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

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 007289 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O.  12958:  N/A 
TAGS: MARR MOPS PREL PTER TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY: POL-MIL ROUND-UP, OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2005 
 
REFERENCE: A) ANKARA 3892, B) 2004 ANKARA 6000 
 
(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.  We welcome 
feedback on whether these reports are useful.  End note) 
 
Contents 
-------- 
 
-- New National Security Policy Approval 
-- EU Progress Report on Turkish Civil-Military Relations 
-- Turkey's Security Relations with Other Countries 
-- Defense Industry Activity 
-- Turkish NGO Seminar on Iran's Nuclear Program 
 
New National Security Policy Approval 
------------------------------------- 
¶1. After months of delay, at the bi-monthly National 
Security Council (NSC) meeting on Oct. 24, a revised 
National Security Policy Document (NSPD) was approved.  The 
policy document outlines the Government of Turkey (GOT) 
priorities with regard to threats to Turkey's internal and 
external security, and is based on input from all Council 
member agencies (MFA, TGS, Prime Ministry, MND and MOI). 
The NSC  made no official announcement on the content or 
length of the NSPD, but the Turkish press reported that 
fundamentalism, separatist terrorism and radical leftist 
ideology were noted as equal internal threats while radical 
rightist ideology, which was included in the previous 
document, had been eliminated.  According to press reports, 
the document distinguishes between terrorists with a 
religious motivation (Al Qaeda) and other terrorist 
organization (PKK and Hezbollah).  Iran's nuclear 
activities, Iran's Shahab 3 missiles and territorial 
integrity of Iraq were included among the external threats 
facing Turkey and the situation in Cyprus is of primary 
importance to Turkey's security (The center-right Hurriyet 
daily). 
 
The NSC also discussed Turkey's EU drive and stressed in the 
statement issued after the meeting the importance of 
protecting Turkey's national interests during the accession 
process and the need for effective use of the country's 
water resources. 
 
EU Progress Report on Turkish Civil-Military Relations 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶2. The European Commission's Turkey 2005 Progress Report, 
released on November 9, includes tougher language on civil- 
military relations than previous reports.  According to the 
report, "the armed forces continue to exercise significant 
political influence" through public statements made by high- 
ranking military members on domestic and foreign policy 
issues.  Noting that Turkey has made good progress in 
reforming civil-military relations since 2002, the report 
calls on Turkey to work towards greater accountability and 
transparency in the conduct of security affairs in line with 
EU Member States' best practice.  The report advises that 
civilian authorities should fully exercise their supervisory 
function over the military, in particular with respect to 
parliamentary control of defense expenditures and the 
formulation of the national security strategy and its 
implementation.  While the Turkish press gave broad coverage 
to other aspects of the report, it made no mention of the 
issue of civil-military relations. 
 
¶3. The GOT Reform Monitoring Group (formed at the initiative 
of the MFA  to oversee EU reforms and comprised of the 
Foreign Minister, Interior Minister, Minister of Justice and 
State Minister and Ali Babacan, State Minister/Chief 
Negotiator) convened its 9th meeting on November 22 to 
determine what actions to take in response to the Progress 
Report.  On civil-military relations, the Group decided to 
speed up review of the amended law on Military Code of 
Conduct -- which in the past was used as the basis for 
military intervention in the government -- specifically with 
an eye to the abolishment of provisions allowing trial of 
civilians at military courts. 
Turkey's Security Relations with Other Countries 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶4. Azerbaijan: TGS CHOD General Hilmi Ozkok visited 
Azerbaijani Defense Minister Safar Abiyev on October 6 in 
Baku to discuss enhancing military ties. 
 
¶5. China: President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and TGS CHOD GEN 
Ozkok received Xu Caihou, China's Vice Chairman of Central 
Military Commission, respectively on October 16 and 17.  The 
GOT did not discuss publicly the topics of the meeting. 
However, the monthly military magazine Aerospace and Defense 
Update reported that discussions were held regarding 
existing military cooperation between the two armies and 
developing new ways to boost bilateral military cooperation. 
 
¶6. Romania: Romanian CHOD Eugen Badalan visited his Turkish 
counterpart on October 20 at the invitation of GEN Ozkok. 
No information on the subject of their meeting was made 
public. 
 
¶7. Finland: Finnish Defense Minister Seppo Kaariainen met 
Turkish Defense Minister Gonul On November 5 in Ankara. 
Stating that it was early to talk about concrete bilateral 
projects, MOD Gonul indicated that the visit would create an 
opportunity to develop bilateral military relations within 
the context of NATO. 
 
¶8. Cyprus: Toros-2005, a military exercise held by Turkish 
and Turkish-Cypriot forces in Cyprus -- which was suspended 
for 3 years based on an agreement with the Greek Cypriot 
administration in parallel to efforts to solve the Cyprus 
problem -- was conducted on November 23-25 in response to 
Nikiforos-2005, a Greek Cypriot exercise(The semi- 
governmental Anatolian News Agency). 
 
¶9. Kazakhstan: The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) signed an 
agreement in late November in Almaty to provide $900K in 
military aid to the Kazakh Army.  A high ranking Turkish 
military official stated that Turkey would provide military 
vehicles, wireless communication and night vision systems as 
well as training to the Anti-Terrorism Unit of the Kazakh 
Armed Forces.  According to the press report, Turkey's 
technical military aid to Kazakhstan exceeded $5 million 
(Anatolian News Agency). 
 
¶10. Qatar: Qatar's CHOD General Hamad Bin Ali Al Attiyah 
visited CHOD GEN Ozkok on November 7 in Ankara.  No 
information on the subject of their meeting was made public. 
 
Defense Industry Activity 
------------------------- 
 
¶11. TUSAS Aerospace Industries (TAI) signed an agreement 
with the Jordanian Air Force for the modernization of 17 F- 
16s by applying Falcon-Up, Falcon Star and Mid Life 
upgrades.  Delivery of the upgraded F16s to Jordan is 
expected by October 2009 (The semi-governmental Anatolian 
News Agency). 
 
¶12. SSM (Turkish Undersecretariat for Defense Industries) 
Undersecretary Murad Bayar visited Italian Deputy Defense 
Minister Filippo Berselli on November 29 in Rome.  Berselli 
confirmed reports that Turkey was highly interested in the 
Eurofighter jets (Note: as an alternative to the Joint 
Strike Fighter.  End Note.) (The semi-governmental Anatolian 
News Agency). 
 
¶13. The Italian Agusta Westland, French Eurofighter, Russian 
Rosoboronexport and South African Denel are expected to 
submit bids for the attack helicopter tender.  SSM extended 
the deadline for the second time to December 5 upon request 
of the Italian bidder Agusta Westland. 
 
¶14. TUSAS-TAI launched production on November 24 of 360 
ailerons (wing components) and 1800 spoilers for 180 
airplanes within the context of A400M Cargo Plane Program 
(Liberal pro-Islamic daily Yeni Safak). 
¶15. SSM held its annual 2005 International Defense Industry 
Conference on November 14-15 in Ankara.  In the symposium, 
held in honor of the 20th anniversary of SSM and with 
participation of more than 500 military and civilian 
officials, significant attention was given to development of 
local R&D capacity and the role of techno-parks and 
universities in developing Turkey's defense capabilities. 
¶16. SSM issued an RFI - Request for Information) on October 
24 for FCA (Turkish Future Combat Aircraft) covering 120 
aircraft with a submission date of January 20, 2006.  The 
RFI was sent to Lockheed Martin, Alenia Aeronautica and 
Boeing (The Turkish Defense and Aerospace Update monthly). 
¶17. SSM extended the proposal deadline for the TAF (Turkish 
Armed Forces) and Forestry Service helicopter program, 
covering procurement of 52 medium-class twin-engine 
helicopters, to March 15, 2006 from the previous deadline of 
December 5. 
 
¶18. Turkish Land Forces signed a contract valued at 300 
million Euros with the German Army on November 8 for the 
purchase of 298 Leopard 2A4 Main Battle Tanks. 
 
¶19. Boeing, SSM and Turkish Air Forces completed the CDR 
(Critical Design Review) of Turkey's first B737-700 AEW&C 
aircraft (Airborne Early Warning and Control) on October 15 
under the Peace Eagle Program. 
 
Turkish NGO Seminar on Iran's Nuclear Program 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶20. The International Security Strategic Research 
Institution, a Turkish think tank with a nationalist bent, 
organized a forum to discuss Iran's nuclear program on 
October 16 in Ankara.  Thirty Turkish and Iranian officials 
participated, including: 7 Iranian diplomats, 1 Turkish 
Foreign Ministry representative, 1 MIT (Turkish 
intelligence) representative, 7 academics, 3 MPs, 2 PM 
advisors, 3 NGO representatives, 2 security experts, and 4 
journalists from IRNA (Iranian News Agency), Zaman (A 
moderate pro-Islamic daily supportive of Nurcu sect leader 
Fethullah Gulen), IRIB (Islamic republic of Iran 
Broadcasting), and Turkish Daily News (English-language 
centrist daily).  There was no participation from any 
European country, nor from any other mission. 
 
 
WILSON