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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002083 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O.  12958:  N/A 
TAGS: MASS MARR PREL TU UP KS TC PK SU IR AL RU
SUBJECT: TURKEY: POL-MIL ROUND-UP, March 2006 
 
(Note: This is one of the regular series of unclassified 
reports on significant Turkish defense and national security 
issues in the press and other open sources.  End note) 
 
Contents 
-------- 
 
-- TGS Chief's Annual Address to the War Academy 
-- Symposium on Global Terrorism and International 
Cooperation held in Ankara 
-- Turkey's Security Relations with Other Countries 
-- Defense Industry Activity 
 
 
 
TGS Chief's Annual Address to the War Academy 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶1. Chief of the Turkish General Staff (CHOD) General Hilmi 
Ozkok gave his annual speech to the Istanbul War Academy on 
March 16.  He noted the importance of a cohesive domestic 
government in the international place of a country; 
underlined the importance of a sound security strategy based 
on a strong military to deter symmetrical threats and to 
protect Turkey from asymmetric threats including terrorism. 
Ozkok underscored the need to preserve Turkey's integrity, 
national unity and stability and to protect Turkey's rights 
and interests in Cyprus.  The CHOD also touched on the 
importance of preserving energy sources and energy savings 
and the military personnel and promotion system.  Ozkok uses 
his annual speech to the War Academy to lay out the 
military's priority issues and its red lines.  Despite the 
importance of the speech, it received minimal coverage in 
the Turkish press as the CHOD avoided controversial domestic 
issues. 
 
 
Symposium on Global Terrorism and International Cooperation 
Held in Ankara 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
¶2. The Turkish General Staff's Center of Excellence for the 
Defense against Terrorism organized its first international 
symposium on Global Terrorism and International Cooperation 
on March 23-24 in Ankara.  The symposium, which focused on 
the effects of globalization on terrorism; security of urban 
areas; and cooperation against all forms of terrorism, 
hosted high ranking participants from 82 countries.  Afghan 
President Hamid Karzai, the Chiefs of General Staff from 6 
countries including GEN Peter Pace, 46 Ambassadors, many 
Turkish and international think tank representatives and 
academics, and military attaches from 46 countries 
participated in the symposium.  Although it was the first 
international symposium with that scale of high ranking 
participation, the organizers were disappointed by the low 
media coverage of the event. 
 
Turkey's Security Relations with Other Countries 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶3. Pakistan: Naval Forces Commander Yener Karahanoglu 
received his Pakistani counterpart Mohammad Afzal Tahir in 
Ankara on March 6.  Tahir also visited military facilities 
in Izmir, Aksaz/Marmaris, Golcuk/Kocaeli and Istanbul. 
Specifics about the meeting were not reported. 
 
¶4. Bulgaria: Turkish Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul met 
Bulgarian Defense Minister Vesselin Bliznakov in Ankara on 
March 14.  Underlining that Turkey exerted great efforts for 
Bulgaria's NATO membership, DM Gonul expressed Turkey's 
desire to improve bilateral defense industry cooperation 
(Semi-governmental Anatolian News Agency).   Bliznakov 
invited Turkey to submit a proposal for a new multipurpose 
fighter plane for the Bulgarian Air Force (Bulgarian State- 
owned Sofia News Agency). 
 
¶5. Portugal: Portuguese CHOD Admiral Jose Mendes Cabecadas 
 
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met General Ozkok in Ankara on March 14. No information on 
the subject of their meeting was made public. 
 
¶6. Serbia-Montenegro: Turkey and Serbia-Montenegro signed a 
plan for bilateral military cooperation in Belgrade on March 
17, which foresees naval cooperation and exchanges related 
to the Partnership for Peace Program (Official State News 
Agency Belgrade Tanjug).  The agreement was not reported by 
any Turkish official or unofficial public sources. 
 
¶7. South Korea: ROK Chief of General Staff Sang-Hee Lee, who 
was received by Ozkok as his official guest in Ankara on 
March 21, was decorated with the Medal of Merit. (The 
Centrist daily Milliyet). 
 
¶8. Georgia: Georgian CHOD Colonel Levan Nikoleishvili met 
Ozkok in Ankara on March 24.  No information on the subject 
of their meeting was made public. 
 
¶9. Ukraine: A Turkish military delegation headed by General 
Ozkok visited Kiev on March 27.  Military delegations of the 
two countries discussed the development of cooperation 
between their two armed forces (Kiev Unian News Agency). 
GEN Ozkok's official visit was not reported by any Turkish 
media sources, nor through official channels. 
 
¶10. Macedonia: GEN Ozkok discussed defense cooperation with 
his Macedonian counterpart General Miroslav Stoyanovski and 
Macedonian Defense Minister Tovan Manasievski during his 
official visit to Macedonia on March 27.  Recalling that the 
Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) provide equipment and training 
for the Macedonian Armed Forces, DM Manasievski thanked 
Ankara for its support (Semi-governmental Anatolian News 
Agency). 
 
Defense Industry Activity 
------------------------- 
 
¶11. State Minister Kursat Tuzmen, Lieutenant General Hilmi 
Zorlu, Turkish General Staff (TGS) Chief of Plans and 
Principles, and Turkish Defense Industry Undersecretary 
Murad Bayar along with many Turkish company representatives, 
attended the 25th Annual American-Turkish Council Conference 
held in Washington from March 26-28.  Bayar said during the 
ATC Conference that the Turkish Armed Forces will purchase 
100 new generation warplanes worth $ 10 billion to replace 
F16 and F4 aircrafts.  According to Bayar, Turkey will 
announce by the end of 2006 whether Turkey will chose the 
Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), Eurofighter or a combination of 
the two aircraft, according to various media reports. 
 
¶12. Turkish Global Technical Joint Stock Company, which 
produces battery-powered UAVs in Turkey, started producing 
UAVs for Italy and United Arab Emirates (Semi-governmental 
Anatolian News Agency). 
 
¶13. SSM extended until June 15 a March 15 deadline for 
international helicopter manufacturers to respond to an RFP 
(Request for Proposal) for Turkey's $ 500 million, 52-unit 
utility helicopter program for the Turkish Armed Forces and 
Forestry Service.  The Turkish military will buy a 32 
platforms to be co-produced in Turkey.  Potential contenders 
for the program include Sikorsky and Europe's NH Industries. 
 
¶14. SSM announced a RFI (Request for Information) for a New 
Type Submarine Project foreseeing purchase of 4 submarines 
for Turkish Naval Forces.  Deadline for requesting RFI 
document from SSM is May 15. 
 
¶15. The Swiss company Pilatus was not allowed to obtain an 
RFP for basic trainer aircraft for the Turkish Air Forces 
worth $500 million.  Swiss companies were red-listed in 
Turkey after Swiss canton of Vaud officially recognized 
genocide against Armenians in 2003.  Pilatus would have been 
the fourth international bidder in the contract besides 
Raytheon,  Brazil's Embraer, Korea Aerospace Industries (the 
English-language Turkish Daily News). 
 
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WILSON