US embassy cable - 05ANKARA4409

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 004409 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O.  12958:  N/A 
TAGS: MARR, PINR, TU 
SUBJECT: TURKEY'S SUPREME MILITARY COUNCIL 
 
1. Summary: The Supreme Military Council (Yuksek Askeri 
Surasi - YAS) will meet August 1-4 and decide general and 
flag officer promotions.  We provide a description of the 
YAS and the military promotion and assignment system as 
background in advance of the announcement of senior 
promotions and assignments which is expected NLT August 5. 
Most observers expect DCHOD GEN Ilker Basbug to become 
commander of the First Army in Istanbul, putting him in line 
to become CHOD in 2008.  Other expected assignments include 
War Academies Commander Gen. Faruk Comert to become head of 
the Turkish Air Forces and Fleet Commander ADM Yener 
Karahanoglu to become head of the Turkish Naval Forces.  End 
Summary. 
 
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The Supreme Military Council 
---------------------------- 
 
2. The Supreme Military Council (YAS) was formed under Law 
No: 1612 in 1972.  According to the law, the Council is to 
decide military promotions and "to deliver opinion" on 
military strategic concepts prepared by the Turkish General 
Staff (TGS), the main program and objectives of the Turkish 
Armed Forces (TAF), legislation and regulations drafted for 
the TAF, and other issues pertaining to the TAF that the 
Prime Minister, Defense Minister or Chief of TGS may raise. 
YAS meetings are always closed to media.  The Council 
decides which issues are to be released to the public during 
each session. 
 
3. The YAS consists of 16 members, all 14 four-star generals 
and admirals, the Minister of Defense and the Prime 
Minister.  With the Prime Minister in the chair, the Council 
is convened two times a year, in early August and on another 
date determined by the Chief of TGS, to discuss promotions, 
assignments, and other military issues.  The YAS will make 
decisions about promotions, extensions of time-in-rank and 
retirements; decisions are taken with majority votes.  While 
the Chief of TGS will hear the views of the service chiefs 
about the assignments of general and flag officers in their 
respective services, he alone makes the final decision on 
senior assignments. 
 
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YAS Meetings 
------------ 
 
4. On the first day of the YAS meeting, promotions of 
lieutenant generals and vice admirals who have completed 
four years of service since their last promotion are 
discussed.  All of the generals and admirals in the meeting 
are obliged to share their opinions about each individual 
being considered.  After the completion of a grading system, 
the two or three persons with the highest grades are 
promoted.  The same procedure is followed for the promotion 
of colonels/navy captains, brigadier generals, major 
generals and rear admirals. 
 
5. The YAS also considers cases of expulsion for bad 
conduct.  In recent years, at each meeting the YAS has 
decided to expel a small number of officers from the armed 
services for engaging in activities the military considers 
Islamic fundamentalist. 
 
-------------------- 
TAF Promotion System 
-------------------- 
 
6. According to the military's employment and promotion 
system, 
 
-- In the Land Forces, every four years one lieutenant 
general is promoted to general, during each of the 
intervening years two lieutenant generals are promoted. 
 
-- In the Air Force, every two years one lieutenant general 
is promoted to general. 
 
-- In the Navy, every two years one vice admiral is promoted 
to admiral. 
 
There is no full general position in the Jandarma; the four- 
star commander of the Jandarma is always a Land Forces 
general. 
 
7. A second lieutenant or ensign, who graduated from one of 
the academies at the age of 20, can become a general or 
admiral after 25 years of service.  In the current system of 
the Land Forces, one serves as a second lieutenant for three 
years (one year for academy graduates), a first lieutenant 
for 6 years, a captain for 6 years, a major for 6 years 
(five for staff college graduates), and a lieutenant colonel 
for 3 years.  Promotions through the rank of colonel are 
routine and most officers rise to that rank.  Colonels are 
eligible for promotion to brigadier general after six years 
(five for defense university graduates); if not promoted, 
they may serve as a colonel for a total of nine years.  Two 
one-year time-in-rank credits are possible during a career 
for outstanding service.  The same system applies to the Air 
Force and Navy. 
 
8. General and flag serve four years before being considered 
for promotion to the next rank.  If not promoted or extended 
by the YAS, or assigned as a service chief or the Chief of 
TGS, the officer must retire.  Service chiefs are permitted 
an additional two years in rank; the Chief of TGS is 
permitted an additional four years in rank.  Voluntary 
retirement is permitted at 55 years of age; the mandatory 
retirement age is 65, although it is 67 for the Chief of 
TGS. 
 
9. There are 14 4-star positions: 10 in the Land Forces, 2 
in the Air Force, and 2 in the Navy. 
 
----------------------------------- 
Possible Change in Promotion System 
----------------------------------- 
 
10. During the `Public Quality Symposium' held at the Middle 
East Technical University on June 12, 2003, TGS/J1 
(personnel) Lieutenant General Hasan Igsiz stated that, in 
2005, the TAF would start implementing a `human resources 
management' model basing promotions on performance level 
rather than service period.  However, this has not yet been 
implemented and we understand that the target is now 2010. 
 
-------------------------------- 
General/Flag Officer Assignments 
-------------------------------- 
 
11. The Chief of TGS has full authority to assign generals 
and admirals other than service chiefs, although the opinion 
of the relevant service chief is considered.  Traditionally, 
these officers serve two tours at each rank -- one in a 
staff billet, the other as a commander of forces in the 
field.  Service chiefs are nominated by the Chief of TGS and 
assigned by decree upon the signature of the Minister of 
Defense, PM and President.  Therefore, the Chief of TGS is 
the only person who can nominate individuals for commander 
positions.  (Note: Under these circumstances the government 
can only have a significant impact on the assignment of the 
Chief of TGS, but not on the rest.  End note.) 
 
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Chief of TGS 
------------ 
 
12. Under Turkish law, the Chief of TGS is assigned by the 
decision of the Council Ministers and with the approval of 
the President.  The Chief of TGS is assigned for a period of 
4 years or until he reaches the mandatory retirement age. 
To date, all 24 Chiefs of TGS have been from the Land 
Forces.  Most of them were first assigned as Commander of 
the First Army, and then Commander of the Land Forces before 
becoming Chief of TGS. 
 
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Expected Senior Assignments 
--------------------------- 
 
13.  In 2006, when current Chief of TGS General Hilmi Ozkok 
must retire, General Yasar Buyukanit, Commander of the Land 
Forces, is expected to become Chief of TGS--although there 
are rumblings that the AKP government would prefer the 
popular general not get this job.  Most observers believe 
Deputy Chief of the TGS General Ilker Basbug will become 
Commander of the First Army this year, the Commander of the 
Land Forces in 2006 and Chief of TGS in 2008.  (Outspoken 
First Army Commander GEN Hursit Tolon is retiring this 
year.)  Turkish Air Forces Commander Gen. Ibrahim Firtina 
and Naval Forces Commander ADM Ozlem Ornek must retire. 
They are expected to be succeeded by War Academies (the 
equivalent of our staff and war colleges) Gen. Faruk Comert 
and Fleet Commander ADM Yener Karahanoglu respectively.  A 
frequently heard rumor is that TGS/J5 Lt.Gen. Aydogan 
Baboglu would be promoted and replace Gen. Comert.  The 
names most commonly heard as possible successors to DCHOD 
GEN Basbug are National Military Representative to NATO LTG 
Ergin Saygun, Aegean Army Commander Sebahattin Isik Kosaner, 
Fifth Corps Commander LTG Hasan Igsiz, and (less frequently) 
MND U/S LTG Atila Isik. 
 
 
MCELDOWNEY