Cablegate: Turkish Aid Delegation Plans to Travel to Iraq

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

191439Z Aug 03

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 005271

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR EUR/SE, NEA
NSC FOR BRYZA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PREL TU IZ
SUBJECT: TURKISH AID DELEGATION PLANS TO TRAVEL TO IRAQ
AUGUST 21: ACTION REQUEST

(U) Baghdad minimize considered.

1. (U) This is an action request -- see para 4.

2. (SBU) The Foreign Ministry advised us late August 19 that
a delegation including Turkish parliamentarians, Ministry of
Public Works officials, the Turkish Red Crescent, and private
sector representatives plans to travel by vehicle to Iraq
August 21, en route to Baghdad and then Kirkuk to discuss
plans to build hospitals in each city. The Ministry said the
Turkish Embassy in Baghdad had already contacted CPA
authorities about the delegation, but requested -- via both a
phone call and a diplomatic note (text in para 5) -- Embassy
Ankara's assistance in obtaining CPA clearance. Embassy
advised MFA that we would pass on the information to the
Department and CPA, but that 36-hours' notice was
insufficient to ensure the information would get to all
relevant players.

3. (SBU) Embassy noted that, per the non-paper given to FM
Gul during his recent visit to Washington, the urgent need in
the health arena was refurbishment of existing hospitals,
along with provision of medicines. The Foreign Ministry said
the Iraqi Red Crescent agreed on the need to construct new
hospitals, but in any case the delegation planned to meet
with U.S. and Iraqi advisors to the Health Ministry to
discuss their plans during this trip.

4. (SBU) Action Request: Embassy requests Department and
CPA confirm that CPA can support this visit, and that units
along the route be informed of the delegation's travel for
security purposes.

5. (U) Begin Text of MFA Diplomatic Note:

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey
presents its compliments to the Embassy of the United States
of America and has the honour to inform that, within the
framework of the humanitarian aid to Iraq by Turkey, a
delegation consisting of two members of the Turkish Grand
National Assembly, officials from the Ministry of Public
Works, Turkish Radio and Television Corporation, and Turkish
Red Crescent as well as businessmen from private sector are
planning to visit Iraq on August 21, 2003 in the context of
the project for construction of two hospitals in this country
by Turkey.

ID particulars of the delegation members are as follows:

Turan Comez, Member of Parliament (passport information to be
provided)
Cevdet Erdol, Member of Parliament, Born: Surmene-Trabzon,
1958, diplomatic passport

Ministry of Public Works
------------------------
Davut Akgul, Engineer
Born: Ispir, March 5, 1958, Passport Number TR-B 023971

Yunus Alper Altay, Architect
Born: Ankara, January 15, 1976, Passport Number TR-A 168287

Turkish Radio and Television Corporation
----------------------------------------
Gokhan Sunal, Journalist
Born: Ankara, March 24, 1970, Passport Number TR-A 101232

Cenk Gultasli, Cameraman
Born: Ankara, February 23, 1969

Turkish Red Crescent Society
----------------------------
Ass. Prof. Serdar Hepgul, Deputy Director General
Born: Istanbul, June 7, 1959, Passport Number TR-A 054808

Omer Tasli, Director for Emergency
Born: Duzce, January 2, 1962, Passport Number 094432

Kaan Saner, Expert
Born: Ankara, April 5, 1974, Passport No. TR-A 106729

Hasan Demirel, Driver
Born: Fevziye, December 5, 1957, Passport No to be notified
later
Fikret Ataseven, Driver
Born: Duzce, June 7, 1965, Passport No. TR-A 145525

Mustafa Karakas, Driver
Born: Rize, May 1, 1965, Passport No. TR-A 157494

Businessmen
-----------
Mustafa Aridasir
Born: Adana, February 13, 1955, Passport No. TR-A 866223

Mustafa Kaan
Born: Pinarbasi-Kayseri, March 10, 1971, Passport No TR-N
979943

Ozgur Bulent Caglayan
Born: Ankara, March 15, 1975, Passport No. TR-J 241258

Bahadir Kayan
Born: Basgoze-Konya, September 20, 1967, Passport No
Y)-662622 (Austrian)

Adem Akin
Born: Kirikhan, December 23, 1951, Passport No. TR-B 085045

Ozan Ziglan
Born: Uskudar, October 31, 1973, Passport No. 671361

Ozkul Mehmet Toroglu
Born: Mersin, March 30, 1979, Passport No. TR-N 885792

Plate Numbers of Vehicles
-------------------------

34 AS 5942 Opel Frontera Jeep
06 FFM 30 Nissan Patrol Jeep
35 ZK 9690 Toyota Jeep
35 ZK 9753 Toyota Hiace Minibus
06 RID 47 Fiat Marea

The relevant American and Iraqi authorities are being
informed of this visit by the Turkish Embassy in Baghdad.
Assistance of the esteemed Embassy to facilitate the
aforementioned visit to Iraq will be highly appreciated. The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey avails
itself of this opportunity to renew to the Embassy of the
United States of America the assurances of its highest
consideration.

End text of diplomatic note.

EDELMAN

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