Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ANKARA1604
2007-06-22 12:10:00
SECRET
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:
TURKEY/IRAQ: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT TURKISH
how-toVZCZCXRO3153 OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK DE RUEHAK #1604 1731210 ZNY SSSSS ZZH O 221210Z JUN 07 FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2714 INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK PRIORITY RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J-3/J-5// PRIORITY RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC//USDP:PDUSDP/ISA:EUR/ISA:NESA/DSCA// PRIORITY RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 2384
S E C R E T ANKARA 001604
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/22/2017
TAGS: PREL PTER MARR MOPS IZ TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY/IRAQ: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT TURKISH
FORCES WARNING ON IRAQ
REF: ANKARA 1600
Classified By: DCM Nancy McEldowney for reasons 1.4 (b,d).
S E C R E T ANKARA 001604
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/22/2017
TAGS: PREL PTER MARR MOPS IZ TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY/IRAQ: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT TURKISH
FORCES WARNING ON IRAQ
REF: ANKARA 1600
Classified By: DCM Nancy McEldowney for reasons 1.4 (b,d).
1. (S) Local Turkish military authorities at Silopi on the
Turkey-Iraq border conveyed a warning to U.S. military LNO
late June 21 that Turkish forces would respond massively to
any attack against Turkish military forces stationed in
northern Iraq, claiming they had intelligence an attack by
the PKK might be imminent (reftel). LNO followed up June 22
with the SF Brigade G-3 (Operations) chief of Silopi-based
Turkish Special Forces unit, who told him that the specific
PKK threat was to the Turkish unit stationed at Batufa in
northern Iraq (grid coords 38S LG 235 163). At approximately
2000 hours local on June 21, the Turkish commander at Batufa
reportedly met with KDP security officials (Peshmerga)
outside the base and warned them not to allow any PKK attack
on the base. Later that evening, the Turks reportedly
received further intelligence that the PKK was backing down
from the planned attack. The officer told LNO that the Turks
noticed a change in PKK posture after the local commander's
warning to the Peshmerga and speculated that the PKK had
backed down on Masoud Barzani's orders.
2. (S) The Turkish officer told our LNO that he believes the
main threat remains to the Batufa compound and that the Turks
would provide us more specific intelligence on June 23. He
stated that operational plans are ready and the trigger to a
Turkish response would be a PKK attack against Turkish forces
in northern Iraq.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/
WILSON
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/22/2017
TAGS: PREL PTER MARR MOPS IZ TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY/IRAQ: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT TURKISH
FORCES WARNING ON IRAQ
REF: ANKARA 1600
Classified By: DCM Nancy McEldowney for reasons 1.4 (b,d).
1. (S) Local Turkish military authorities at Silopi on the
Turkey-Iraq border conveyed a warning to U.S. military LNO
late June 21 that Turkish forces would respond massively to
any attack against Turkish military forces stationed in
northern Iraq, claiming they had intelligence an attack by
the PKK might be imminent (reftel). LNO followed up June 22
with the SF Brigade G-3 (Operations) chief of Silopi-based
Turkish Special Forces unit, who told him that the specific
PKK threat was to the Turkish unit stationed at Batufa in
northern Iraq (grid coords 38S LG 235 163). At approximately
2000 hours local on June 21, the Turkish commander at Batufa
reportedly met with KDP security officials (Peshmerga)
outside the base and warned them not to allow any PKK attack
on the base. Later that evening, the Turks reportedly
received further intelligence that the PKK was backing down
from the planned attack. The officer told LNO that the Turks
noticed a change in PKK posture after the local commander's
warning to the Peshmerga and speculated that the PKK had
backed down on Masoud Barzani's orders.
2. (S) The Turkish officer told our LNO that he believes the
main threat remains to the Batufa compound and that the Turks
would provide us more specific intelligence on June 23. He
stated that operational plans are ready and the trigger to a
Turkish response would be a PKK attack against Turkish forces
in northern Iraq.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/
WILSON