This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 003777 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR EB/TRA/AN - JYOUNG, NEA/NGA - NJENSEN, EUR/SE 
ROME FOR FAA 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAIR PREL TU IZ
SUBJECT:  Request for Guidance on Iraq-Turkey Civair 
Agreement 
 
Ref:  Young/Sirotic Email 6/10/03 and previous 
 
 
¶1.   Baghdad minimize considered. 
 
 
¶2.   This cable contains an action request for the 
Department in para 4. 
 
 
¶3.  CENTAF contacted Embassy's Assistant Air Attache in 
connection with the objective of establishing agreements 
allowing civilian air traffic control between Turkey and 
Iraq.  With respect to air traffic between Turkey and 
Iraq, CENTAF is proposing a Letter of Agreement between 
the Area Control Centers of Ankara and Kirkuk (see para 
5 for draft text) to govern air traffic control between 
the two countries.  CENTAF provided Embassy with a draft 
LOA for submission to Turkish civair authorities and 
proposes a visit to Ankara to complete this process. 
 
 
¶4.  Action Request:  Embassy is prepared to work with 
GOT authorities and CENTAF on this issue, but has 
received no front-channel instructions.  Embassy 
requests Department provide instructions for 
transmitting the draft LOA to Turkish civil and military 
authorities, and other steps as necessary to help 
conclude this agreement. 
 
 
¶5.  Begin Text Letter Of Agreement Between the Area 
Control Centre of ANKARA, TURKEY and KIRKUK, IRAQ 
 
 
Subject:  Procedures relating to the coordination and 
routing of IFR air traffic between the ACC 
of Ankara and Kirkuk. 
 
 
¶1.   INTRODUCTION 
 
 
1.1  Effective Date: DRAFT - TO BE COMPLETED BY TURKISH 
AUTHORITIES 
 
 
1.2  Objective:  This Letter of Agreement (LOA) 
documents agreement of provisions for enroute air 
traffic control service between the CTA/FIR of Ankara 
and Baghdad.  It delineates coordination procedures, 
establishes routing of IFR aircraft, and identifies 
transfer of control for aircraft movement. 
 
 
1.3  Scope:  This agreement applies to the United States 
Air Force Air Traffic Control Area Control Center at 
Kirkuk ("FREEDOM CONTROL") and Ankara Area Control 
Center "ANKARA CONTROL".   The procedures contained in 
this operational letter of agreement that supplement or 
detail, when so required, the procedures prescribed by 
ICAO in the pertinent documents, shall be applied to all 
IFR aircraft that cross the common boundary of the 
CTA/FIRs of Ankara and Baghdad.   Each ACC facility is 
responsible for the implementation of and compliance 
with the procedures contained within this Letter of 
Agreement (LOA). 
 
 
¶2.  CONTROL PROCEDURES 
 
 
2.1  Routing of Air Traffic:  ATS route VR21/V21 shall 
be the only ingress/egress route for Iraq.  The air 
traffic between the CTA/FIRs of Ankara and Baghdad shall 
be established within the confines of this ATS route 
prior to KABAN Intersection as outlined in the AIP, 
Baghdad FIR. 
 
 
2.2  Separation 
 
 
2.2.1 Vertical:  Reduced Vertical Separation (RVSM) 
shall not be permitted within the lateral confines of 
Iraq. 
 
 
2.2.1.1   All transferring aircraft that enter the 
respective ACC's CTA/FIR on ATS route VR21/R21 shall be 
in level flight at an appropriate altitude for direction 
of flight unless verbally coordinated. 
 
 
2.2.2     Longitudinal:  During the transfer of control, 
longitudinal separation shall be established between 
aircraft at the same level, equal to or greater than 
ICAO minimums.  Speed control will be applied between 
aircraft that are at or near the minimum longitudinal 
separation standards to prevent loss of separation. 
This will ensure that separation is maintained until 
another form of separation applied. 
 
 
2.2.2.1   The minimal longitudinal separation to be used 
between aircraft flying at the same altitude on the same 
ATS route shall be fifteen (15) minutes.  If navigation 
aids permit frequent determination of position and 
speed, separation may be reduced to ten (10) minutes or 
twenty (20) miles if each aircraft utilizes the same "on 
track" DME station and DME readings are checked at 
frequent intervals. 
 
 
2.2.3     Transfer of Control Point (TCP): 
ATS  Route VR21/R21      KABAN (CTA/FIR Boundary) 
 
 
2.2.3.1   ACC's shall assume total control of aircraft 
once it has been positively established that the 
aircraft has passed KABAN Intersection and is inside the 
CTA/FIR lateral limits unless verbally coordinated 
otherwise. 
 
 
¶3.   CO-ORDINATION PROCEDURES 
 
 
3.1  General 
 
 
3.1.1.    The coordination between the ACC of Ankara and 
Kirkuk shall be effected in accordance with the 
Standards, Recommended Practices, and procedures 
prescribed by ICAO. 
 
 
3.1.2.    The Ankara/Kirkuk (identify land line to be 
used - TO BE COMPLETED BY TURKISH AUTHORITIES) telephone 
line circuit shall be used as the primary means of 
coordination for all active IFR air traffic. 
 
 
3.1.1.1   In the event the above procedures cannot be 
carried out because of failure of the Ankara/Kirkuk 
circuit, co-ordination of all IFR air traffic shall be 
effected as follows: 
a) (Develop Alternate Plan - TO BE COMPLETED BY TURKISH 
AUTHORITIES) 
 
 
3.1.2     Positions serving as co-ordination points: 
ATS Route             Point 
 
 
VR21/R21       KABAN (CTA/FIR Boundary) 
 
 
3.1.3     All coordination involving active IFR air 
traffic shall be forwarded to the appropriate ACC at 
least ten (10) minutes prior to the aircraft's estimate 
for the position serving as the coordination point for 
the ATS route involved. 
 
 
3.1.3.1   The following coordination information shall 
be passed: 
a)   Aircraft Identification 
b)   Type of Aircraft 
c)   True Airspeed (TAS) 
d)   Beacon Code 
e)   Pilot's Estimated Time of Arrival Over KABAN 
f)   Altitude 
g)   Route of Flight (Departure airport and all routing 
after coordination fix.) 
h)   Any Other Pertinent Information 
 
 
3.1.4     Emergencies:  The various circumstances 
surrounding each emergency situation preclude the 
establishment of exact detailed procedures.  AAC's shall 
maintain full and complete coordination, and control 
personnel shall use their best judgment in handling 
emergency situations. 
 
 
3.2  Communications 
 
 
3.2.1     The transfer of air-to-ground communications 
of an aircraft from the transferring ACC to the 
receiving ACC shall be made at least five (5) minutes 
prior to the estimated time of arrival over the 
coordination fix. 
 
 
3.2.2     The receiving ACC shall not notify the 
transferring ACC that it has established ground-to-air 
communications with the transferred aircraft unless 
specifically requested to do so. 
 
 
3.2.3     Ankara ACC shall transfer aircraft 
communications to "Freedom Control" on 126.3 or 237.3 
MHz. 
 
 
3.2.3.1   In the event radio communication cannot be 
established with Freedom Control, Ankara will instruct 
aircraft to "re-attempt contact every 5 minutes and 
maintain a listening watch on the appropriate emergency 
frequency" (121.5/243.0). 
 
 
3.2.4     Kirkuk ACC shall transfer aircraft 
communications to "Ankara Control" on frequency (TO BE 
COMPLETED BY TURKISH AUTHORITIES). 
 
 
¶4.   REVISIONS 
 
 
4.1  This agreement shall be subject to revision 
whenever a modification of Standards, recommended 
methods of supplementary regional procedures of ICAO 
occurs which might affect the procedures contained in 
this agreement, or when new communications facilities, 
or new air traffic services that might affect these 
procedures are commissioned.  In the case of changes in 
ICAO regulations, the Ankara ACC or the Kirkuk ACC shall 
initiate the amendment of this agreement and in the 
cases of new installations or modification of existing 
installations, the facility concerned shall initiate the 
modification procedure.  For any other matter that might 
make it advisable to change this agreement, the 
interested facility shall propose the pertinent 
revision. 
 
 
¶5. DISSEMINATION 
 
 
5.1  The dissemination of this agreement and it's 
subsequent modification shall be made in full by a 
pertinent AIC fifty-six (56) days before the effective 
date, and furthermore, the facilities shall include in 
their respective AIPs, Section RAC, those parts of 
interest to air operations. 
 
 
5.2  This Letter of Agreement cancels all preceding air 
traffic control agreements between the nations of Turkey 
and Iraq. 
 
 
Signed in  (Location), (Country) on (Date) 
In Representation of Ankara ACC Chief 
In Representation of Kirkuk ACC, AOF/CC Commander ACC 
Kirkuk 
End Text LOA. 
Pearson