TURKEY REVIEWING REQUEST TO DENY FLIGHT CLEARANCE

S E C R E T ANKARA 002188

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/23/2017
TAGS: PARM PREL ETTC IR SY TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY REVIEWING REQUEST TO DENY FLIGHT CLEARANCE
TO IRANIAN PARS FLIGHT TO SYRIA

REF: STATE 118934

Classified By: Acting DCM Dan Sreebny, reasons 1.4 (b) (c) (d)


1. (S) Per reftel request, we met with MFA Aviation
Department Head Hamit Olcay and Acting South Asia Department
Head Ilhan Sener at 1030 local on August 24 to deliver
demarche concerning reftel Iranian PARS Air flight. Olcay
checked immediately with the MFA flight clearance department
to determine whether or not the flight originating in Teheran
had requested clearance to overfly Turkey. He reported to us
that the GOT had not received a clearance request for this
flight. He further assured us that civil and military radar
coverage along the Turkey-Iran border was such that it would
be impossible for the flight to have crossed into Turkish
airspace without GOT knowledge. He surmised that the flight
had not yet taken off from Tehran.


2. (S) Ocay told us that Turkey was prepared to cooperate in
denying overflight clearance to the flight, but stated that
this would be a political decision which would have to be
taken at a senior level. He pointed out that it would useful
to have more specific knowledge about the cargo being
transported on the flight. Flagging previous incidents in
which the GOT had taken action, he noted that information
provided by "another embassy" had on one occasion embarrassed
Turkey when one interdicted flight contained no illicit cargo.


3. (S) We pointed out that while we were not able to provide
any further information about the 30 tons of unspecified
general cargo on the PARS flight, it was of serious concern
because PARS Aviation Services is listed is listed under
UNSCR 1747 for its association with the Iranian Revolutionary
Guard, a point Sener subsequently confirmed. We also
emphasized the that the Iranian consignee for the cargo was
the Hezareh Company, which may be the Hezareh SEVCOM
Satellite Science and Technology Engineering firm.
Furthermore, we cited as evidence of Iran's intent to violate
UNSCR 1747 the May 25 incident in which Iranian-origin arms
being shipped to Syria were recovered in Turkey from derailed
freight train. Olcay took the point and pledged raise our
request to the political level and to monitor incoming
overflight requests to watch for this aircraft. He
reiterated that a political determination would have to be
made on what, if any, action Turkey would take should the
aircraft request overflight permission.


4. (S) Charge intends to raise this issue with MFA
Undersecretary Apakan on the margins of a scheduled meeting
this afternoon.

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MCELDOWNEY