Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ANKARA2046
2007-08-10 13:06:00
SECRET//NOFORN
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:
TURKISH D/CHOD SEEKS AIR RECON OF IRAQI BORDER
how-toVZCZCXYZ0005 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHAK #2046 2221306 ZNY SSSSS ZZH O 101306Z AUG 07 FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3337 INFO RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 1011 RUEHAK/USDAO ANKARA TU PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC//USDP:PDUSDP/ISA:EUR/ISA:NESA/DSCA// PRIORITY RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU PRIORITY RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J-3/J-5// PRIORITY RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK PRIORITY RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY RHMFISS/39ABG INCIRLIK AB TU PRIORITY
S E C R E T ANKARA 002046
SIPDIS
NOFORN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/10/2022
TAGS: MARR PREL PTER MOPS IZ TU
SUBJECT: TURKISH D/CHOD SEEKS AIR RECON OF IRAQI BORDER
REF: A. ANKARA 1630
B. ANKARA 1300
C. ANKARA 1292
Classified By: CDA Nancy McEldowney for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
S E C R E T ANKARA 002046
SIPDIS
NOFORN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/10/2022
TAGS: MARR PREL PTER MOPS IZ TU
SUBJECT: TURKISH D/CHOD SEEKS AIR RECON OF IRAQI BORDER
REF: A. ANKARA 1630
B. ANKARA 1300
C. ANKARA 1292
Classified By: CDA Nancy McEldowney for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (S/NF) The Turkish military would like to conduct air
reconnaissance missions up to 10 kilometers inside Iraq over
PKK terrorist camps located along the Turkish-Iraqi border,
D/CHOD General Saygun told Charge on August 9. Charge
reminded Saygun that the US had previously conducted this
type of mission to gather information on the PKK which we
then shared with Turkey. The reconnaissance flights were
stopped in late May following media controversy sparked by a
TGS website announcing an unintended violation of Turkish
airspace by US aircraft (refs b and c).
2. (S/NF) USAFE Commander General Hobbins discussed this
issue with CHOD Buyukanit and Air Force Commander Comert in
June, noting that we share the daily Air Tasking Order for
missions near the border and encouraged greater use of a
newly-established direct secure phone line between Turkish
military air controllers in Diyarbakir and MNF-1 controllers
at al-Udeid (ref a).
3. (S/NF) Charge told Saygun that the US had offered to
resume our reconnaissance missions if the GOT explicitly
wanted us to do so and would work to avoid controversy should
inadvertent incursions occur. Saygun said it was not in
Turkey's interests for the US to resume the flights, unless
we would commit to provide the resulting imagery within a
matter of hours. It would be far better, he argued, for
Turkish aircraft to fly the missions themselves and then
share the resulting intelligence with the US.
4. (S/NF) Comment. Saygun did not appear to expect a
positive response to this query. More likely, he raised the
issue to underscore continued TGS pressure for action against
the PKK, particularly given the increasingly widespread view
that political support for Turkish cross-border action has
diminished following the July 22 election and the August 8
visit of Iraqi PM Maliki. Political pressure will quickly
build if the PKK conducts a large-scale attack, but in the
meantime, the TGS wants to keep beating the drum.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/
MCELDOWNEY
SIPDIS
NOFORN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/10/2022
TAGS: MARR PREL PTER MOPS IZ TU
SUBJECT: TURKISH D/CHOD SEEKS AIR RECON OF IRAQI BORDER
REF: A. ANKARA 1630
B. ANKARA 1300
C. ANKARA 1292
Classified By: CDA Nancy McEldowney for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (S/NF) The Turkish military would like to conduct air
reconnaissance missions up to 10 kilometers inside Iraq over
PKK terrorist camps located along the Turkish-Iraqi border,
D/CHOD General Saygun told Charge on August 9. Charge
reminded Saygun that the US had previously conducted this
type of mission to gather information on the PKK which we
then shared with Turkey. The reconnaissance flights were
stopped in late May following media controversy sparked by a
TGS website announcing an unintended violation of Turkish
airspace by US aircraft (refs b and c).
2. (S/NF) USAFE Commander General Hobbins discussed this
issue with CHOD Buyukanit and Air Force Commander Comert in
June, noting that we share the daily Air Tasking Order for
missions near the border and encouraged greater use of a
newly-established direct secure phone line between Turkish
military air controllers in Diyarbakir and MNF-1 controllers
at al-Udeid (ref a).
3. (S/NF) Charge told Saygun that the US had offered to
resume our reconnaissance missions if the GOT explicitly
wanted us to do so and would work to avoid controversy should
inadvertent incursions occur. Saygun said it was not in
Turkey's interests for the US to resume the flights, unless
we would commit to provide the resulting imagery within a
matter of hours. It would be far better, he argued, for
Turkish aircraft to fly the missions themselves and then
share the resulting intelligence with the US.
4. (S/NF) Comment. Saygun did not appear to expect a
positive response to this query. More likely, he raised the
issue to underscore continued TGS pressure for action against
the PKK, particularly given the increasingly widespread view
that political support for Turkish cross-border action has
diminished following the July 22 election and the August 8
visit of Iraqi PM Maliki. Political pressure will quickly
build if the PKK conducts a large-scale attack, but in the
meantime, the TGS wants to keep beating the drum.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/
MCELDOWNEY