TURKEY: HOPE TO HAVE DECISION ON AMMUNITION FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 001397 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/2017 TAGS: PREL PTER MOPS LE TU SUBJECT: TURKEY: HOPE TO HAVE DECISION ON AMMUNITION FOR LEBANON BY NEXT WEEK REF: A. ANKARA 1331 ¶B. ANKARA 1282 ¶C. ANKARA 1259 ¶D. STATE 70499 CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR ROSS WILSON FOR REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) DURING A JUNE 6 MEETING FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON EVENTS IN AFGHANISTAN (REPORTED SEPTEL) AMBASSADOR PRESSED MFA DEPUTY UNDER SECRETARY FOR MIDDLE EAST AND SOUTH ASIA FERIDUN SINIRLIOGLU FOR A DECISION ON WHETHER TURKEY CAN PROVIDE EXCESS AMMUNITION, ESPECIALLY 105MM TANK ROUNDS, TO THE LEBANESE ARMED FORCES (LAF). SINIRLIOGLU SAID HE COULD NOT PROVIDE A DEFINITIVE ANSWER YET, BUT INDICATED THE TURKISH GENERAL STAFF HAD PROMISED AN ANSWER BY THE BEGINNING OF THE WEEK OF JUNE 11. ¶2. (C) SINIRLIOGLU NOTED THAT TGS LAWYERS HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR A LEGAL FRAMEWORK OR EXISTING BILATERAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN TURKEY AND LEBANON THAT MIGHT FACILITATE SUCH A TRANSFER; TGS IS ALSO CHECKING TO SEE WHAT EXCESS STOCKS MIGHT BE AVAILABLE. HE PROMISED TO INFORM US AS SOON AS A DECISION HAS BEEN MADE. VISIT ANKARA'S CLASSIFIED WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.STATE.SGOV.GOV/P/EUR/ANKARA/ WILSON