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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000749 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/02/2017 
TAGS: PREL IZ TU
SUBJECT: TURKISH IRAQ COORDINATOR ON NEIGHBORS-PLUS 
MEETING, OTHER ISSUES 
 
 
ANKARA 00000749  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: Amb. Ross Wilson, reasons 1.4 b,d 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: In a meeting with Ambassador April 2, Turkish 
MFA Iraq Coordinator Oguz Celikkol urged a prompt decision on 
the timing and venue of the Iraq Neighbors-plus ministerial, 
which Turkey hopes will be April 23-24 in Istanbul.  He said 
that PM Maliki should have no concerns about an Istanbul 
venue.  There will be no surprises, and Turkey has no 
intention of highlighting its bilateral concerns -- including 
the PKK and the status of Kirkuk -- at the multilateral 
table.  On other matters, Celikkol 
 
-- said Turkey is concerned that VP Hashimi is losing ground 
among Iraqi Sunnis and urged that steps be taken to raise his 
political profile in Iraq; 
 
-- indicated Turkey would like to send medical, food, and 
other humanitarian relief to Tal Afar and would like to 
revive the successful 2005 reconciliation effort there; and 
 
-- reviewed Talabani's meeting with PM Erdogan in Riyadh. 
 
END SUMMARY 
 
NEIGHBORS-PLUS MINISTERIAL 
-------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) Celikkol expressed frustration with contradictory 
Iraqi and Egyptian statements on the Iraq Neighbors-plus 
ministerial.  He understood that a presidency council meeting 
scheduled for April 2 in Baghdad is supposed to decide Iraq's 
position on the matter.  From Ankara's point of view, the 
venue and timing need to be decided ASAP so that invitations 
can go out before week's end.  He said that PM Maliki need 
not be concerned that he/his government will be isolated, 
undermined, or otherwise embarrassed in Istanbul.  Turkey 
believes the purpose of this conference is to support Iraq 
and its government.  Turkey has no hidden agenda, will not 
bring any surprises to the table, will not allow others to do 
so, and has no intention of bringing bilateral issues such as 
PKK and Kirkuk to the table either. 
 
¶3. (C) Ankara is preparing a draft ministerial statement that 
would build on previous Neighbors' statements and the results 
of the March 10 meeting in Baghdad, Celikkol indicated.  He 
would like to coordinate this draft with us and with the 
Iraqis before sharing it with others.  Celikkol proposes 
doing consulting with Washington on the margins of the German 
Marshall Fund-hosted conference on Iraq that takes place 
April 10-11. 
 
VP HASHIMI 
---------- 
 
¶4. (C) Celikkol said FM Gul was struck in recent talks here 
with VP Hashimi that the Iraqi Sunni leaders fears he is 
losing ground among his Sunni constituents.  FM Gul had asked 
him to raise this with Ambassador and make the point that 
Turkey regards this as a negative development.  Hashimi needs 
something to take to his community - e.g. some step forward 
on the constitutional review mechanism, conferring more 
authority to the Presidency Council where Hashimi has a role, 
etc.  Failing this, Celikkol suggested, extremist and radical 
Sunnis, as well as al-Qaeda, will gain further in stature and 
a key moderate Sunni voice will be lost. 
 
TAL AFAR 
-------- 
 
¶5. (C) The bombing and subsequent violence in Tal Afar alarms 
Ankara, Celikkol indicated.  As it did in 2005, Turkey would 
like to provide help to the city, such as medical, food, and 
other humanitarian aid, as well as assistance in rebuilding 
infrastructure.  Turkey would also like to see a revival of 
cross-sectarian reconciliation efforts that were successful 
in 2005.  He identified no specific help that Turkey has in 
 
ANKARA 00000749  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
mind, but suggested the Turkish consulate in Mosul might 
usefully consult with PRT Mosul in determining what kinds of 
help might be most beneficial and in how best to coordinate 
with the GOI and, if necessary, MNF-I on security and 
logistics issues related to its delivery. 
 
TALABANI/ERDOGAN 
---------------- 
 
¶6. (C) Celikkol said that Turkey regarded the 
Talabani-Erdogan meeting, the first high-level exchange of 
its kind, as significant and positive.  Summarizing elements 
of the official report of the meeting, Celikkol said that 
Erdogan pressed for an Iraqi decision on the Neighbors-plus 
ministerial, which Talabani indicated will come shortly.  On 
Kirkuk, Talabani suggested Erdogan send someone from his 
"party" to look at land registry data, which Erdogan accepted 
on behalf of the government.  Erdogan also urged that "Kirkuk 
for Iraqis" supplant "Kirkuk for Kurds" as a goal for the 
city/region.  Erdogan appealed for more help on the PKK. 
Talabani promised this and said that the PKK is betraying 
Turkey and all Kurds everywhere.  Erdogan reiterated earlier 
offers to train Iraqi security personnel in Turkey. 
 
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON