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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 004796 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O.  12958:  N/A 
TAGS: MASS MARR PREL TU PK AU IS SU GR
SUBJECT: TURKEY: POL-MIL ROUND-UP, July 2006 
 
 
(Note: This is one of a regular series of unclassified reports on 
significant Turkish defense and national security issues in the 
press and other open sources.  End note.) 
 
 
Contents 
-------- 
 
-- Over 10,000 Persons Evacuated from Lebanon via Turkey 
-- Anti-Terrorism High Council Convenes 
-- Commander of Turkish Land Forces Military Academy Resigns 
-- Turkey's Security Relations with Other Countries 
-- Defense Industry Activity 
 
 
Over 10,000 Persons Evacuated from Lebanon via Turkey 
 
¶1. Over 10,000 individuals from Sweden, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, 
Moldova, Germany, Canada, USA, Australia, Lebanon, France and other 
countries were evacuated from Lebanon via Turkey.  Close to 1,700 US 
Citizens were flown to the US on contract aircraft out of Incirlik 
Air Base.  The evacuation of nationals of more than 11 countries was 
conducted from the Mersin SeaPort, while 126 persons, including 104 
Turkish nationals and 22 foreign nationals, were evacuated from 
Lebanon overland by bus.  A total of 1,155 Turkish citizens have 
been evacuated from Lebanon. 
 
Anti-Terrorism High Council Convenes 
 
¶2. Turkey's Anti-Terrorism High Council convened an extraordinary 
meeting under Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul on July 16 following the 
killing of 13 soldiers by Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) terrorists 
in five days.  Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu, Justice Minister 
Cemil Cicek, Jandarma Commander Gen Fevzi Turkeri, National Security 
Council Secretary General Yigit Alpogan, Director General of 
Security and undersecretaries of Prime Ministry and Foreign Ministry 
as well as the Undersecretary of the Turkish National Intelligence 
Organization attended this meeting, which was only the second 
meeting to take place since 1997. The Council was reactivated at the 
request of PM Erdogan in September 2005 after an 8 year hiatus to 
discuss the increase of PKK terrorist attacks following the end of 
the PKK's unilateral ceasefire in June 2004. 
 
Commander of Turkish Land Forces Military Academy Resigns 
 
¶3. Maj Gen Reha Taskesen, Commander of Turkish Land Forces Military 
Academy, in a surprise move, resigned days before the Aug. 1-4 
meeting of the Supreme Military Council to decide on the promotion, 
retirement and dismissal of military personnel.  The press initially 
linked Taskesen's resignation to his friendship with Land Forces 
Commander GEN Buyukanit, who dodged allegations of corruption and 
judicial interference before being named the new Chief of the 
Turkish General Staff on July 31.  The media initially claimed 
Taskesen's phones had been tapped to record his conversations with 
Buyukanit but later suggested the wire-tap was related to 
extra-marital relations.  The Turkish General Staff released a 
statement stating only that Gen Taskesen's resignation was based on 
personal reasons. 
 
Turkey's Security Relations with Other Countries 
 
¶4. Pakistan: Pakistani CHOD General Ehsan Ul Haq visited Turkish 
CHOD Gen Hilmi Ozkok in Ankara on July 4.  No information on the 
subject of their meeting was made public. 
 
¶5. Austria: Austrian CHOD General Ronald Ertl visited Turkish CHOD 
Gen Ozkok in Ankara on July 10.  No information on the subject of 
their meeting was released. 
 
¶6. Israel: Turkey cancelled its high-level military visit to Israel 
in July.  Deputy CHOD Gen Isik Kosaner did not attend the 'High 
Level Military Dialogue' meeting held in Israel on July 10-12, 
instead sending a Colonel to represent Turkey in the regular 
bilateral talks, according to the centrist daily Milliyet. 
 
¶7. Sudan: Sudanese Defense minister General Abdel Rahim Mohammad 
Hussein met with his Turkish counterpart Vecdi Gonul in Ankara on 
July 25.  Gen Hussein expressed Sudan's interest in Turkish defense 
 
ANKARA 00004796  002 OF 002 
 
 
technology, according to ANA. 
 
¶8. Greece: In an historic visit, ending a 30-year hiatus, Greek CHOD 
Admiral Panagiotis Chinofotis visited Ankara on July 26 at the 
invitation of Gen Ozkok in Ankara.  According to a TGS press 
release, the Chiefs of staff exchanged views on confidence-buildin 
measures, force commander exchanges, plans for a combined disaster 
relief/humanitarian aid exercise, Peace Support Operations executed 
by the two Armed Forces, NATO enlargement and developments in the 
Middle East. 
 
Defense Industry Activity 
 
¶9. Turkey is ranked fifth among European countries (following 
Britain, France, Germany and Italy) and fourth among Middle Eastern 
countries (following Iran, Saudi Arabia, Israel) with the highest 
defense expenditures, according to the semi-official Anatolian News 
Agency. 
 
¶10. TUSAS-TAI Aerospace Industries will participate in the 
development and joint production of the RRJ model aircraft developed 
jointly by Russian Sukhoi and Italian Alenia firms, according to the 
semi-official Anatolian News Agency. 
 
¶11. TUSAS-TAI signed an agreement with GE Aviation within the 
framework of JSF (joint strike fighter) F-136's engine program, as 
reported by the semi-official Anatolian News Agency. 
 
¶12. Defense Industry Undersecretariat (SSM) announced an RFI 
(Request for Information) for the Turkish Naval Forces' Submarine 
Rescue Mother Ship (MOSHIP) and two Rescue Towing Ships.  The 
deadline for requesting RFI document from SSM is September 15. 
 
¶13. Embraer (Brazil) and KAI (Republic of Korea) submitted proposals 
for the RFP (Request for Proposal) for the Turkish Basic Trainer 
Aircraft (TEU) Program announced by SSM on January 6.  Raytheon 
withdrew from the tender, as reported by the center-right Hurriyet 
daily. 
 
¶14. SSM announced a tender for the Gokturk Reconnaissance and 
Surveillance Satellite System. Gokturk covers procurement of 3 
items: one In-Orbit Delivered Electro-Optical (EO) Reconnaissance 
and Satellite System, one dedicated Fixed Ground System and one 
dedicated Mobile Ground System. The bid submission deadline is 
November 3. 
 
 
 
WILSON