TURKEY/LEBANON: TURKEY'S LEBANON PEACEKEEPING

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 005200 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/08/2026 TAGS: MARR MOPS PGOV PREL UN LE TU SUBJECT: TURKEY/LEBANON: TURKEY'S LEBANON PEACEKEEPING CONTRIBUTION TAKING SHAPE REF: A. ANKARA 05149 ¶B. STATE 148157 Classified By: A/DCM Dan Sreebny for reasons 1.4 (b,d). ¶1. (C) Summary. Following a contentious parliamentary vote and the September 6 visit of UNSYG Annan to Ankara, Turkey has promised naval assets as well as the use of seaports and airports for Lebanon peacekeeping operations. In addition, the GOT is planning a ground contingent to engage in humanitarian/reconstruction activities and logistics support to UNIFIL, although details remain to be worked out. A military survey team is on its way to Lebanon. Turkey is also discussing training needs with the LAF. A Turkish UNIFIL deployment would represent the first significant Turkish military presence in the Middle East since the bloody withdrawal of the Ottoman Empire from that region nearly a century ago. End summary. ¶2. (C) We made ref b points to MFA Middle East Department Head Sedat Onal on September 8. Onal said the GOT is currently working out the details of the Lebanon peacekeeping contribution approved by a special session of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) on September 5 (ref a) and discussed with UNSYG Kofi Annan during his September 6 visit to Ankara. Onal noted that the resolution passed by the TBMM specifies Turkey's UNIFIL contribution will be in the logistics and humanitarian area; any combat troops committed to UNIFIL will act as force protection for Turkish humanitarian and logistics activities. ¶3. (C) Onal said that Turkey has promised the UN a naval contribution of one frigate and two corvettes, and has offered the ports of Mersin and Iskenderun, as well as Adana airport and Istanbul's secondary Gokcen airport, for use by UNIFIL contributing countries. Turkey is also prepared to assist allied UNIFIL contributing countries with air and sea lift on a case-by-case basis; however, no Turkish units will be specifically dedicated to that purpose. Onal was not willing to speculate on the final size of the Turkish UNIFIL contribution on the ground in Lebanon (separate from naval forces),although press reporting suggests up to 1000 Turkish personnel may be sent. ¶4. (C) The land component of the Turkish contribution to UNIFIL is still being considered, Onal said. The GOT is discussing with the UN how civilian humanitarian and reconstruction elements, such as the Turkish Red Crescent and Turkey's development agency TIKA, would be integrated into UNIFIL. He confirmed press reports that a military engineering unit would be included in Turkey's contribution and would be engaged in infrastructure repair. Once the GOT determines the size, composition, and integration of its humanitarian and logistics package, force protection and service support units will be added as necessary. ¶5. (C) Onal said that Turkey is considering a substantial training package for the Lebanese Armed Forces and is coordinating needs directly with the LAF. He was not aware of any Turkish equipment earmarked for the LAF at this time. He indicated the Turkish military is fully on board with a training mission. ¶6. (C) Onal confirmed press reports that military officers, likely from Turkey's Ankara-based peacekeeping unit, the 28th Mechanized Infantry Brigade, are heading to Lebanon to survey conditions for an eventual Turkish deployment. He predicted that it will take another week to ten days for the GOT to finalize its UNIFIL contribution, and then an additional couple of weeks to complete their deployment. ¶7. (C) Onal closed by emphasizing that participation in UNIFIL will be Turkey's first significant military involvement in the Middle East since the end of the Ottoman Empire and constitutes an historic event. He noted that the September 5 TBMM debate on the deployment resolution was heated and that there is significant popular opposition to ANKARA 00005200 002 OF 002 sending forces to Lebanon while the PKK is still attacking Turkish security forces and civilians in Turkey from sanctuaries in northern Iraq. However, having called for a cease-fire early in the Israel-Lebanon conflict, Turkey feels obliged to adopt a principled stand and contribute to the peace. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON