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UNCLAS ANKARA 004748 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PTER MOPS UN UNSC KPAO LE TU
SUBJECT: TURKISH PRIME MINISTRY STATEMENT WELCOMING 
RESOLUTION 1701 
 
REF: A. ANKARA 4726 
 
     ¶B. ANKARA 4711 
     ¶C. ANKARA 4710 
     ¶D. ANKARA 4527 
 
The Turkish Prime Minister's Office released the following 
public statement supporting the UNSC Resolution 1701 on 
August 14: 
 
BEGIN TEXT/SEMI-OFFICIAL ANATOLIAN NEWS AGENCY TRANSLATION: 
 
A meeting was held today under the chairmanship of the 
honorable Prime Minister and with the participation of the 
following:  General Hilmi Ozkok, Chief of the General Staff; 
Abdullah Gul, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister; 
National Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul; Justice Minister Cemil 
Cicek; Land Forces Commander General Yasar Buyukanit, and 
other military and civilian officials.  Regional developments 
and the Lebanese question were discussed at this meeting. 
 
UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 1701, which was reached 
on 11 August at the end of international efforts to restore 
peace in Lebanon, was welcomed at the meeting. 
 
The resolution constitutes an important step to halt the 
fighting before the crisis in Lebanon exacerbates and to 
reach a lasting solution to the problem.  In this way, the 
necessary groundwork is being laid to transfer urgent 
humanitarian aid to that country. 
 
The acceptance by the concerned sides to halt the fighting as 
of 0800 this morning has been assessed as an encouraging 
development. 
 
Under the said resolution, once the fighting ends, in 
parallel to the deployment of Lebanese forces together with 
UNIFIL in south Lebanon, Israeli forces are to withdraw from 
the region, UNIFIL's jurisdiction is to be enlarged, and the 
number of its personnel is to be increased to 15,000. 
 
We expect these provisions to be crystallized by means of a 
new resolution that will be passed by the UNSC in the coming 
days. 
 
From the beginning of the1crisis, Turkey has been exerting 
diplomatic efforts to stop the negative course of events in 
the region, and, at the same time, it has been sending food, 
medicine, tents, and other kinds of humanitarian aid to the 
Palestinian and Lebanese people.  This aid will continue in 
the coming period.  In accordance with the developments, 
Turkey will continue to assess its possible contributions to 
the efforts for a lasting solution. 
 
END TEXT. 
 
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON