WG) on January 22 in Baghdad. The GoT also sought to establish liaison offices in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah. The GOI promised to report back at the next WG meeting what would be needed to do so. GoI representatives did not provide intelligence reports to the GoT at the meeting, explaining that the GOI needs time to develop sources and accurate information; but they did commit the GOI to issue media statements declaring the PKK a terrorist organization, destroy PKK support mechanisms, and obtain arrest warrants for known PKK members. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) At the working group-level meeting of the Iraq-Turkey-U.S. Security Dialogue on January 22, MG Abdullah Foukeiki (from MSNSA) led the Iraqi delegation. BG Delshad Najib was again the representative of the KRG. COL Cengiz Ozen led the Turkish delegation accompanied by Political Officer Emre Uygun. The U.S delegation was led by COL Rick Stockhausen of MNF-I CJ3 (Security Strategy) and PolMilOff. -------------- ISOLATING THE PKK NOW -------------- ¶3. (C) The GoT,s COL Ozen urged the GOI to take concrete action to isolate the PKK before the end of winter, March 31. Turkey, he said, did not want to see &only an exchange of information but also some measures taken on the ground,8 including cutting food supplies and preventing the PKK from acquiring weapons. He said that now was the time to cut off the PKK from its material support. These efforts &won't mean anything come summer,8 he concluded. ¶4. (S) GoI representatives did not provide intelligence reports to the GoT at the meeting, explaining that the GOI needs time to develop sources and accurate information. MG Foukeiki said the GOI would issue media statements declaring the PKK a terrorist organization; coordinate with Border Enforcement authorities and related security agencies instructing them to destroy PKK 8support mechanisms8 and interdict routes, and coordinate with the Ministry of Interior to obtain arrest warrants for known PKK members. -------------- ESTABLISHING LIAISON OFFICES IN THE KRG -------------- ¶5. (S) At the request of the GoT, the working group agreed to the establishment of a liaison office in Erbil. The Iraqi delegation offered the use of an established MSNSA office in Erbil to serve as the liaison office, suggesting that Turkey could send two to four officers to staff the facility. The Turkish delegation pressed for a separate facility. The GOI promised to report back at the next WG meeting what would be needed to do so. Discussion targeted mid-February for opening the office. The Turkish delegation reiterated its interest in also opening a liaison office in Sulaymaniyah. The Iraqis indicated, without elaborating on their reasons, that it would take longer than establishing an office in Erbil. (Comment: While we are not sure why the GOI indicated it would be more difficult to open an office in Sulaymaniyah vice Erbil, it is possible that the difference is due to the split between Erbil-based KDP Kurds and the Qsplit between Erbil-based KDP Kurds and the Sulaymaniyah-based PUK Kurds. End Comment.) ¶6. (C) The next Working Group meeting is scheduled for February 5. Delegates tentatively agreed to consider convening the next Subcommittee meeting (at the one-star level) in late February. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶7. (C) There was a sense by all that progress had been achieved on several issues ) most notably that of opening office(s) in northern Iraq. While still not producing any actionable intelligence for use by the Turks, the Iraqis have committed to a definitive set of measures to be taken in the next fourteen days. Having seen the Iraqis show up at trilat BAGHDAD 00000193 002 OF 002 meetings previously with excuses as to why they did not complete their &homework8 from the previous session, we intend to work closely with them, in the interim, to encourage them to move forward. End comment. CROCKER