Cablegate: Turkey: Pol-Mil Round-Up, September 2005

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 006315

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: MARR MOPS PREL PTER TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY: POL-MIL ROUND-UP, SEPTEMBER 2005

REFERENCE: A) ANKARA 3892, B) 2004 ANKARA 6000

(Note: This is one of the regular series of unclassified
reports on significant Turkish defense and national security
issues in the press and other open sources. We welcome
feedback on whether these reports are useful. End note)

Contents
--------

-- 7th International Defense Industry Fair in Ankara
-- Turkey's Security Relations with Other Countries
-- Defense Industry Activity

7th International Defense Industry Fair in Ankara
--------------------------------------------- ---

1. The 7th International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF - the
bi-annual Turkish defense fair) was held on September 27-30
in Ankara. Four hundred thirty-one companies from 52
countries participated in the fair. Twenty-one American
companies had stands in IDEF: Boeing, Bren-Tronics, CPS,
EOTECH, Harris Corp, Herley Industries, Hoover Industries,
KVH Industries, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon,
Rockwell Collins, Symetrics Industries, Tooele Army Depot,
United Technologies, Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky and American
Turkish Council (ATC). Companies from Bangladesh, Chile,
Egypt, Finland, Greece, India, Iran, Ireland, Jordan,
Scotland, South Africa, South Korea and Tatarstan
participated in the IDEF for the first time. Many high
level officials from different countries visited IDEF,
including 8 defense ministers (Azerbaijan, Moldova, UK,
Italy, Congo, Pakistan, Morocco and Chile), 4 deputy defense
ministers (Bosnia, Malaysia, Ukraine and Greece), 3 Chiefs
of General Staff (Qatar, Kyrgyzstan and Moldova) and 4
undersecretaries (Germany, Croatia, Pakistan and Italy).
Turkish Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul received official and
unofficial visitors in an office dedicated to him in the
fair area during the course of IDEF.

2. Turkish Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM)
signed contracts with total value of close to 1 billion USD
during IDEF. American companies signed the following
contracts:

- Northrop Grumman Corp signed a cooperation agreement of
$820K with the Turkish Kalekalip Defense Aviation company
for the production of MESA radar and integral identification
and IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) by Kalekalip.
- Northrop Grumman signed a contract with Turkish Mikes for
the production of power-conditioning electronics for the
early design phases of Northrop Grumman's CNI avionics
system (Communications, Navigations and Identification.)
- Pratt and Whitney and Turkish Alp Aviation signed a
contract for the purchase of components for the F-135 engine
in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).
- Pratt and Whitney and Kalekalip Defense Aviation signed a
purchase order for critical hardware of the F135 engine for
the JSF.
- Turkish Hema Industry signed a cooperation agreement with
CPS, Textron, the Finish Patria and British Horstman.
- Colt Defense signed a contract with the Turkish Sarsilmaz
Co to produce M4 infantry weapons in Duzce/Turkey.

3. Eurofighter used IDEF to further its campaign to convince
Turkey to select the Typhoon in place of/in addition to the
F35 JSF as part of the Turkish Air Forces modernization
program. At a Sept. 26 press conference, Giovanni Bertolone
(Alenia Aeronautic CEO) confirmed an invitation to Turkey to
become the 5th Eurofighter partner for the manufacture of
parts for the aircraft and for the development of new
technologies.

Turkey's Security Relations with Other Countries
--------------------------------------------- ---

4. Congo: Turkey and the Republic of the Congo signed on
Sept. 28 a "Framework Agreement on Military Training,
Technical & Scientific Cooperation" and an "Agreement on
Military Training". Turkey has signed similar agreements
with 46 countries.
5. South Korea: Turkish Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul met
with South Korea's National Defense Minister Kwang-Woong
Yoon on September 2 (The semi-governmental Anatolian News
Agency).
6. Albania: Turkey signed an agreement on TAF assistance to
the Albanian Army on September 6. As reported by the
Anatolian News Agency in late September, Turkey donated
military equipment and supplies worth 1.3 million USD to the
Albanian Army.

7. Netherlands: TGS CHOD General Hilmi Ozkok met with Dutch
Defense Chief of Staff General Dick Berlijn in Ankara on
September 21. No information on the subject of their
meeting was made public.

8. Chile: On the occasion of the Chilean Defense Minister's
visit to IDEF, Turkey and Chile signed an agreement to open
military attach offices in both countries. Turkey will
also start training Chilean F16 pilots in 2006 (The English
News Anatolian).

Defense Industry Activity
-------------------------

9. Sikorsky's Vice President Joseph Gigantelli stated that
Sikorsky considers Turkey an anchor country for Black Hawk
helicopters. Indicating that Sikorsky intends to bid on the
52 helicopter tender (32 for the Turkish Armed Forces and 20
for the Forestry Service) announced by the Undersecretariat
for Defense Industries (SSM), Gigantelli suggested that, if
Sikorsky wins the tender, it would launch joint production
of the Black Hawk helicopters in Turkey together with the
Turkish company TAI (Tusas Aerospace Industries)(center-left
daily Radikal).

10. Aselsan signed a USD 500K contract with TAF (Turkish
Armed Forces) for the manufacture of electronic war systems
for 281 helicopters and 2 cargo planes in the TAF's
inventory. (centrist daily Milliyet).

11. Roketsan's General Manager Huseyin Baysak announced that
Roketsan has developed the capability to produce all types
of long-range missiles. Roketsan was the first company to
provide TAF with long-range anti-tank missiles and is
developing long-range plans to provide the full range of
missiles to the TAF (leftist daily Cumhuriyet).

12. Aselsan obtained a certificate of proficiency for its
`Volkan protection system,' which was developed for
electronic modernization of the TAF-owned Leopard-1 tanks
(leftist daily Cumhuriyet).

13. TAI signed two protocols with SSM for `Conceptual Design
Studies toward Development of a Primary and Basic Training
Aircraft' and `Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Platform
Development'.

MCELDOWNEY

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