GOT DENIES SUPER COBRA FLEW OVER CYPRUS SEPTEMBER 9

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 006412 SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/SE E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/03/2013 TAGS: MOPS PREL MCAP MASS TU SUBJECT: GOT DENIES SUPER COBRA FLEW OVER CYPRUS SEPTEMBER 9 REF: A. ANKARA 6343 ¶B. STATE 283076 (U) Classified by PolMil Counselor Timothy A. Betts. Reasons: 1.5 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) MFA Acting DDG for Greece and Cyprus Levent Bilman told PolMilCouns on October 14 that after our demarche on UNFICYP's sighting of a Turkish AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopter on September 9, MFA checked with both the Turkish Embassy in Nicosia and TGS. Both denied such a flight could have occurred, asserting that Turkey has not dispatched AH-1Ws to the island since 1997. Bilman said that after receiving this answer, he went back to TGS to ask about flight operations on September 9 and was again told that there were no Super Cobras on the island. ¶2. (C) It was odd, Bilman continued, that neither UNFICYP nor the Cypriot delegation in New York had complained to Turkey about the alleged incident. "Normally, they do," he said. He asked that we reconfirm our information. If there were no flight, he said, the incident should not be included in the UNFICYP renewal report. PolMilCouns said he would relay the information. EDELMAN