TURKEY: POST SUPPORTS FY07 SECTION 1206 SUBMISSION

S E C R E T ANKARA 000628 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/SE AND PM/PPA E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/16/2017 TAGS: MASS PARM TU SUBJECT: TURKEY: POST SUPPORTS FY07 SECTION 1206 SUBMISSION REF: STATE 30853 Classified By: Political-Military Counselor Carl Siebentritt, reasons 1 .4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (S) In response to reftel request, post stands by its FY07 1206 program request. The proposal was comprised of two parts: an $8.5M UAV training and maintenance program for the upgrade of and training on three grounded Unmanned Aerial Vehicles currently in Turkey's inventory, and a $2.5M counter-terrorism program which includes an IED component. We understand, however, that the $8.5M UAV program was not approved and that it has been determined that the DOD Joint IED Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) could support the IED-training request, eliminating the need for 1206 funding. ¶2. (S) The two components of our FY07 1206 program were designed to support the efforts of the US Special Envoy to Counter PKK TERRORISM General (ret) Ralston to faciliate coordinated actions by Turkey and IRAQ to stop the PKK terrorist threat to Turkey emanating from northern Iraq. By getting grounded Turkish UAVs of US origin back into operation along the porous mountain border with IRAQ where PKK terrorists cross unseen, Turkey would have greater visibility on terrorist entry points. IED and other counter-terrorism training courses would expose the Turkish military and Jandarma to the range of IED types and tactics being used in IRAQ -- which are increasingly showing up in Turkey -- as well as broader counter-terrorism tactics in order to increase their ability to identify and respond to this unconventional threat both in Turkey and in NATO and UN peacekeeping operations outside of Turkey. ¶3. (C) Post would welcome the provision of additional JIEDDO IED training in Turkey. JIEDDO has already established a relationship with Turkey through its provision of a one-day training course in 2005 at TGS request and a February 2007 visit to Turkey's Center of Excellence for the Defense Against TERRORISM (COE-DAT) to identify areas where JIEDDO could assist the COE-DAT to develop a counter-IED training curriculum. If JIEDDO funds prove to be unavailable, however, post would request reconsideration of 1206 funds to cover this immediate need. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON