Cablegate: Turkey/Iraq: Government Approves October 17

VZCZCXRO7619
OO RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHAK #2864 3341654
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 301654Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4502
INFO RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD IMMEDIATE 1079
RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/39ABG INCIRLIK AB TU PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/425ABS IZMIR TU//CC// PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J-3/J-5// PRIORITY
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC//USDP:PDUSDP/ISA:EUR/ISA:NESA/DSCA// PRIORITY

UNCLAS ANKARA 002864

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV MOPS TU IZ
SUBJECT: TURKEY/IRAQ: GOVERNMENT APPROVES OCTOBER 17
PARLIAMENTARY DECISION AUTHORIZING A CROSS-BORDER OPERATION

1. (SBU) Prime Minister Erdogan reportedly stated November
30 that the Council of Ministers and President Gul have
authorized the Turkish Armed Forces to conduct a cross-border
operation (CBO) against PKK terrorists operating in northern
Iraq. Foreign Ministry and Turkish parliament contacts tell
us the Council of Ministers decision, reportedly taken on
November 28, is necessary to implement the parliament's
October 17 decision authorizing a CBO, and does not mean a
CBO is imminent. A contact in the parliament's legal office
told us that any CBO would still have to be coordinated by
the Prime Ministry and the Turkish military.

2. (SBU) Comment: This appears to be the final bureaucratic
step in giving the government, in coordination with the
military, legal authorization to conduct a CBO should they
decide one is necessary.

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

WILSON

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