TURKISH CIVIL AVIATION DIRECTOR CEBECI REPLACED

UNCLAS ANKARA 002239

SIPDIS


SENSITIVE


STATE FOR EUR/SE, EB/TRA
ROME FOR FAA
PARIS FOR TSA
FRANKFURT FOR TSA, FAA


E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAIR ASEC ATRN TU
SUBJECT: TURKISH CIVIL AVIATION DIRECTOR CEBECI REPLACED

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1. (SBU) Topa Bilgetin Toker was reinstated on April 1 as
Director General of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation
(DGCA),replacing Serdar Cebeci. Toker, who was discharged
for unspecified reasons in August 2002, had filed a lawsuit
against the state. The court recently determined that Toker
had been fired without cause, and therefore reinstated him as
Director General. Sources at the DGCA told us the
reinstatement of Toker had been a legal decision, and had
nothing to do with the AK Party Government. One DGCA source
said AK was not likely to replace Toker any time soon, given
Toker,s successful lawsuit.



2. (SBU) Comment: We do not anticipate that this change will
affect Turkey,s aviation policy. Like Cebeci, Toker is an
approachable contact. End comment.
PEARSON