This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

S E C R E T ANKARA 000859 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT. FOR P, EUR, EUR/SE, NEA AND NEA/NGA; 
NSC FOR AMB. KHALILZAD 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/02/2013 
TAGS: PREL MARR PREF PHUM TU IZ UNSC
SUBJECT: NORTHERN IRAQ: MULTIPARTY TALKS (V) - TURKS 
UNWILLING TO DISCUSS MILITARY PLANS W/IRAQI KURDS, PREPARED 
TO DISCUSS POLITICAL FUTURE OF IRAQ 
 
 
REF: A. LEMPERT-PEARSON E-MAIL OF 2/1/03 
     ¶B. ANKARA 800 
     ¶C. ANKARA 629 AND PREVIOUS 
     ¶D. STATE 18029 
 
 
Classified by DCM Robert Deutsch.  Reasons 1.5 b and d. 
 
 
¶1. (S) DCM met MFA DG for Middle East Tahsin Burcuoglu 
February 3 to discuss the upcoming multi-party talks per Ref 
¶A.  Burcuoglu said the Turks would set up separate bilats for 
Amb. Khalilzad and his delegation at MFA and at TGS on 
February 5.  For the multi-party talks on Feb. 6, Burcuoglu 
said, "we are not ready to have multi-party talks without the 
Iraqi Turkmen Front.  A US-Turkey-KDP/PUK meeting is not 
acceptable to us.  We are not prepared to discuss a Turkish 
military presence in northern Iraq with the Kurds.  On 
numbers of troops and other details, they will be 
notified...that's all.  We will never discuss Turkish 
military presence issues with those guys or ask for their 
permission.  Discussing the political fate and future of Iraq 
and northern Iraq is another issue and we are prepared for 
those talks with the Kurds and the ITF." 
 
 
¶2. (S) DCM pushed back using Ref A points but Burcuoglu 
wouldn't budge.  He told us his instruction from U/S Ziyal 
was to ask if the US was requesting talks without the ITF to 
appease Barzani.  He then tried to argue that the ITF was the 
sole legitimate representative of the Iraqi Turkmen - a 
principled position which Turkey would not change - but that 
the KDP and the PUK were not the only reps of the Iraqi 
Kurds.  DCM noted that being unable to have the 
US-Turkey-KDP/PUK talks would prevent us from dealing with 
issues that needed to be addressed.  Burcuoglu said the MFA 
position was clear - talks must include the ITF and the Turks 
would not discuss military planning with the Kurds.  Turkey 
was ready for US-Turkey-KDP/PUK-ITF talks on the 6th on the 
future of Iraq and northern Iraq. 
 
 
¶3. (S) Burcuoglu also expressed Turkish security concerns 
about holding the Iraqi opposition conference in northern 
Iraq if the date slips beyond mid-February.  He referred to 
rumors that US air strikes would begin by Feb. 18 and a 
ground assault by Feb. 28, and wondered how the conference 
could go forward with such possibilities hanging over its 
head.  He added that Turkey was increasingly concerned about 
Iranian involvement with the opposition, and suggested that 
INC leader Ahmed Chalabi might declare a provisional 
government from Iran.  We urged Burcuoglu to raise all of 
Turkey's concerns with Amb. Khalilzad on Feb. 5. 
PEARSON