US embassy cable - 04ANKARA6912

UNCLAS ANKARA 006912 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MASS, OPDC, MARR, TU 
SUBJECT: DEFMIN GONUL ENCOURAGES DOD'S USE OF TURKISH 
FACILITIES TO SERVICE BLACK HAWKS 
 
 
1. The Embassy received from the Undersecretariat for Defense 
Industries (SSM) on December 13 the following letter dated 
December 7 from Minister of Defense Gonul to SecDef Rumsfeld 
regarding possible US use of Turkish facilities to service 
S-70 Black Hawk helicopters.  The original was provided to 
visiting OSD/ISP Senior Director for Turkey Lisa Heald who 
will carry it back to Washington. 
 
2. BEGIN TEXT. 
 
Dear Secretary Rumsfeld 
 
We, the Turkish people, followed the U.S. presidential 
elections with great interest.  As I expressed to you by 
telephone immediately after the election, I enthusiastically 
welcomed your party's and your administration's victory. 
 
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you 
once again and wish continued success to you, to President 
Bush, and to your colleagues in the Administration.  I am 
certain that the new Administration will continue to serve 
the best interests of both our nations in terms of the 
traditional relationship between the United States of America 
and the Republic of Turkey. 
 
I am writing to you in regard to our meeting at the Pentagon 
on February 17, 2004 at which the issue of Turkey's possible 
role in providing support to elements of the U.S. forces 
operating in the region especially in Iraq and Afghanistan, 
was formally discussed as one of the agenda items. 
 
As you may recall, during the same discussion I offered 
Turkey's maintenance and repair services for S-70 Black Hawk 
helicopters in view of the emerging U.S. needs for servicing. 
 
I would like to take this opportunity to provide you with 
information about TUSAS (Turkish Aircraft Industries Inc.), a 
commercially operating company owned by Turkey's Ministry of 
National Defense.  TUSAS has a close working partnership with 
the Turkish Armed Forces' maintenance, repair and overhaul 
facilities and is able to offer their capabilities and 
available excess capacity to civilian and military use 
worldwide. 
 
The Turkish Army Logistics Directorate's 5th Main Maintenance 
Center is Turkey's principal helicopter repair and 
maintenance facility.  There, over 100 Turkish S-70 Black 
Hawk utility helicopters undergo depot-level maintenance. 
This facility could also provide servicing for U.S. S-70 
Black Hawks, including battle and crash damage-related 
repairs as well as maintenance. 
 
Pursuant to our discussion, continuing consultations between 
the parties led to a meeting in April 2004, during which 
TUSAS and Turkish Army Logistics Directorate's 5thMMC gave 
NAMSA and the U.S. Army Missile Command an extensive briefing 
on Turkey's helicopter repair and maintenance capabilities. 
 
As a follow-up to this briefing, TUSAS, in conjunction with 
the 5thMMC, sent a proposal to NAMSA's RFP in November 2004 
regarding the servicing of the U.S. Army's S-70 Black Hawks. 
NAMSA's response is still pending. 
 
I would like to convey for your consideration my 
recommendation that utilization of TUSAS and the 5thMMC 
services would result in the provision of fast, efficient, 
high-quality and economical support to ensure and maintain 
the operational readiness of U.S. S-70 Black Hawks. 
 
I hope that my recommendations will be accorded priority, and 
that you will be able to take the matter up with your 
officials so that this project may be implemented in a timely 
manner. 
 
Yours Sincerely 
 
M. Vecdi Gonul 
Minister of National Defense 
Republic of Turkey 
 
END TEXT 
 
EDELMAN