TURKEY: CHOD ANGRILY DISMISSES PLOT (AGAIN),

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000130 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/26/2020 TAGS: PREL MOPS TU SUBJECT: TURKEY: CHOD ANGRILY DISMISSES PLOT (AGAIN), REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO DEMOCRACY REF: A. ANKARA 120 ¶B. 09 ANKARA 1805 ¶C. ANKARA 107 Classified By: Pol-Mil Counselor Anthony Godfrey, Reasons 1.4 (b,d) ¶1. (C) Summary: Turkey's military chief delivered a forceful and at times angry response to the allegations surrounding the alleged 2003 "Sledgehammer" coup plot. General Basbug took particular issue with the claim that the military had planned to bomb mosques in order to create the environment for it to overthrow the government. While warning that the "patience of the Turkish Armed Forces has a limit," he reaffirmed the military's commitment to democracy, saying that the military had "full loyalty to the principle that the only way of changing the government is democratic elections," and that the era of military interventions in Turkey is over: "...those days were left behind." While committing to fully investigate the "Sledgehammer" claims and to update the public on the investigation soon, Basbug reiterated his sense that the military has been subject to asymmetric attacks by the media and said he had raised his concerns with both PM Erdogan and President Gul. The civilian investigation into the new allegations, meanwhile, continues. Basbug's passionate appeal will likely fuel criticisms toward the military and may have inadvertently advanced the government's case for the need to amend the constitution to allow civilian trials of military officers. End Summary. Lies, Damned Lies -------------- ¶2. (SBU) During a ceremony in honor of Kazim Karabekir, a religious conservative who refused the Sultan's order to arrest Mustafa Kemal in 1919, Turkish General Staff (TGS) chief General Ilker Basbug lashed out angrily at media allegations of a 2003 coup plot entitled "Sledgehammer" (ref a). Basbug forcefully rejected claims -- pounding the podium with his fist on numerous occasions -- that the military had planned to bomb mosques in Istanbul to sow the seeds of chaos and create the conditions for a coup: "In the army, we train soldiers to shout 'Allah Allah' while attacking enemy forces. How could this army consider bombing the house of Allah? I curse those who make such claims." ¶3. (SBU) Basbug highlighted that the alleged plan was developed seven years ago and that he had tasked the army headquarters to thoroughly investigate the claim, but stressed that undertaking an investigation "should not be interpreted as accepting the claims." He promised to provide more information "before the end of the week," once the investigations have been completed. Military's Patience Has a Limit -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Complaining about the string of allegations against the military (septel),Basbug said "As the top commander of a very disturbed army, I have the right to ask who benefits most from this talk." He also stated that the military's patience "has a limit" to the types of allegations directed at it and that "we are extremely disturbed by these allegations." He underscored that the struggle against what he called asymmetric attacks against the military cannot be prevented solely thought the military's own efforts and that "there are also things that the state must do" in response to such activities. Basbug said he had "expressed (the military's) views, thoughts and suggestions on this issue" with both President Gul and PM Erdogan and further stated that, "It is my right to observe how our suggestions would be met." Coup Era Over -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Basbug passionately reiterated the military's commitment to democracy and rule of law, stating that the military has "full loyalty to the principle that the only way of changing the government is democratic elections." While admitting that Turkey had experiences military interventions since the early 1960s, Basbug said "Our evaluation is that those days were left behind." ANKARA 00000130 002 OF 002 Plugging Leaks -------------- ¶6. (SBU) The military chief also spoke at length about the problem of leaks in the military and steps the TGS is taking to prevent future leaks. Basbug noted that 61 investigations have been launched concerning the leaking of classified information and nine of those have developed into military court cases. One personnel was dismissed from the military and sentenced to three years in prison while ten others have been charged with leaking classified information. (Comment: This part of Basbug's message was clearly a warning to his own troops to stop leaking information to the media. End Comment). Government's Unofficial Response -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Milliyet columnist Asli Aydintasbas quoted an "influential" but unnamed cabinet minister as saying that the government does not view General Basbug's remarks as targeting the government. He said, "The Chief of the Turkish General Staff emphasized the importance of democracy by saying that power should change hands only through democratic means," and that the government does not intend to offer a "response" as Basbug's remarks were not a message for the government" but intended for Taraf and the media. Another anonymous minister, according to Aydintasbas' column, said he was pleased with Basbug's response to the accusations. Civilian Investigation Continues -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Yeni Safak, meanwhile, reports that prosecutor Bilal Bayraktar will conduct an investigation into the secret archives of the First Army Command, where the alleged 2003 coup plan was drafted. The prosecutors have reviewed the 5,000-page document related to the "Sledgehammer" plan and Yeni Safak speculates that former First Army Commander Cetin Dogan might be interrogated by the prosecutor for his connection to the plan. Comment -------------- ¶9. (C) Basbug's forceful reaffirmation of the military's commitment to democracy is as much a message to reassure the public as it is a warning to his own troops to cease and desist on any possible coup plots. Nevertheless, his angry tone will likely fuel additional criticism of the military as the government considers constitutional amendments that will almost certainly include a push to increase civilian judicial authority over the military (ref c). Jeffrey "Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.intelink.s gov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turkey"