US embassy cable - 05ANKARA4126

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 004126 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PREL, TU 
SUBJECT: TURKEY: POL-MIL ROUND-UP, JUNE 2005 
 
REFERENCE: A) ANKARA 3892, B) 2004 ANKARA 6000 
 
(Note: This is the first in what we intend to be a regular 
series of unclassified reports on significant Turkish 
defense and national security issues in the press and other 
open sources. End note) 
 
 
Contents 
-------- 
 
-- New National Security Policy Approval Delayed 
-- TGS Chief Speaks Out On Terrorism 
-- Syrian Scud Missile over Turkey 
-- Annual Military Promotions and Retirements 
-- Turkey's Military Relations with Other Countries 
-- Defense Industry Activity 
 
 
National Security Policy Approval Delayed 
----------------------------------------- 
 
1. A new National Security Policy document outlining the 
government's priorities with regard to threats to Turkey's 
internal and external security, and based on input from all 
Council member agencies, was expected to be finalized at the 
June 21 National Security Council meeting.  The new draft 
document is intended to reflect the post-Sept. 11 global 
security realities and the current regional security 
environment.  However, debate on the 25-page draft - a sharp 
contrast to the 200-plus page document issued in 2001 and 
the 300-page draft submitted by the Turkish General Staff 
(TGS) - was postponed until the next bimonthly NSC meeting 
in August - at the earliest. 
 
2. The NSC did not comment officially on the postponement 
but Turkish press reports claimed military leaders were 
concerned that the new draft `softened' Turkey's previous 
provision on Cyprus; that military responsibilities with 
respect to domestic security had been removed from the draft 
to comply with the EU standards; and that internal 
separatism and fundamentalism were not properly 
characterized as the primary threat to Turkey's stability. 
However, the press also speculated that TGS leadership does 
not consider NSC Secretary General Yigit Alpogan, a career 
diplomat and the first civilian to head the NSC (ref b), the 
appropriate lead on this exercise.  In discussing this with 
us, NSC dismiss the stories about inter-agency friction, 
mirroring President Sezer's public pronouncement that the 
postponement was due solely to the need for additional 
review. (ref a) 
 
Chief of the General Staff on Terrorism 
--------------------------------------- 
 
3. In a speech inaugurating Turkey's NATO Center of 
Excellence for the Defense Against Terrorism in Ankara on 
June 28th, TGS CHOD General Hilmi Ozkok stressed the need 
for preemptive measures against terrorism.  Calling Sept. 
11, 2003 a turning point in history, he suggested the need 
for a paradigm shift in security planning from the 
traditional Cold War stance to one that can better respond 
to asymmetric threats.  Calling for a common definition of 
terrorism, Ozkok complained that some NATO countries had 
ignored Turkish calls for cooperation in the fight against 
the PKK terrorist organization.  He recognized that 
terrorists could not be defeated by military action alone 
and stressed the important role of civilian organizations to 
strengthen democratic structures. 
 
4. In a separate message to the Silk Road-2005 Flag Officers 
Seminar that same day, Ozkok called Turkey a bridge between 
NATO countries and crisis areas in the Caucasus and Central 
Asia that would play a critical role in achieving the NATO 
objectives articulated at the 2004 Istanbul Summit(The 
Anatolian News Agency). 
 
Syrian Scud Missile over Turkey 
------------------------------- 
 
5. The centrist Milliyet quoted a New York Times story on 
June 3rd  on the misfire and break up on May 27th in 
Turkey's southeastern Hatay region of one of three Scud 
missiles tested by Syria.  Turkish press confirmed the story 
when the Turkish Ambassador to Washington acknowledged Syria 
had apologized for the incident. This issue received scant 
coverage by the Turkish media. 
Annual Military Promotions and Retirements 
------------------------------------------ 
 
6. At the annual Supreme Military Council meeting to be held 
from August 1-4, the promotion and retirement of 116 
generals and admirals will be considered.  As reported by 
the New Anatolian English-language daily, 40 generals and 
admirals are predicted to retire; CHOD GEN Ozkok is expected 
to remain in command for another year; Military Academy 
Commander GEN Faruk Comert will be assigned Air Forces Fleet 
Commander; and Deputy CHOD GEN Ilker Basbug is expected to 
be assigned as First Army Commander in Istanbul. 
 
Turkey's Military Relations with Other Countries 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
7. Iraq: Turkish press regularly reports on government 
efforts against the PKK terrorist organization.  The leftist 
Cumhuriyet daily reported that 5,000 Kurdish PKK militants 
have taken shelter in camps in the Qandil Mountains in 
northern Iraq and the camps are protected by `Docka' anti- 
aircraft missiles, Russian-made Strela SA-7 missiles, and 
heavy weaponry.  Iraqi Deputy Minister of Interior Ahmad Al 
Hajafi commented on the PKK presence in northern Iraq by 
saying that Iraq had weak control over the region where the 
PKK is based.  In the June 22nd Brussels Conference on Iraq, 
Turkish FM Abdullah Gul stated that Turkey is suffering from 
terrorism originating from northern Iraq and stressed 
Turkey's sensitivity about current ethnic shifts and the 
future status of Kirkuk.  Consistent with previous months, 
reporting continued on the kidnapping and death of Turkish 
truck drivers delivering humanitarian and coalition supplies 
to Iraq.  In June, two Turkish truckers were reported killed 
and 1 kidnapped in Iraq, bringing an estimated total of over 
100 Turkish drivers killed in Iraq since the beginning of 
coalition efforts. 
 
8. Pakistan: PM Erdogan said after meeting with his 
Pakistani counterpart that Turkey and Pakistan were 
considering the joint production of tanks, armored personnel 
carriers and patrol boats and that the Turkish defense firm 
Aselsan will consider the sale of military equipment to the 
Pakistani Army. 
 
9. Azerbaijan: On June 6th, Turkey signed a protocol with 
Azerbaijan for the provision of military assistance to the 
Azeri Army, as reported by the Anatolian News Agency. 
 
10. Kazakhstan: Turkish Armed Forces granted military 
equipment worth $1,333,000 to the Kazakh Army (Anatolian 
News Agency). After visiting the Kazakh Defense Minister on 
June 14th, CHOD GEN Ozkok said cooperation between the two 
armed forces was improving, especially in the area of 
training (ANA). 
 
11. Greece: During June, the Turkish press cited Greek press 
reports claiming Turkey infringed the Athens Flight 
Information Region (FIR) and violated Greek national 
airspace 3 times.  (COMMENT: We understand the Greek press 
routinely reports "FIR infringements" and airspace 
violations; the Turkish press occasionally picks up these 
stories.  END COMMENT.)  During a visit to Greece to meet 
with his counterpart, Turkish Land Forces Commander GEN 
Yasar Buyukanit stated that the problem of the violation in 
Aegean stems from Greece's designation of its FIR as the 
virtual equivalent of national airspace. 
 
Defense Industry Activity 
------------------------- 
 
12. The Defense Industry Executive Committee (Prime 
Minister, CHOD, Defense Minister and Undersecretary of SSM) 
approved on June 22 the merger of four major Turkish defense 
companies -- ASELSAN, ROKETSAN, TAI and HAVELSAN -- under a 
defense holding company in order to develop indigenous 
capabilities in unmanned aircraft and tank and aircraft 
modernization.  According to the quarterly Defense and 
Aerospace magazine, MKEK and depots/factories operated by 
the Turkish military factories will also be incorporated. 
The holding company will manage some $500-600 million in 
capital.  The Executive Committee also decided to purchase 
$3 billion in weapons to modernize the Turkish Armed Forces. 
 
13. Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) signed a $100 million 
contract with Northrop Grumman for the production of F-35 
spare parts, according to the leftist Cumhuriyet daily.