Cablegate: Tfle01: Aircraft Needed Now to Evacuate Amcits To

VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAK #4326 2081025
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 271025Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7485
INFO RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT IMMEDIATE 0439
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA IMMEDIATE 6588
RHMFIUU/CDR USTRANSCOM TCJ5 SCOTT AFB IL IMMEDIATE
UEKDAI/DIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE

SIPDIS
RHMFIUU/CDR USTRANSCOM TCJ3 SCOTT AFB IL IMMEDIATE
RUEHAK/USDAO ANKARA TU IMMEDIATE
RHMFITT/CDR USTRANSCOM SCOTT AFB IL IMMEDIATE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC//USDP:PDUSDP/ISA:EUR/ISA:NESA// IMMEDIATE
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J-3/J-5// IMMEDIATE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK IMMEDIATE
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE IMMEDIATE
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL IMMEDIATE
RHMFIUU/425ABS IZMIR TU//CC// IMMEDIATE
RHMFIUU/39ABG INCIRLIK AB TU IMMEDIATE
RUEPGAB/MNF-I C2X BAGHDAD IZ IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS ANKARA 004326

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

FROM AMBASSADOR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CASC MOPS ASEC TU LE CY
SUBJECT: TFLE01: AIRCRAFT NEEDED NOW TO EVACUATE AMCITS TO
CONUS

REF: ANKARA 4252

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED -- PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY

1. (U) This is an urgent action request -- please see para. 4.

2. (SBU) Over 700 of the approximately 1700 American citizens
and their dependents evacuated from Turkey to Lebanon on July
23 remain at Incirlik Air Base. Schedules for commercial
charter flights from Incirlik to CONUS have come and gone,
with flights promised for July 24, 25, 26, and 27 (today),
only four of which have actually materialized.

3. (SBU) Our evacuees are increasingly anxious to get to the
United States. Nerves are frayed, and anger is on the
increase enough to become a public relations concern. Amcits
and their dependents are physically comfortable at Incirlik;
from what we understand, conditions there are better than at
the Nicosia fairgrounds. Their quarters, Incirlik's Patriot
Village, are air-conditioned, the base has set up facilities
to call home and use the Internet, and the evacuees are
getting good food and medical care. But unless we get firm
flights July 27 or 28, we will have problems.

4. (SBU) Action Request: Request the Department redouble its
efforts urgently to provide reliable commercial aircraft
immediately for this evacuation, or consider requesting
milair assets, as were used for Cyprus.

Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/

WILSON

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