Cablegate: Turkey: Pol-Mil Round-Up, July 2005

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

111429Z Aug 05

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 004732

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: MARR MOPS PREL PTER TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY: POL-MIL ROUND-UP, JULY 2005

REFERENCE: A) ANKARA 3892, B) 2004 ANKARA 6000

(Note: This is the second in a regular series of
unclassified reports on significant Turkish defense and

SIPDIS
national security issues in the press and other open
sources. End note)

Contents
--------

-- Debates on Cross-Border Operation Against the PKK
-- Turkey's Security Relations with Other Countries
-- Defense Industry Activity

Debates on Cross-Border Operations Against the PKK
--------------------------------------------- -----

1. Throughout the month, government and military officials
publicly accused each other, Turkey's neighbors, the EU and
the US of inaction to respond to the PKK terrorist threat.
However, they were unified in emphasizing that Turkey
reserved the right to pursue the PKK into Iraq if necessary.
Turkish Land Forces Commander General Yasar Buyukanit made
the opening salvo when, on July 1, he accused Iraq's
neighboring countries and EU members of supporting the PKK.
Deputy Chief of the Turkish General Staff (TGS) General
Ilker Basbug, in a July 19 press conference, said that a
cross-border operation is "one of a number of options - in
fact it's the last option" to address the PKK threat
emanating from northern Iraq.

2. PM Erdogan repeatedly and publicly made known his
unhappiness with US inaction against the PKK in northern
Iraq. The center right Hurriyet newspaper, on July 7,
quoted him as calling on the US to take action against the
PKK in northern Iraq to improve Turkish-American relations.
On July 13 Erdogan said in a TV interview that, given the
lack of support from the US and EU countries -- and accusing
the US of not taken measures against infiltration of the PKK
into Turkey-- Turkey might launch cross-border operations
against the PKK. On July 27 Erdogan in an interview with
`The Times' of London said he has not seen a US effort
against the PKK, and Turkey's patience had its limits.
Taking a more measured tone, MFA Spokesman Namik Tan
concurred that "Turkey will take the necessary measures
against the PKK whenever it becomes necessary," but added
that "we have no problem with the US in the fight against
the PKK". Turkish newspapers quoted Iraqi Interior Minister
Al Zubaida as saying the Iraqi security forces lacked the
capacity to drive the PKK out of Iraq.

Turkey's Security Relations with Other Countries
--------------------------------------------- ---

3. Iraq: Turkish press continues reporting on government
efforts against the PKK terrorist organization. The center-
right Hurriyet reported that in the last few months 700 PKK
militants infiltrated into Turkey from northern Iraq.
Interior Ministers of the countries neighboring Iraq issued
a communique from their second round of meetings of July 19
in Istanbul condemning terrorism and expressing their full
solidarity with the Iraqi government. After the meeting,
Turkey's Minister of Interior Abdulkadir Aksu stated that
Iraq's neighbors agreed to sign a regional security
protocol.

4. Sudan: The Turkish centrist Milliyet reported that
Turkish National Police provided counter-narcotics, counter-
terrorism, organized crime and homeland security training to
4 Sudanese policemen in 2004 and to 45 in 2005.

5. Pakistan: Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul said after meeting
with his Pakistani counterpart on July 28 that Turkey is
considering the purchase of tanks from Pakistan following
Turkey's 2004 cancellation of a main battle tank tender.

6. Kuwait: Turkey signed a Security Cooperation Agreement
with Kuwait. According to Turkish Interior Minister
Abdulkadir Aksu, the agreement was a broader form of an
earlier protocol to increase the countries' joint efforts to
fight drug trafficking, terrorism and organised crime.

7. Azerbaijan: Turkish Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul met with
his Azerbaijani counterpart in Baku on July 20 to discuss
military cooperation within the NATO framework.

Defense Industry Activity
-------------------------
8. SSM released the names of companies that received the RFI
(Request for Information) for a reconnaissance and
surveillance satellite system; Lockheed Martin was among the
competitors.

9. SSM announced a new tender for the purchase of 142,292
anti-Nuclear/Biological/Chemical suits for the Turkish Armed
Forces.

10. Raytheon Systems Company ordered thermal weapons glass
worth USD 3.34 million from Aselsan, which will deliver the
order in 2006.

MCELDOWNEY

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