TURKEY: DIRECT LEBANESE REQUEST FOR AMMUNITION

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 001282 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/25/2017 TAGS: MOPS PREL PTER TU LE SUBJECT: TURKEY: DIRECT LEBANESE REQUEST FOR AMMUNITION COULD EXPEDITE ACTION REF: A. MAY 23 CAGAN-WILSON EMAIL ¶B. ANKARA 1259 ¶C. STATE 70499 Classified By: DCM Nancy McEldowney, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) On May 24, DCM and visiting TRANSCOM Commander Gen. Schwartz raised the LAF ammunition request with Deputy Chief of Staff GEN Ergin Saygun and J-4 Logistics Chief LTG Arslan. We also notified the MFA Middle East Department and the Turkish General Staff (TGS) of the specific request for 105MM tank rounds. Both the MFA and TGS agreed to consider the request and Arslan confirmed the presence of 105MM tank rounds in the TGS inventory. DCM also spoke with Lebanese Ambassador to Turkey Georges Siam. ¶2. (C) Military officials have expressed some hesitation. DCHOD Saygun noted that this is a politically sensitive issue and expressed uncertainty about the availability of sufficient surplus ammunition, but, following our insistence on the importance and urgency of the matter, undertook to see what could be provided. Major General Kocak, TGS J-3, asked whether the Lebanese government had made a direct request of Turkey for this ammunition, echoing a colonel in the J-5 Agreements Department, who opined that the Lebanese should be making this request, not the United States. ¶3. (C) Given the urgency of the situation, we also contacted the Lebanese embassy to encourage a direct outreach to the Turkish government. Ambassador Siam agreed with this approach and subsequently advised us that he had contacted PM Siniora's office to recommend a direct GOL request to Turkey. He expressed confidence that the PM would agree and expected that a message would be sent either through the Turkish Defense Attache in Beirut or that he would be asked to submit a diplomatic note conveying the request. ¶4. (C) We will continue to press both the MFA and TGS for a positive response. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON