TURKISH MILITARY COURT ISSUES FIRST CONVICTION OF

UNCLAS ANKARA 001154 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR TU SUBJECT: TURKISH MILITARY COURT ISSUES FIRST CONVICTION OF ACTIVE DUTY GENERAL ¶1. (SBU) In its first sentencing of an active-duty general officer, a Turkish military court convicted Third Army Commander, and previous ISAF Commander, GEN Erdem Erdagi of misusing his authority by accepting a bribe for the award of a military construction tender during his 2002 to 2004 command of the 8th Corps in Elazig. Erdagi was fined and sentenced on May 10 to eleven months and 25 days in prison -- five days short of the 12 month sentence threshold which carries a penalty of mandatory dismissal from the military. ¶2. (SBU) Erdagi, who is well-respected for his leadership of ISAF VII from February through August 2005, was one of several military commanders -- but the only active-duty general -- charged together with a number of lower-ranking officers during a 2003-2004 crackdown on corruption by former Chief of Staff GEN Hilmi Ozkok. The majority were accused in military contract award cases. In addition to Erdagi, two retired general officers were convicted. Former Naval Forces Commander ADM Ilhami Erdil was accused of directing military contracts to a firm headed by his daughter and a friend and for excessive personal spending. Erdil had acquired two penthouse apartments valued at $1.25M, significantly exceeding the salary of a general officer. He received a 2.5 year prison sentence, was stripped of military privileges and his houses were seized. ADM Aydin Gurul was sentenced to five months in prison for profiting from a military contract. Both Erdagi and Gurul have appealed the decisions in their cases. According to press reports, ADM Erdil is serving his sentence but is preparing to request a review of his case by the European Court of Human Rights. ¶3. (SBU) COMMENT: The military investigations begun under GEN (r) Ozkok were unprecedented in Turkish history. Ozkok, who was perceived to have a good working relationship with the ruling Justice and Development Party which rode to power in 2002 in part on a corruption-free image, may have wanted to demonstrate that the military should be held to that same, high standard. While GEN Buyukanit, the current Chief of Staff, might not have instigated such investigations himself, he is perceived to hold the same high standard for the military and is expected to uphold the military court decisions in these cases. END COMMENT. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON