TURKEY'S MILITARY CHIEF ADDRESSES MEDIA ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 000625 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/29/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR TU SUBJECT: TURKEY'S MILITARY CHIEF ADDRESSES MEDIA ON ERGENEKON INVESTIGATION, REGIONAL ISSUES REF: A. APRIL 28 TURKEY DAILY BRIEF ¶B. ANKARA 560 ¶C. ANKARA 550 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Ambassador James F. Jeffrey, Reasons 1.4 (b,d) ¶1. (C) Summary and Comment: During a April 29 press conference, Turkey's top military official GEN Ilker Basbug rejected media speculations of military links to the shadowy "Ergenekon" organization, whose alleged aim is to foment a coup against the current government. He reiterated the military's support for democracy, the rule of law, and the ongoing investigation, and asked the media to refrain from irresponsible speculation and allow the judiciary to complete its investigation. He also issued a warning to his own ranks, stating that "No one engaged in activities against the present democratic regime in Turkey can exist within the Turkish Armed Forces." Basbug also responded to questions about possible changes to the "Repentance Law" targeting PKK members (he said the law could be made more clear and implemented better) and regional developments, including a blunt statement dismissing Israeli criticism of a Turkish-Syrian military exercise (ref a). Basbug touched on his recent meetings with CJCS Mullen and NSA Jones and noted that the U.S. and Turkey shared concerns and interests in the region, including in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq. ¶2. (C) On Armenia, Basbug expressed full support for PM Erdogan's statement that the border with Armenia could reopen when Armenia withdraws from Nagarno-Karabagh. Incessant media speculation about the military's involvement in the ongoing Ergenekon case clearly pushed Basbug to take the media head on. Given the number of senior retired military officials already indicted in the case, the media will undoubtedly continue to focus on links between the military and Ergenekon and the military will continue to find itself on the defensive. End Summary and Comment. Nine Soldiers Killed in Southeast -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Chief of the Turkish General Staff (TGS) General Ilker Basbug's much-anticipated April 29 press conference followed his April 14 address, which stressed that the Turkish military is not engaged in an ethnic conflict against the Kurds, nor is it against democracy or religion (ref b). Basbug began the press conference by briefing the media about the nine Turkish military personnel who were killed in the Lice region of Diyabakir that morning when their armored personnel carrier struck a mine (Note: A tenth died in a seperate firefight. This is more than the total security forces losses against the PKK for the entire year up to yesterday. End Note). Basbug blamed the PKK for the incident and stressed that such incidents only strengthens the military's resolve in its struggle against terrorism. Weapons Caches Do Not Belong to the Military -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Basbug devoted the rest of his opening remarks to refuting media speculations that weapon caches in Istanbul recently uncovered as part of the Ergenekon investigations (ref c) belonged to the Turkish military, particularly the Turkish Special Forces. Basbug stated that none of the 45 weapons discovered in the course of the Ergenekon investigation belonged to the Turkish Armed Forces inventory. While asking the media not to speculate about the origins of the uncovered arms, Basbug himself offered a couple of ideas. He noted that besides the military, the Turkish National Police (TNP) also had access to weapons and grenades, but stressed that he was not implying that the uncovered weapons cache belonged to the police. (Note: By even suggesting the possibility that the weapon uncovered may actually belong to the TNP, an institution that secularists, including in the military, believe is heavily infiltrated by members of the Islamist Fetullah Gulen movement, Basbug is reflecting the views of many secularists who have argued that the TNP may have planted these caches as a way to embarrass and undermine the military. End Note.). Basbug also postulated that these arms could have also originated from outside the country, particularly Iraq, where, according to Basbug, all types of weapons remain widely available. Basbug stressed that the military is taking active measures to improve the accountability of its weapons inventory, including efforts to engrave "indelible" serial numbers on all ammunition. When asked whether the military is investigating the possibility that its members were involved in coup-plotting, Basbug dismissed the notion, but also appeared to issue a warning to his own ranks by declaring, "No one engaged in activities against the present democratic regime in Turkey can exist within the Turkish Armed Forces... There is no need to investigate this." Questions to the Media... -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Repeatedly emphasizing the military's support for the rule of law, democracy and the court's handling of the investigation, Basbug reminded the media about the presumption of innocence in the court of law and that only the court can pronounce someone guilty of a crime. He questioned whether the media respected these principles and challenged the media to consider whether it is acting responsibly in drawing on anonymous "secret witnesses," publishing confidential testimony, and jumping to conclusions about the guilt and innocence of individuals before the case has been concluded. He specifically refuted allegations that the military had intervened in the judicial process and had played a role in the transfer of retired senior military officers from prison to the military hospital, and the release of these officers pending trial. ...and About the Investigation -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Basbug also complained about the indictment's reliance on secret witnesses and anonymous informants. Citing one aspect of the indictment which alleged that military officials involved in Ergenekon were responsible for a 1993 clash in Bingol with PKK terrorists resulting in the death of 33 soldiers, he challenged the credibility of the allegation as it was based solely on the testimony of a secret witness without any additional evidence to substantiate that testimony. He said such reliance on "secret testimony" raises questions about the credibility of the investigation. Basbug also questioned whether the confidentiality of the investigation is being respected, noting that the frequent leaks (Comment: Read: leaks by the government or those close to it. End Comment) of confidential testimony also harmed the credibility of the process. Despite these concerns, Basbug repeated again that the military "must trust the judiciary. There is no other alternative." Amnesty for the PKK? -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Responding to questions about whether the April 28 National Security Council (MGK) meeting discussed amendment of the "Repentance Law", Basbug said the law as it is currently written is difficult to understand and could be written better. While stressing there were no discussions at the MGK meeting and that he did not suggest an amendment to the law, Basbug said the law could be written more clearly and that the key is to make it more appealing for PKK members to surrender. He pointed to the "Return to Home" Law and said that these laws are sufficient, but suggested that more steps can be taken, citing the establishment of centers for reintegrating those who have surrendered as an example of how the laws can be implemented more effectively. U.S. and Turkey Share Interests in Region -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Responding to questions about regional developments, Basbug began by noting his recent meetings with CJCS Mullen and NSA Jones. He chided the media for oversimplifying the U.S.-Turkey relationship and for characterizing every visit by senior U.S. officials as a signal that the U.S. is asking Turkey for something. Underscoring Turkey's important role in the region, he said the U.S. frequently consults Turkey on key developments. In the meetings with CJCS Mullen and NSA Jones, Basbug said neither made any concrete requests from Turkey either on Iraq or Afghanistan, and that his meeting with CJCS Mullen focused on the countries ADM Mullen had visited during his trip. (Comment: Basbug once again showed his willingness to defend U.S.-Turkish relations and to highlight the extent and depth of bilateral cooperation to the public. End Comment). ¶9. (SBU) Basbug highlighted that Turkey and the U.S. shared concerns and interests in the region. In Pakistan, both Turkey and the U.S. have serious concerns about developments in northern Pakistan, and Basbug expressed hope that Pakistan can resolve its "domestic issues." On Afghanistan, Basbug noted the upcoming presidential elections in August and U.S. efforts to strengthen the region. He stated that Turkey will resume command in November and that the number of Turkish troops in Afghanistan may increase due to French and Italian desires to move their troops outside of Kabul. Iraq/PKK: Must Seize Opportunity to Eliminate Terrorists -------------- -------------- ¶10. (SBU) In Iraq, Basbug said "our state policy is obvious," and "the Americans, too, think like we do": the PKK should be "eliminated from northern Iraq or exterminated." Basbug stressed that he raises with U.S. interlocutors at every opportunity the fact that there is a chance to eliminate the PKK and that this opportunity must be seized. He also said that the central government in Iraq and "in a de facto way" the "local administration in northern Iraq" had the primary responsibility to eliminate the PKK presence and that the Peshmerge force too should be actively involved. He concluded by saying that, "This year, we are compelled to have concrete results on this issue." Armenia: We Support PM -------------- ¶11. (SBU) Touching briefly on the question of reopening borders with Armenia, Basbug said "Armenia should withdraw from the Azeri territory that it occupied." He noted that PM Erdogan had already stated Turkey's views clearly, and expressed full agreement with Erdogan's views. Syria-Turkey Exercise -------------- ¶12. (C) When asked about Israeli reactions to the first ever Turkish-Syrian bilateral military exercise (septel),Basbug acknowledged that the exercise was a first for the two countries, but characterized the exercise as a small exchange between border units. He bluntly stated that, "We are not interested in the reactions of Israel. This is an exercise with Syria. This is something between us and Syria." (Comment: Basbug's blunt response will do nothing to help improve strains in Turkish-Israeli relations. End Comment.) 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