Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ANKARA686
2007-03-26 14:41:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:
TRADITIONAL TURKISH TROOP BUILD-UP UNDERWAY FOR
how-toVZCZCXRO5569 PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK DE RUEHAK #0686 0851441 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 261441Z MAR 07 FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1470 INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHAK/USDAO ANKARA TU PRIORITY RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J-3/J-5// PRIORITY RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC//USDP:PDUSDP/ISA:EUR/ISA:NESA/DSCA// PRIORITY RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU PRIORITY RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 000686
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2017
TAGS: MARR MOPS PTER TU IZ
SUBJECT: TRADITIONAL TURKISH TROOP BUILD-UP UNDERWAY FOR
EXPECTED PKK SPRING OFFENSIVE
Classified By: CDA Nancy McEldowney, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 000686
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2017
TAGS: MARR MOPS PTER TU IZ
SUBJECT: TRADITIONAL TURKISH TROOP BUILD-UP UNDERWAY FOR
EXPECTED PKK SPRING OFFENSIVE
Classified By: CDA Nancy McEldowney, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) On the eve of the March 21 Newroz celebrations in
honor of the Kurdish New Year, the Turkish press reported a
significant troop build-up along Turkey's border with Iraq in
preparation for the traditional spring offensive by the PKK
terrorist organization in southeast Turkey. Land Forces
Commander GEN Basbug reportedly made a public plea on March
13 for a peaceful New Year's celebration but also took the
opportunity to rattle the TGS saber and reiterate Turkey's
right under international law to conduct a cross-border
operation (CBO) into Iraq against the PKK. According to the
press, TGS dispatched additional troops, including commando
units, to the border provinces with Iraq to prevent PKK
infiltration, as it has traditionally done in the spring.
Independent sources have confirmed that these movements
appear consistent with past years.
2. (SBU) The holiday passed in relative quiet, but just days
later three Turkish soldiers were killed and two wounded by a
land mine during a clash with up to 20 PKK elements, in what
the press characterized as one of the first operations in the
annual spring offensive against the rebels. Low-level
clashes occurred throughout the winter as TGS conducted
operations against PKK elements holed-up in southeast Turkey
but the mild winter has meant an early melting of the snows
and increased maneuverability for the terrorists in the
mountainous border terrain, leading to expectations of an
early increase in PKK violence in Turkey.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/
MCELDOWNEY
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2017
TAGS: MARR MOPS PTER TU IZ
SUBJECT: TRADITIONAL TURKISH TROOP BUILD-UP UNDERWAY FOR
EXPECTED PKK SPRING OFFENSIVE
Classified By: CDA Nancy McEldowney, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) On the eve of the March 21 Newroz celebrations in
honor of the Kurdish New Year, the Turkish press reported a
significant troop build-up along Turkey's border with Iraq in
preparation for the traditional spring offensive by the PKK
terrorist organization in southeast Turkey. Land Forces
Commander GEN Basbug reportedly made a public plea on March
13 for a peaceful New Year's celebration but also took the
opportunity to rattle the TGS saber and reiterate Turkey's
right under international law to conduct a cross-border
operation (CBO) into Iraq against the PKK. According to the
press, TGS dispatched additional troops, including commando
units, to the border provinces with Iraq to prevent PKK
infiltration, as it has traditionally done in the spring.
Independent sources have confirmed that these movements
appear consistent with past years.
2. (SBU) The holiday passed in relative quiet, but just days
later three Turkish soldiers were killed and two wounded by a
land mine during a clash with up to 20 PKK elements, in what
the press characterized as one of the first operations in the
annual spring offensive against the rebels. Low-level
clashes occurred throughout the winter as TGS conducted
operations against PKK elements holed-up in southeast Turkey
but the mild winter has meant an early melting of the snows
and increased maneuverability for the terrorists in the
mountainous border terrain, leading to expectations of an
early increase in PKK violence in Turkey.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/
MCELDOWNEY