SEARCHES AT TGS CONTINUE; CHOD REMAINS COOPERATIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000053

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/SE ILAN GOODMAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/13/2020
TAGS: PGOV TU
SUBJECT: SEARCHES AT TGS CONTINUE; CHOD REMAINS COOPERATIVE

REF: A. 09 ANKARA 1839

B. 09 ANKARA 1805

C. 09 ANKARA 1691 AND PREVIOUS

D. 09 ANKARA 834

Classified By: Pol-Mil Counselor Anthony Godfrey Reasons 1.4 (b,d)


1. (SBU) Summary: Searches at the Turkish General Staff
(TGS) Special Forces Mobility Command continue as prosecutors
seek to obtain information related to the December 19 arrest
of two Special Forces officers for a suspected assassination
attempt against Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc. Although
the civilian government and TGS remain publicly supportive of
one another, alleged death threats against investigators and
TGS concerns of government interference outside the scope of
the investigation demonstrate on-going tensions both within
the general public and among the government and military.
End summary.

SEARCHES CONTINUE INTO SECRET FILES
--------------


2. (SBU) Following two initial examinations on December 25
and 27 (ref a),searches by Ankara prosecutor Mustafa Bilgili
and team have continued at the TGS Special Forces Mobility
Command, including per press reports in the military's
"cosmic room," which houses state and military secrets.
(Note: The term "cosmic" has been widely used in media
reporting and likely refers to NATO documents bearing the
"cosmic" classification. End note.) The court reportedly
rejected an early January TGS request to end the searches.
Although the search is intended to be limited to information
concerning the activities of the suspects and the alleged
assassination attempt against Deputy Prime Minister Arinc,
media reports state Judge Kadir Kayan and prosecutors plan to
look into all 10,000 files in the cosmic room. Files held in
the room are believed by the media to contain, among others:
details of the PKK and other separatists organizations in
Turkey and their wings outside Turkey; intelligence on
fundamentalist activities; Turkish Armed Forces operations
and plans, to include documents outlining contingency
planning during states of emergency; intelligence shared by
the Turkish National Police (TNP) and MIT (National
Intelligence Organization); intelligence activities with
surrounding countries, including Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq,
Syria, Greece, and Armenia; and correspondence with other
intelligence agencies, including MOSSAD and the CIA.


3. (SBU) TGS, eager to protect both its information,
operations plans, confidential sources, and staff, is
reportedly closely monitoring the investigation by recording
every document viewed by investigators in order to protect
themselves and their people from possible future, unrelated
prosecutions. However, TGS is not the only one in need of
protection. Due to their part in the investigation, Judge
Kayan and Prosecutor Bilgili have received death threats and
bullets in the mail. Both are receiving protection,
reportedly wear bullet-proof vests, and -- at least in
Bilgili's case -- bringing lunch so as not to be poisoned.

TGS AND GOVERNMENT PUBLICLY COOPERATIVE
--------------


4. (SBU) Despite vocal support for or against the
investigation on the part of media and politicians, the
government and TGS leadership appear to remain committed to
moving forward in a cooperative manner. TGS stopped its
weekly press briefings in an apparent effort to unify its
messages with the government's and avoid the perception that
their messages differ. Prime Minister Erdogan and CHOD
Basbug held a recent meeting at TGS headquarters, instead of
the Prime Minister's office, a gesture which was likely
intended to reinforce to the military that the government is
not trying to damage the former's reputation.

COMMENT
--------------


5. (C) CHOD Basbug appears ready to accept the judiciary and
government's ongoing investigation through to the end;
however, tensions remain high. New government initiatives
which appear to encroach on military prerogatives are causing
additional friction. Many within the public and the

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rank-and-file military oppose the current actions as
inappropriate, insulting, and a politically-motivated attack
against the military. Nevertheless, CHOD Basbug's support of
the government is starting to bring forth an awareness that
the military will be held accountable to the domestic
civilian leadership.
SILLIMAN

"Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.intelink.s
gov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turkey"