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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 006703 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O.  12958:  N/A 
TAGS: MASS MARR PREL FR GR IS RS FI PL GG RO BU PK TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY: POL-MIL ROUND-UP, November 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 
-------- 
 
-- Supreme Military Council Convenes 
-- Turkey Freezes Military Ties with France 
-- Turkey's Security Relations with Other Countries 
-- Defense Industry Activity 
 
National Security Council Convenes 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶1. The second annual meeting of Turkey's Supreme Military Council 
(YAS) convened under PM Tayyip Erdogan on November 30 to assess 
external threats, recent developments in the region, the ongoing 
fight against the PKK terrorist organization, military policies and 
modernization needs of the military.  At this meeting the YAS also 
expelled 37 military personnel, two of them for engaging in 
fundamentalist activities, the remainder for misconduct.  As they 
have during past meetings, PM Erdogan and Defense Minister Vecdi 
Gonul noted their reservations to the expulsions and stated that the 
expulsion decision should be made by a court of law.  This practice 
has become routine with the AKP government. 
 
Turkey Freezes Military Ties with France 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. Turkish Land Forces Commander GEN Ilker Basbug announced on 
November 15 that Turkey's military relations with France have been 
suspended in response to the French National Assembly approval of a 
bill criminalizing denial of a 1915 Armenian Genocide.  The Turkish 
General Staff issued a written announcement to cancel bilateral 
military activities with France in 2006 and 2007.  As a result, 
joint exercises planned for 2006 and the planned visit of Air Forces 
Commander Gen Faruk Comert to France have been cancelled.  During 
the November 16 kick-off meeting of the International Defense 
Industry Fair (IDEF) to take place in Turkey in May 2007, DefenseMinister Vecdi Gonul announced that France woul not be invited to 
participate (Semi-official Anatolian News Agency (ANA). 
 
Turkey's Security Relations with Other Countries 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶3. Greece: Turkish General Staff (TGS) Chief General Yasar Buyukanit 
visited Athens on November 1-4 as an official guest of his Greek 
counterpart Admiral Panagiotis Chinofotis.  Gen Buyukanit is the 
first Turkish CHOD to visit Athens in 36 years.  Discussions 
included the following topics:  Safety improvements for military 
maritime and air navigation in the Aegean; creation of a joint 
committee at the Chiefs of Defense level for promotion of regional 
security in the Balkans; creation of a joint operational unit under 
NATO; creation of a common land force unit to participate in NATO 
Response Force operations; creation of combined-joint disaster 
relief/humanitarian aid task force; and exchange visits. 
 
¶4. Israel: National Security Council (NSC) Secretary General Yigit 
Alpogan received his Israeli counterpart Ilan Mizrahi in Ankara on 
November 2.  Alpogan and his counterpart discussed Turkish-Israeli 
relations as well as regional and international issues affecting 
both countries (ANA). 
 
¶5. Russia: Turkish Naval Forces Commander Admiral Yener Karahanoglu 
met his Russian counterpart Admiral Vladimir Masorin on November 6 
in Moscow.  The Commanders signed an agreement for Russia's 
accession to the Turkish-led Black Sea naval maritime surveillance 
construct, Operation Black Sea Harmony (ANA). 
 
¶6. Finland: Turkish CHOD Gen Yasar Buyukanit received Finnish Chief 
of Staff Admiral Juhani Kasleala on November 7 in Ankara.  No 
information about the meeting was made public (ANA). 
 
ANKARA 00006703  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶7. Poland: NSC Secretary General Yigit Alpogan paid a formal visit 
to Poland on November 8 to meet with his counterpart Wladyslaw 
Satsiak.  This visit was one of a series of regular contacts between 
the two National Security Councils (ANA). 
 
¶8. Georgia: NSC Secretary General Alpogan met with his Georgian 
counterpart in Tbilisi on November 19.  Bilateral relations, 
regional and international issues were discussed in the meeting. 
Alpogan was also received by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili 
(ANA). 
 
¶9. Romania: Air Forces Commander Gen Faruk Comert received his 
Romanian counterpart Gen Gheorghe Catrina on November 22.  No 
information about the subject of the meeting was made public (ANA). 
 
 
¶10. Bulgaria: CHOD Gen Yasar Buyukanit received Bulgarian Chief of 
Staff General Zlatan Stoykov on November 22 in Ankara.  No 
information about the meeting was made public. 
 
Defense Industry Activity 
------------------------- 
 
¶11. Turkish TAI-TUSAS completed production of forward-center 
fuselage component of A400M transport aircraft and delivered to it 
to Germany for assembly.  A400M program worth 20 billion Euro (ANA). 
 
 
¶12. Turkish Defense Ministry signed an agreement with Sikorsky for 
the purchase of 17 S70B Seahawk helicopters for the Turkish Naval 
Forces Command.  This is the second lot of Sikorsky Seahawks 
purchased by the Turkish Navy.  The first delivery is scheduled for 
2009 (ANA). 
 
¶13. Turkish TAI-TUSAS will manufacture fuselage of the F-35 
aircrafts.  Delivery of the first fuselage expected in 2010 (ANA). 
 
¶14. Sixteen Turkish defense companies (TUSAS, Aselsan, BMC, Gate 
Elektronik, Girsan, Global, Havelsan, Kalekalip Kaletron, Koc 
System, Likom, Milsoft, MKE, Roketsan, TAI, TIBAS, Yonca-Onuk JV and 
Yuksel Technology) and the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries 
(SSM) participated in the November 21 IDEAS 2006 Defense Industry 
Fair in Karachi, Pakistan.  Attending a meeting with his Pakistani 
counterpart in Karachi, Defense Minister Gonul said that Turkey and 
Pakistan are working on a command control and combat system worth 30 
million USD.  Undersecretary for Defense Industries Murad Bayar said 
during his visit to the defense fair that Pakistan, Jordan and 
Malaysia were interested in Turkey's Assault and Tactical 
Reconnaissance (ATAK) helicopter project (ANA). 
 
¶15. TAI-TUSAS and the Pakistani Air Force signed a protocol on 
November 22 at the IDEAS Defense Fair to modernize 25-35 F-16 jets 
of Pakistani Air Force (ANA). 
 
 
 
WILSON