TURKEY LINKS USS MOUNT WHITNEY PASSAGE WITH GLOBAL

S E C R E T ANKARA 001547


NOFORN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/26/2018
TAGS: PREL PARM GG TU

SUBJECT: TURKEY LINKS USS MOUNT WHITNEY PASSAGE WITH GLOBAL
HAWK

REF: A. STATE 90976

B. ANKARA 1542

Classified By: Ambassador Ross Wilson for reason 1.4 (b,c,d)


1. (S/NF) This is an urgent action message. Post requests
immediate guidance on request for USS Mount Whitney to
transit the Turkish Straits.


2. (S/NF) As noted in ref b, Turkey has granted permission
for overflight of its airspace by Global Hawk missions to
conduct surveillance over Georgia. In conveying this,
however, MFA U/S Apakan reiterated to Charge concern about
the Mount Whitney's notified passage on August 31 and asked
that it be delayed. The MFA followed this up on August 27 by
advising that US failure to withdraw its notification of the
Mount Whitney transit raises "serious questions" about the
Global Hawk missions.


3. (C) Under the Montreax Convention, the maximum size of
warships passing through the Straits is 15,000 tons.
Publicly available information on the Mount Whitney
(including its own website) lists the ship's displacement as
18,000 tons, exceeding the Montreux limits. Turkish
opposition politicians and the press have already asked
questions about the Mount Whitney and other non-Black Sea
littorals' ship transits. In addition, the nature of the
ship as a command and control platform gives the appearance,
the Turks argue, that the US presence in the Black Sea is a
surface battle group, not a humanitarian assistance mission.
If a ship apparently exceeding Montreux limits transit, we
can expect a press flurry with allegations that the US (and
GOT) are complicit in violating the Montreax. Our ship
passage, not Russian aggression in Georgia and U.S.
humanitarian assistance, will be the story.


4. (S/NF) Turkey is not questioning the passage of the Mount
Whitney under the Montreux Convention, but seeks to avoid a
domestic crisis over its passage that would compromise its
ability to work in support of the NATO/Western agenda on
Georgia. Turkey has asked that the US delay for a
significant period (at least a couple of weeks, not a few
days) the passage of the Mount Whitney. Alternatively,
Turkey has proposed that the humanitarian assistance to be
delivered by the Mount Whitney be delivered by smaller craft
that will not raise questions of Montreux Convention
compliance.

Comment
--------------


5. (S/NF) Guidance in ref a indicates that the Global Hawk
missions are our must-have, and that Washington may be
prepared to reconsider the timing of the Mount Whitney
transit request. Insisting on this transit at this time may
imperil Global Hawk. If we expect tensions in the Caucasus
to persist for some time, then it will be critical at the
outset that we maintain a productive and respectful working
relationship with the Turks to ensure future intel collection
and unimpeded Straits passage.


6. (S/NF) ACTION REQUEST: Post requests urgent instructions
on how to respond to the GoT request to delay or cancel the
transit of Mount Whitney.

Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey

WILSON


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