TURKEY: STILL CONSIDERING AMMUNITION FOR LEBANESE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 001331 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/31/2017 TAGS: PREL PTER MOPS LE TU SUBJECT: TURKEY: STILL CONSIDERING AMMUNITION FOR LEBANESE ARMED FORCES REF: A. ANKARA 1282 ¶B. ANKARA 1259 ¶C. STATE 70499 CLASSIFIED BY: DCM NANCY MCELDOWNEY FOR REASONS 1.4 (B,D). ¶1. (C) WE CONTINUE TO PRESS THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT TO CONSIDER PROVIDING EXCESS AMMUNITION, ESPECIALLY 105MM TANK ROUNDS, TO THE LEBANESE ARMED FORCES (LAF) ON AN URGENT BASIS (REFTELS). AMBASSADOR RAISED THE ISSUE IN THE COURSE OF A MAY 29 MEETING WITH MFA UNDERSECRETARY APAKAN. APAKAN REPORTED THAT LEBANESE PM SINIORA HAD TELEPHONED FM GUL THAT DAY TO REQUEST SUPPORT. APAKAN PROMISED TO FOLLOW UP QUICKLY. ¶2. (C) CONTACTS IN THE TURKISH GENERAL STAFF AND THE FOREIGN MINISTRY ASSURE US THEY ARE CONSIDERING WAYS OF ASSISTING THE LAF, INVESTIGATING THE AVAILABILITY OF THE NEEDED AMMUNITION AND EVALUATING POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS. THEY CAUTION THAT A DECISION MAY STILL BE DAYS AWAY. ¶3. (C) LEBANESE AMBASSADOR GEORGES SIAM TOLD US MAY 31 THAT FM GUL HAD PROMISED PM SINIORA AN ANSWER ON TURKISH WILLINGNESS TO PROVIDE AMMUNITION; TO HIS KNOWLEDGE NO WORD HAD YET BEEN RECEIVED. HE SAID THE GOL DOES NOT PLAN TO PUT ITS REQUEST IN WRITING UNTIL IT RECEIVES SOME GOT ASSURANCE THAT HELP WILL BE FORTHCOMING. SIAM ADDED THAT TURKISH MFA OFFICIALS HAD EXPRESSED CONCERNS THAT TURKEY-FURNISHED WEAPONS MIGHT BE USED AGAINST CIVILIANS. SIAM SAID HE ASSURED THEM THAT THE LAF WAS BEING EXTREMELY CAREFUL TO AVOID CIVILIAN CASUALTIES AND THAT LAF OPERATIONS AGAINST FATAH AL-ISLAM ENJOYED THE FULL SUPPORT TO THE LEBANESE PEOPLE. SIAM SAID THAT LEBANON APPRECIATES CONTINUED U.S. SUPPORT TO OBTAIN REPLENISHMENT AMMUNITION. VISIT ANKARA'S CLASSIFIED WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.STATE.SGOV.GOV/P/EUR/ANKARA/ WILSON