TURKEY RECEIVES THREE SYRIAN AND IRANIAN IL-76

S E C R E T ANKARA 004316 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/25/2026 TAGS: PREL PARM MARR ETTC TU IR SY SA JO IS LE SUBJECT: TURKEY RECEIVES THREE SYRIAN AND IRANIAN IL-76 OVERFLIGHT REQUESTS REF: A. STATE 120961 ¶B. ANKARA 4279 Classified By: Political-Military Counselor Carl Siebentritt, reasons 1 .4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (S/NF) We delivered ref a points to MFA Aviation Department Head Hamit Olcay on July 25. According to Olcay, Turkey does not have any pending cargo overflight requests. However, the GOT did receive three separate IL-76 overflight requests from Syria and Iran following our initial July 19 approach. In addition to the overflight request made by Pars Airlines (ref b),Syria and Iran each sent diplomatic notes requesting overflight permission for an IL-76 cargo plane. The MFA notified both governments and Pars that, given the ongoing conflict in the region, Turkey was willing to accommodate their requests but would invoke its right under Article V (Right of Non-Scheduled Flights) of the 1944 Convention on International Civil Aviation to require the planes to land in Turkey and undergo an inspection. Only Pars agreed to that requirement and the Syrian and Iranian government planes were denied overflight clearance. ¶2. (S/NF) Olcay commented that Diyarbakir Airport in southeastern Turkey was selected as the inspection site for these flights because it brought them far enough into Turkish air space that Turkish planes would have time to intercept them if necessary. ¶3. (S/NF) In addition to the cargo flights, Olcay noted a regularly scheduled civilian passenger flight between Tehran and Damascus that overflies Turkish territory. The GOT, he said, recognizes the potential for abuse of those flights but would not subject routine passenger flights to a landing and inspection absent "sufficient, credible evidence" of WMD or other problematic materials on board. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON