Cablegate: Turkish Assistance for Iraq

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

281310Z Jul 03

UNCLAS ANKARA 004755

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EB - JOHN FINN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID IZ TU
SUBJECT: TURKISH ASSISTANCE FOR IRAQ

REF: A. STATE 214593
B. ANKARA 2549

1. (U) Baghdad minimize considered.

2. (U) Foreign Ministry officials have advised that the GOT
would pledge $5 million in assistance to Iraq this year.
That pledge includes $1 million to the UN under the Flash
Appeal, with the remainder to fund bilateral assistance,
including through the Turkish Red Crescent (TRC) and NGOs.
Actual contributions to date involve several convoys sent by
the TRC and the Anatolian Development Foundation to deliver
food, water and medicines to hospitals and the Iraqi Red
Crescent in northern Iraq as well as Baghdad. These were
unilateral contributions, not coordinated with the USG or
ICRC, and we have not been able to verify their value.

3. (U) In addition, the GOT has proposed several in-kind
contributions (value unknown, except where noted), some of
which were discussed during FM Gul's visit to Washington last
week:

-- Provision of office furniture and computers to the Iraqi
MFA, Baghdad University and other institutions (worth $70,000
TO 100,000);

-- Training Iraqi firefighters, customs officers, police and
medical personnel. Turkey also offered to accept some Iraqi
cadets for Turkish military training.

-- Offer of experts to help staff the OCPA;

-- Loan of a 300-line mobile phone switchboard to a Turkmen
NGO for use in the Mosul-Tal Afar-Kirkuk area;

-- Rehabilitation/construction and equipment for hospitals in
Baghdad and Kirkuk, plus a field hospital (amount unknown,
but to be funded out of $4 million pledge for bilateral
assistance);

--Assistance with the water distribution system, roads,
sewerage and medical supplies in Tal Afar, to be delivered
through the TRC and NGOs;

-- Inspect rail track and donate locomotives and carriages to
reactivate the Turkish-Iraqi rail connection;

-- Working with Turkish, Iraqi and American universities to
foster exchanges.

4. (U) Embassy is scheduled to meet with MFA Coordinator for
Iraq Reconstruction Ahmet Okcun July 29, and may be able to
provide additional details after that meeting.
DEUTSCH

© Scoop Media