Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ANKARA4528
2006-08-08 05:09:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:  

TURKEY'S NEW CHOD -- DIFFERENT STYLE, SAME STRATEGY

Tags:  PREL PGOV MARR MOPS TU 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 004528 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/04/2031
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR MOPS TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY'S NEW CHOD -- DIFFERENT STYLE, SAME STRATEGY

REF: A. ANKARA 4378


B. ANKARA 3772

C. ANKARA 1153

Classified By: Ambassador Ross Wilson, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 004528

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/04/2031
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR MOPS TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY'S NEW CHOD -- DIFFERENT STYLE, SAME STRATEGY

REF: A. ANKARA 4378


B. ANKARA 3772

C. ANKARA 1153

Classified By: Ambassador Ross Wilson, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: The July 31 announcement of Turkish Land
Forces (TLFC) Commander General Buyukanit's appointment as
the next Chief of the General Staff (CHOD) five days earlier
than expected (ref a) caused few ripples in the press.
Buyukanit's appointment was preordained by military tradition
and considered unassailable after charges that he sought to
influence the trial of security personnel involved in a 2005
book store bombing were dropped and the prosecutor was fired
and disbarred. Buyukanit is known for his warmth, charisma
and direct communication style and is considered a friend to
the US. Despite reports that the GOT in general and PM
Erdogan in particular fear that, as CHOD, Buyukanit could
re-assert the military's primacy and threaten Turkey's EU
candidacy, we expect him to stay the course begun by his
predecessor and support Turkey's Western aspirations. END
SUMMARY.


2. (C) On Aug. 30, at the age of 65, Land Forces Commander
GEN Yasar Buyukanit will success GEN Hilmi Ozkok as Turkey's
next CHOD. Unlike other force commanders who must retire at
age 65, the CHOD can retire at 67. Buyukanit will serve
until Aug. 29, 2008, at which time First Army Commander GEN
Ilker Basbug, who will replace Buyukanit as TLFC Commander
this year, would succeed him barring any unexpected changes.


3. (C) The July 31 announcement of Buyukanit's appointment
came one day before the official start of the biannual
Supreme Military Council (YAS) meeting to discuss the
promotion, retirement and selection out of officers for
cause. The YAS is comprised of the Prime Minister, Minister
of Defense, CHOD, and all other serving four-star generals,
including the Army, Air Force and Navy Commanders. The CHOD
decision is not made by the YAS but by the Council of
Ministers and approved by the President. However, the
announcement would normally come at the end of the week-long

meeting along with the YAS decisions. The selection as CHOD
is traditionally preordained, with candidates following a
career path from the DCHOD to the First Army Command and to
the Land Forces Command, the largest of Turkey's three
services, before receiving the top job. Buyukanit did so,
serving as DCHOD from 2000-2003, First Army Commander from
2003-2004, and TLFC Commander from 2004-2006.


4. (C) While early, the decision was not unexpected, and was
generally eclipsed in the press by news about PKK activity
and the situation in Lebanon. Government officials explained
the timing as a result of PM Erdogan's participation in the
emergency OIC meeting in Malaysia, which would cause him to
miss most of the Aug. 1-4 YAS meeting. Therefore it was
decided to make the announcement before he departed the
country. One interlocutor suggested that President Sezer, a
staunch secularist, insisted on an early announcement to
ensure that nothing interfered with the decision. Several
papers did report Sezer's influence on the timing. Other
papers suggested that the early announcement was a GOT
attempt to present an olive branch to the military given
recent tensions. Whatever the reason, the decision was
covered extensively for just one day before the media turned
its attention back to PKK attacks and Lebanon. This allowed
both the military and government to avoid a week of
speculation about whether or not Buyukanit would actually get
the top job, and to focus their joint efforts on other
priority issues.


5. (C) Buyukanit faced a rocky road to the top this past
year. In Nov. 2005, he weathered rumors that PM Erdogan
wanted Ozkok to extend his tenure as CHOD for an additional
year. Ozkok, like Buyukanit, was born in 1940 and could
technically serve until 2008, but quickly and publicly
reaffirmed his intention to retire on schedule. In March
2006, Buyukanit was accused of interfering in the trial of an
NCO suspected in a book store bombing in the southeast when
he commented positively on the character of the suspect (ref
c). Following a discussion between Erdogan and Ozkok, the
charges were dropped and the Prosecutor who filed the charge
was sacked and disbarred. Charges of misdeeds during
Buyukanit's command of the 7th Army Corps in Diyarbakir from
1996-1998 surfaced, then disappeared. The press also suggest
that Land Forces Academy Commander MG Reha Taskesen resigned
on July 5, following revelations of an affair and questions
about his friendship with Buyukanit, in order to protect
Buyukanit. As recently as July 19, it was reported that
Buyukanit himself might resign over the repeated accusations.
Throughout it all, Buyukanit has remained quiet, expressing
his willingness to answer questions but deferring to his
leadership to handle the situation.


6. (C) Buyukanit's rise to the top is no surprise. A staunch
secularist who believes in the military's role as the
protector of Ataturk's republic, he is a charismatic leader,
popular with the troops and loyal to his employees.
According to a July 27 article in the Turkish weekly TEMPO,
Buyukanit shakes the hands of his staff every morning. While
commanding the 7th Army Corps in Diyarbakir, despite his
secular beliefs, Buyukanit reportedly invited the Mayor to
host Iftar dinners during Ramazan at the Officers' Club, and,
although a heavy smoker, he refrained from smoking during the
day out of respect for those who were fasting. Buyukanit is
comfortable in international fora, having attended the NATO
Staff College and having served at the NATO command in
Brussels and at NATO AFSOUTH in Naples. He openly expresses
his desire to work with the US.


7. (C) On multiple occasions, Buyukanit has told US military
that, despite political differences between our two
countries, there has never been a problem between our two
militaries. He confided that he would like to see a return
to the traditionally strong bilateral relationship we enjoyed
during the Cold War but stated that negative public
perception of US policy in the region would be an obstacle.
Buyukanit appeared to be genuinely impressed by his reception
during a Dec. 2005 counterpart visit to the US Army Chief of
Staff, stating that it was the most impressive ceremony he
has received in fifty years of service to Turkey.


8. (C) A straight talker, Buyukanit has unnerved the
government with his direct, open confrontation of issues.
Press reports suggest that the GOT fears a public conflict
with Buyukanit over its policies towards the EU, Cyprus, and
the PKK, among other issues, and therefore attempted to
besmirch his reputation and undermine his appointment. While
he is more gregarious and less circumspect than Ozkok, he is
unlikely to change the western-oriented course that Ozkok
began. That said, having fought the PKK in the southeast and
allegedly survived two PKK assassination attempts (1995 and
2005),Buyukanit is expected to draw a hard line on
eliminating the terrorist threat to Turkey. His stance
towards fundamentalists may be equally tough, given the
belief in military circles that the religious supporters of
Fetullah Gulen were behind many of the accusations leveled
against him.

Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/

WILSON