TURKEY NOTIFIED THAT UAE REQUEST FOR TURKISH

S E C R E T ANKARA 003466

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/SE AND PM/RSAT

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/15/2015
TAGS: MASS TU TC
SUBJECT: TURKEY NOTIFIED THAT UAE REQUEST FOR TURKISH
TRAINING ON F-16 BLOCK 60 AIRCRAFT DENIED

REF: A. STATE 110926

B. ANKARA 2909

Classified By: Ambassador Eric S. Edelman, reasons 1.4 (a) (b) and (d).


1. (S) Deputy PolMilCouns notified MFA Americas Affairs
Deputy Office Director Meral Barlas on June 15 that the USG
has denied the United Arab Emirates (UAE) request for pilots
and technicians from Turkey to train pilots and technicians
from the UAE on F-16 Block 60 aircraft and for technicians
form Turkey to maintain the aircraft. Deputy PolMilCouns
explained that the USG would like the UAE to develop an
indigenous training and maintenance capacity like other F-16
countries, and that, towards that end, and together with
Lockheed Martin, the USG was offering in-country training and
training in the United States.


2. (S) Comment: Despite MFA Undersecretary Tuygan's comments
to the Ambassador (ref b) Barlas expressed surprise at the
decision and said the MFA had not yet been notified by the
UAE. She noted some frustration at the decision, saying that
the UAE must have requested this training for some valid
reason, such as a lack of pilots or technicians, but claimed
she did not know the motivation behind the request. End
Comment.
EDELMAN