Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ANKARA845
2007-04-11 14:29:00
SECRET
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:
PRESS REPORTS OF TURKISH ATTACKS ON NORTHERN IRAQ
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHAK #0845 1011429 ZNY SSSSS ZZH P 111429Z APR 07 FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1683 INFO RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 0926 RUEHAK/USDAO ANKARA TU PRIORITY RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J-3/J-5// PRIORITY RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC//USDP:PDUSDP/ISA:EUR/ISA:NESA/DSCA// PRIORITY RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
S E C R E T ANKARA 000845
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/11/2017
TAGS: MARR MOPS PTER PREL TU IZ
SUBJECT: PRESS REPORTS OF TURKISH ATTACKS ON NORTHERN IRAQ
UNSUBSTANTIATED
REF: A. ANKARA 812
B. ANKARA 686
Classified By: Political-Military Counselor Carl Siebentritt,
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
S E C R E T ANKARA 000845
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/11/2017
TAGS: MARR MOPS PTER PREL TU IZ
SUBJECT: PRESS REPORTS OF TURKISH ATTACKS ON NORTHERN IRAQ
UNSUBSTANTIATED
REF: A. ANKARA 812
B. ANKARA 686
Classified By: Political-Military Counselor Carl Siebentritt,
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1.(C) The Turkish press on April 11 broadly covered a Kurdish
wire service report that Turkish troops shelled the northern
Iraqi city of Zakho, located approximately 5 miles inside of
the Iraqi border, on April 8. One newspaper, the daily
Zaman, went further, claiming that Turkish commandos crossed
the border into Iraq to destroy PKK terrorist camps near
Zakho and points further east. According to Zaman,
additional tanks and armored vehicles are en route to Cizre
and Silopi in Sirnak province which borders Iraq, and where
Turkish troops were reported killed in operations against the
PKK over the week-end (ref a).
2. (S) As reported ref b, and consistent with previous years,
Turkish troops have begun to deploy to the southeast in
anticipation of a PKK spring offensive. However, we have no
information to corroborate the reported attacks on Zakho.
The US military liaison officer at the Turkish Special Forces
Command in Silopi (note: about 12 miles from Zakho) reports
no notable change in Turkish military presence or activity
and no new restrictions on his movements which might suggest
Turkish military preparations for action. Adnan Elci,
President of the Cizre Chamber of Commerce and a relative of
the prominent Kurdish politician Serafettin Elci, dismissed
the press reports as exaggeration. He characterized Turkish
military activity near the border as a routine exercise and
stated that no preparations are underway for a cross-border
operation. We have seen no reports in other channels to
suggest that the military has initiated or is preparing to
initiate a cross-border action.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/
WILSON
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/11/2017
TAGS: MARR MOPS PTER PREL TU IZ
SUBJECT: PRESS REPORTS OF TURKISH ATTACKS ON NORTHERN IRAQ
UNSUBSTANTIATED
REF: A. ANKARA 812
B. ANKARA 686
Classified By: Political-Military Counselor Carl Siebentritt,
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1.(C) The Turkish press on April 11 broadly covered a Kurdish
wire service report that Turkish troops shelled the northern
Iraqi city of Zakho, located approximately 5 miles inside of
the Iraqi border, on April 8. One newspaper, the daily
Zaman, went further, claiming that Turkish commandos crossed
the border into Iraq to destroy PKK terrorist camps near
Zakho and points further east. According to Zaman,
additional tanks and armored vehicles are en route to Cizre
and Silopi in Sirnak province which borders Iraq, and where
Turkish troops were reported killed in operations against the
PKK over the week-end (ref a).
2. (S) As reported ref b, and consistent with previous years,
Turkish troops have begun to deploy to the southeast in
anticipation of a PKK spring offensive. However, we have no
information to corroborate the reported attacks on Zakho.
The US military liaison officer at the Turkish Special Forces
Command in Silopi (note: about 12 miles from Zakho) reports
no notable change in Turkish military presence or activity
and no new restrictions on his movements which might suggest
Turkish military preparations for action. Adnan Elci,
President of the Cizre Chamber of Commerce and a relative of
the prominent Kurdish politician Serafettin Elci, dismissed
the press reports as exaggeration. He characterized Turkish
military activity near the border as a routine exercise and
stated that no preparations are underway for a cross-border
operation. We have seen no reports in other channels to
suggest that the military has initiated or is preparing to
initiate a cross-border action.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/
WILSON