Cablegate: Turkey's Supreme Military Council
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 004409
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: MARR PINR TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY'S SUPREME MILITARY COUNCIL
1. Summary: The Supreme Military Council (Yuksek Askeri
Surasi - YAS) will meet August 1-4 and decide general and
flag officer promotions. We provide a description of the
YAS and the military promotion and assignment system as
background in advance of the announcement of senior
promotions and assignments which is expected NLT August 5.
Most observers expect DCHOD GEN Ilker Basbug to become
commander of the First Army in Istanbul, putting him in line
to become CHOD in 2008. Other expected assignments include
War Academies Commander Gen. Faruk Comert to become head of
the Turkish Air Forces and Fleet Commander ADM Yener
Karahanoglu to become head of the Turkish Naval Forces. End
Summary.
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The Supreme Military Council
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2. The Supreme Military Council (YAS) was formed under Law
No: 1612 in 1972. According to the law, the Council is to
decide military promotions and "to deliver opinion" on
military strategic concepts prepared by the Turkish General
Staff (TGS), the main program and objectives of the Turkish
Armed Forces (TAF), legislation and regulations drafted for
the TAF, and other issues pertaining to the TAF that the
Prime Minister, Defense Minister or Chief of TGS may raise.
YAS meetings are always closed to media. The Council
decides which issues are to be released to the public during
each session.
3. The YAS consists of 16 members, all 14 four-star generals
and admirals, the Minister of Defense and the Prime
Minister. With the Prime Minister in the chair, the Council
is convened two times a year, in early August and on another
date determined by the Chief of TGS, to discuss promotions,
assignments, and other military issues. The YAS will make
decisions about promotions, extensions of time-in-rank and
retirements; decisions are taken with majority votes. While
the Chief of TGS will hear the views of the service chiefs
about the assignments of general and flag officers in their
respective services, he alone makes the final decision on
senior assignments.
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YAS Meetings
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4. On the first day of the YAS meeting, promotions of
lieutenant generals and vice admirals who have completed
four years of service since their last promotion are
discussed. All of the generals and admirals in the meeting
are obliged to share their opinions about each individual
being considered. After the completion of a grading system,
the two or three persons with the highest grades are
promoted. The same procedure is followed for the promotion
of colonels/navy captains, brigadier generals, major
generals and rear admirals.
5. The YAS also considers cases of expulsion for bad
conduct. In recent years, at each meeting the YAS has
decided to expel a small number of officers from the armed
services for engaging in activities the military considers
Islamic fundamentalist.
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TAF Promotion System
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6. According to the military's employment and promotion
system,
-- In the Land Forces, every four years one lieutenant
general is promoted to general, during each of the
intervening years two lieutenant generals are promoted.
-- In the Air Force, every two years one lieutenant general
is promoted to general.
-- In the Navy, every two years one vice admiral is promoted
to admiral.
There is no full general position in the Jandarma; the four-
star commander of the Jandarma is always a Land Forces
general.
7. A second lieutenant or ensign, who graduated from one of
the academies at the age of 20, can become a general or
admiral after 25 years of service. In the current system of
the Land Forces, one serves as a second lieutenant for three
years (one year for academy graduates), a first lieutenant
for 6 years, a captain for 6 years, a major for 6 years
(five for staff college graduates), and a lieutenant colonel
for 3 years. Promotions through the rank of colonel are
routine and most officers rise to that rank. Colonels are
eligible for promotion to brigadier general after six years
(five for defense university graduates); if not promoted,
they may serve as a colonel for a total of nine years. Two
one-year time-in-rank credits are possible during a career
for outstanding service. The same system applies to the Air
Force and Navy.
8. General and flag serve four years before being considered
for promotion to the next rank. If not promoted or extended
by the YAS, or assigned as a service chief or the Chief of
TGS, the officer must retire. Service chiefs are permitted
an additional two years in rank; the Chief of TGS is
permitted an additional four years in rank. Voluntary
retirement is permitted at 55 years of age; the mandatory
retirement age is 65, although it is 67 for the Chief of
TGS.
9. There are 14 4-star positions: 10 in the Land Forces, 2
in the Air Force, and 2 in the Navy.
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Possible Change in Promotion System
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10. During the `Public Quality Symposium' held at the Middle
East Technical University on June 12, 2003, TGS/J1
(personnel) Lieutenant General Hasan Igsiz stated that, in
2005, the TAF would start implementing a `human resources
management' model basing promotions on performance level
rather than service period. However, this has not yet been
implemented and we understand that the target is now 2010.
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General/Flag Officer Assignments
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11. The Chief of TGS has full authority to assign generals
and admirals other than service chiefs, although the opinion
of the relevant service chief is considered. Traditionally,
these officers serve two tours at each rank -- one in a
staff billet, the other as a commander of forces in the
field. Service chiefs are nominated by the Chief of TGS and
assigned by decree upon the signature of the Minister of
Defense, PM and President. Therefore, the Chief of TGS is
the only person who can nominate individuals for commander
positions. (Note: Under these circumstances the government
can only have a significant impact on the assignment of the
Chief of TGS, but not on the rest. End note.)
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Chief of TGS
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12. Under Turkish law, the Chief of TGS is assigned by the
decision of the Council Ministers and with the approval of
the President. The Chief of TGS is assigned for a period of
4 years or until he reaches the mandatory retirement age.
To date, all 24 Chiefs of TGS have been from the Land
Forces. Most of them were first assigned as Commander of
the First Army, and then Commander of the Land Forces before
becoming Chief of TGS.
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Expected Senior Assignments
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13. In 2006, when current Chief of TGS General Hilmi Ozkok
must retire, General Yasar Buyukanit, Commander of the Land
Forces, is expected to become Chief of TGS--although there
are rumblings that the AKP government would prefer the
popular general not get this job. Most observers believe
Deputy Chief of the TGS General Ilker Basbug will become
Commander of the First Army this year, the Commander of the
Land Forces in 2006 and Chief of TGS in 2008. (Outspoken
First Army Commander GEN Hursit Tolon is retiring this
year.) Turkish Air Forces Commander Gen. Ibrahim Firtina
and Naval Forces Commander ADM Ozlem Ornek must retire.
They are expected to be succeeded by War Academies (the
equivalent of our staff and war colleges) Gen. Faruk Comert
and Fleet Commander ADM Yener Karahanoglu respectively. A
frequently heard rumor is that TGS/J5 Lt.Gen. Aydogan
Baboglu would be promoted and replace Gen. Comert. The
names most commonly heard as possible successors to DCHOD
GEN Basbug are National Military Representative to NATO LTG
Ergin Saygun, Aegean Army Commander Sebahattin Isik Kosaner,
Fifth Corps Commander LTG Hasan Igsiz, and (less frequently)
MND U/S LTG Atila Isik.
MCELDOWNEY