US embassy cable - 05ANKARA4862

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 004862 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/SE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/17/2015 
TAGS: MARR, PINR, TU 
SUBJECT: SIGNIFICANT CHANGES AT TGS PROVIDE A WINDOW OF 
OPPORTUNITY 
 
REF: A. ANKARA TU 4809 
     B. ANKARA 4409 
 
Classified By: Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Timothy A. Betts, reasons 
 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY: Further to reftels report on Turkish military 
promotions that were decided at the August 1-4 meeting of the 
Supreme Military Council (Yuksek Askeri Surasi - YAS), post 
has learned of numerous assignment changes for key military 
interlocutors (Note: as well as additional information 
requiring correction of several ref B points.  End Note.) 
Some moves are effective immediately, but all are effective 
no later than Aug.30.  In the Turkish General Staff (TGS) 
headquarters, all but one Division Chief will change 
assignments.  In TGS Operations (J-3), the division chief and 
the heads of the Training Department and the Command and 
Control Department will move on.  In Plans and Principles 
(J-5), four of our close interlocutors, including LTG 
Babaoglu, the division chief, and MG Arslan, the Strategy 
Department Chief, will change jobs.  Despite this, we do not 
anticipate a major TGS strategy shift.  That said, we will 
need to work to establish the same cooperative relationship 
with Kalyoncu, the new Chief of Operations, who has primary 
responsibility for Iraq, and with our new J-5 interlocutors 
-- who work the overall bilateral relationship, including 
basing issues -- that we had with their predecessors, and to 
reinvigorate the High Level Defense Group (HLDG), which has 
not met in over two years.  END SUMMARY. 
 
MASSIVE J-HEAD EXODUS 
--------------------- 
 
2. (C) Despite some speculation that TGS would keep J-3 Chief 
LTG Metin Yavuz Yalcin in place for another year given the 
expected turnover of most other TGS division chiefs, Yalcin 
has been reassigned as Commander of 5th Corps in Corlu.  LTG 
Saldiray Berk, former TGS Chief of Personnel (J-1) will take 
command of 4th Corps in Ankara.  LTG Abdullah Cahit 
Sarsilmaz, previously TGS Chief of Logistics (J-4), will 
command 7th Corps in Diyarbakir, and LTG Aydogan Babaoglu, 
TGS Chief of Plans and Principles (J-5) will move to Istanbul 
as War Academies Commander.  VADM Sukru Taner Ezgu, former 
TGS Chief of Communications, Electronics and Data Systems 
(J-6) was retired.  Only the J-2 Chief, LTG Aslan Guner, 
remained in place. 
 
NEW ARRIVALS GENERALLY UNKNOWN 
------------------------------ 
 
3. (C) With the exception of Yalcin's successor in J-3, LTG 
Bekir Kalyoncu, and Babaoglu's replacement in J-5, LTG Akin 
Zorlu, little is known about the new TGS division chiefs. 
Kalyoncu, who had been sidelined following the 
much-publicized July 4, 2003 al-Suleymaniah incident (ref a) 
as Commander of TGS Communications School in Ankara, knows 
Iraq well.  We do not expect any change in Iraq policy.  LTG 
Zorlu, the new J-5 Chief, is a tough interlocutor who was 
well-regarded as the Commander of ISAF II and in his most 
recent assignment as Land Forces Chief of Plans and Policy. 
He is the first Land Forces officer to head J-5 since the 
slot was taken over by the Air Force ten years ago.  This 
consolidates the two most prestigious divisions (J-3, J-5) 
under Land Forces control.  LTG Berk's successor as J-1 Chief 
is newly promoted LTG Servet Yoruk, the former Special Forces 
Commander.  LTG Sarsilmaz (J-4) will be replaced by LTG Rasim 
Arslan, a new promotee who headed the Air Force Staff 
College, and retired VADM Egzu's successor at J-6 is VADM 
Erdal Bucak, who was in the Naval Forces Inspector General's 
office.  Little is known about those individuals. 
 
4. (C) The reassignment of MG Cengiz Arslan from J-5 Strategy 
Division Chief to Deputy Commander of 3rd Corps and Commander 
of the 52nd Mechanized Division in Istanbul is a great loss. 
Arslan, our primary interlocutor on the PolMil Working Group 
and HLDG, is a straight shooter who cares about the 
relationship and worked hard to maintain open communication 
and forward momentum during the dark days of our bilateral 
relations.  His successor, newly promoted MG Serdar Savas, 
was Chief of Planning for the Land Forces.  He will have to 
work hard to match the effectiveness of his predecessor. 
 
5. (C) Other J-5 changes include the succession of BG Baynur 
Pekar by BG Yalicin Ergul as Chief of the Technology, 
Armaments and Defense Research Department.  Pekar, a 
reluctant interlocutor on missile defense and space issues 
who is uncomfortable with his English, will become Commander 
of the 1st Main Jet Base in Eskisehir.  We have higher hopes 
for Ergul, an Air Force officer newly promoted from Colonel. 
BG Ethem Halidun Solmazturk, former Chief of Disarmament and 
International Security Matters and a solid interlocutor, was 
retired and will be succeeded by BG Tuncer Erinmezler, who is 
coming from the 3rd Army Command in Erzincan, where he was 
Chief of Staff for Operations.  This will likely be 
Erinmezler's last assignment before retiring. 
 
KOSANER IN LINE FOR CHOD 
------------------------ 
 
6. (C) Ref b report erroneously supposed GEN Kosaner was born 
in 1943 not 1945; he, therefore, could become CHOD if he 
progresses from the DCHOD position to 1st Army Commander in 
Istanbul in 2007 and then succeeds GEN Basbug as Commander, 
Turkish Land Forces in 2008.  LTG Ergin Saygun, the former 
Turkish National Military Representative (NMR) to NATO, who 
received his fourth star, became TLFC Chief of Staff, not 
Aegean Army Commander as previously reported. 
 
 
LOOKING FORWARD 
--------------- 
 
7. (C) Given our significant bilateral and multilateral 
issues with Turkey, we must work to quickly develop 
relationships with our new TGS counterparts.  The HLDG, which 
traditionally provided the forum to look to the future with 
TGS and develop a joint strategy on issues of mutual 
importance, has not been held since 2003.  Reinvigoration of 
this process early in the tenure of Kosaner and our J-5 
counterparts will help to reinforce the importance of the 
relationship and set the tone for our work together over the 
next year.  To start this process, post recommends that GEN 
Pace send letters of congratulation to former DCHOD Basbug 
and to Kosaner, noting: 
 
1) For Basbug: USG appreciation for Basbug's work on behalf 
of the relationship as DCHOD and our hope for his continued 
efforts to support the relationship as 1st Army Commander in 
Istanbul; 
 
2) For Kosaner: USG appreciation for the cooperative 
relationship we shared with his predecessor and our desire to 
continue this close working relationship during his tenure -- 
beginning with the re-invigoration of the HLDG in 2005. 
MCELDOWNEY