Show Headers
B. ISTANBUL 505
C. ANKARA 1337
Classified By: POL Counselor Daniel O'Grady, for reasons: 1.4 (b,d)
1. (C) SUMMARY. Turkish National Police on November 21 gave
the Embassy an extensive briefing on their investigation into
Ergenekon, the shadowy group alleged to have plotted an
overthrow of the AKP government. The briefing presented a
seamless informational overview, underscoring that Ergenekon
is a vast, well-funded and well-organized network that relied
on anti-West and anti-U.S. propaganda to gain adherents from
extreme nationalistic circles. TNP briefers said the cache
of grenades discovered in an Istanbul house in 2007 was from
a manufactured series that had gone missing soon after
production. The series had been traced to numerous attacks,
which confirmed the link between them. Briefers emphasized
the key role played by former General Veli Kucuk, who they
said had personally directed several murders, as well as
former ASAM think tank head Umit Ozdag. Briefers told us
they view their case as "legally strong" and are confident
about gaining convictions, but noted the Turkish judiciary
can be unpredictable. The briefing focused on Ergenekon's
anti-U.S. tilt, which suggested TNP hopes to gain USG direct
or tacit support for their efforts. TNP is also certainly
aware that the Turkish public appears to be rapidly losing
interest in the Ergenekon trial. END SUMMARY.
2. (C) Responding to a direct LEGATT request, Turkish
National Police November 21 provided the Embassy with an
extensive briefing, complete with visual aids, on their
investigation into Ergenekon, the shadowy network that is
accused of plotting a coup against the AKP government. The
briefers emphasized that no other country has been offered
such a detailed brief. At the briefing, LEGATT was
accompanied by RA and POLCouns.
3. (C) The briefers noted that when the Ergenekon
investigation began, no one had known that it would extend
this far. It had all started with finding the cache of
grenades in the Istanbul residence in 2007. Some of the
grenades had fingerprints. The grenades were all in the same
series. They were from a package that had gone astray
somehow after being manufactured by MKEK, (the Mechanical and
Chemical Industry Corporation, the GoT-owned firm which,
among other products, produces ammunition and weapons for
Turkish forces). Grenades that had been used in several
attacks, including three used against the Cumhurriyet
newspaper, were from the same series -- so the link between
these attacks was firmly established.
4. (C) Soon afterward, the Police had discovered a huge
"arsenal" in an Eskisehir house. The extent and variety of
the arsenal made it clear that this was a "sizeable group."
All of the materiel had come from military sources. They had
also found classified reports and documents, including
proposed methods of psychological warfare agains the EU and
the Turkish Government. They had found evidence about a
bribe paid to CHP leader Baykal. They had also found
information that seemed to implicate the Neuman and Adenauer
Foundations. They had discovered photos and documents
relating to the sexual activities of former CHOD Buyukanit's
daughter.
Extreme Nationalists Recruited
------------------------------
5. (C) Ergenekon had established the Kuvayi Milliye
Association as its primary front organization, and had
recruited members from right-wing nationalist groups whose
adherents seemed appropriately extremist. It had produced
various pamphlets and books, containing assertions such as:
-- Turkish civilian governments have been "the servant of the
West throughout history";
-- Turkey has been "invaded" by foreigners and missionaries;
-- Democracy is not suitable for Turks; the Army has to
intervene;
-- Kurds are the main source of crimes in western Turkey; the
Kurdish population growth must be stopped;
-- EU and USA contacts threaten the sovereignty of the
Turkish government;
-- Turkey is under the control of minorities; actions against
Armenians are legitimate;
-- Selling lands to Brits and Germans and Israelis is an
"invasion."
6. (C) The Police briefers stated that Ergenekon had
resolved to contact various terrorist groups to advance its
ANKARA 00002041 002 OF 003
goals of fomenting chaos and instability in Turkey, and had
also proposed to establish fake terrorist organizations. Its
contacts included the Turkish Mafia; IBDA/C, which aims to
re-establish the Caliphate; Hizbuttahrir; and DHKP/C, which
"is understood" to have killed industrialist Ozdemir Sabanci
on the orders of former General Veli Kucuk. The briefers
said that Kucuk was implicated in several terrorism episodes,
including the attack on the Danistay, the murder of Hrant
Dink, and the killing of Mustafa Duyar.
7. (C) Police briefers underscored that their investigation
had also found detailed sketches on the layout of the
Constitutional Court, which included entryways that were
known only to senior judges. (NOTE: TNP has told Legatt that
the Ergenekon investigation could snare current
Constitutional Court judges as well as several active-duty
high-ranking military generals. END NOTE)
8. (C) Ergenekon is a sizeable and well-organized network,
the briefers said, with separate branches for legal work,
finances, lobbying, administration and control. Kucuk
appears to have been high in the decision-making chain.
Ergenekon had exploited the strong nationalist leanings of
some Turkish youth. The TNP had profiled one of its members,
Mustafa Bagdat, currently in a Turkish prison, and found that
he: shows fascist tendencies; has an unstable character and
is quick to use violence; believes the country is always
facing a threat from foreigners; and feeds on radical,
neo-nationalist propaganda.
Ergenekon Propaganda
-------------------
9. (C) TNP briefers pointed to two men in particular who
were instrumental in forging Ergenekon's propaganda: Umit
Ozdag, the former head of the ASAM think tank; and Erk
Yurtsever. The briefers highlighted published material which
portrayed the United States -- and Ambassadors Mark Parris
and Ross Wilson, in particular -- in insulting and
provocative terms. They noted that Ozdag had sent an
aggressive open warning to the ruling Justice and Development
Party soon after it came to power: "The armed resistance
right of the people will arise if you dare to change the
first four articles of the Constitution, even if you have 660
seats in Parliament." The TNP said they saw strong parallels
to reactionary trends in past decades in Italy (Mafia);
Greece (the Junta) and Spain (Franco).
10. (C) We pressed the briefers on whether they were
optimistic about gaining convictions. They said they view
the investigation as "legally strong," and the overall case
as solid, but that Turkish judges were sometimes
unpredictable. They pointed to a judge who, to the
consternation of the police, had found it "reasonable" when
one defendant had claimed he planned to use the grenades for
fishing.
11. (C) We also asked about the alleged connection between
Ergenekon and the PKK. The briefers replied that after the
Ergenekon arrests, they had seen a rapid increase in PKK
attacks on policemen and police stations. They had drawn the
appropriate conclusion, they said. The symbolism seemed
"clear."
12. (C) COMMENT: This briefing was more of an informational
overview then a detailed recounting of the evidence against
the Ergenekon defendants, but the TNP briefers appeared
strikingly confident that they have compiled the necessary
proof for a successful prosecution. Still, they also
appeared relatively resigned to the prospect that the Turkish
judiciary, whether manipulated or simply erratic, might prove
unconvinced. The briefing's emphasis on Ergenekon's
anti-West and anti-U.S. messages seemed designed to enlist
USG support, whether tacit or direct, of the prosecution
effort. This might reflect TNP's perception that media
coverage of the trial's various fumbles has produced a
negative impact on Turkish public opinion -- which recent
polls confirm. TNP may also be chagrined that one Ergenekon
defendant was released from prison November 18 after
languishing for 17 months behind bars, and that the recent EU
progress report criticized Ankara for its treatment of
Ergenekon suspects. In addition, the Ergenekon prosecutor's
reported weekly meetings with Prime Minister Erdogan lend
credence to allegations that political motives are behind the
investigation.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey
ANKARA 00002041 003 OF 003
SILLIMAN
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002041
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR EUR/SE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/23/2018
TAGS: PTER, PGOV, TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY: POLICE LIFT CURTAIN ON ERGENEKON PROBE
REF: A. ANKARA 1701
B. ISTANBUL 505
C. ANKARA 1337
Classified By: POL Counselor Daniel O'Grady, for reasons: 1.4 (b,d)
1. (C) SUMMARY. Turkish National Police on November 21 gave
the Embassy an extensive briefing on their investigation into
Ergenekon, the shadowy group alleged to have plotted an
overthrow of the AKP government. The briefing presented a
seamless informational overview, underscoring that Ergenekon
is a vast, well-funded and well-organized network that relied
on anti-West and anti-U.S. propaganda to gain adherents from
extreme nationalistic circles. TNP briefers said the cache
of grenades discovered in an Istanbul house in 2007 was from
a manufactured series that had gone missing soon after
production. The series had been traced to numerous attacks,
which confirmed the link between them. Briefers emphasized
the key role played by former General Veli Kucuk, who they
said had personally directed several murders, as well as
former ASAM think tank head Umit Ozdag. Briefers told us
they view their case as "legally strong" and are confident
about gaining convictions, but noted the Turkish judiciary
can be unpredictable. The briefing focused on Ergenekon's
anti-U.S. tilt, which suggested TNP hopes to gain USG direct
or tacit support for their efforts. TNP is also certainly
aware that the Turkish public appears to be rapidly losing
interest in the Ergenekon trial. END SUMMARY.
2. (C) Responding to a direct LEGATT request, Turkish
National Police November 21 provided the Embassy with an
extensive briefing, complete with visual aids, on their
investigation into Ergenekon, the shadowy network that is
accused of plotting a coup against the AKP government. The
briefers emphasized that no other country has been offered
such a detailed brief. At the briefing, LEGATT was
accompanied by RA and POLCouns.
3. (C) The briefers noted that when the Ergenekon
investigation began, no one had known that it would extend
this far. It had all started with finding the cache of
grenades in the Istanbul residence in 2007. Some of the
grenades had fingerprints. The grenades were all in the same
series. They were from a package that had gone astray
somehow after being manufactured by MKEK, (the Mechanical and
Chemical Industry Corporation, the GoT-owned firm which,
among other products, produces ammunition and weapons for
Turkish forces). Grenades that had been used in several
attacks, including three used against the Cumhurriyet
newspaper, were from the same series -- so the link between
these attacks was firmly established.
4. (C) Soon afterward, the Police had discovered a huge
"arsenal" in an Eskisehir house. The extent and variety of
the arsenal made it clear that this was a "sizeable group."
All of the materiel had come from military sources. They had
also found classified reports and documents, including
proposed methods of psychological warfare agains the EU and
the Turkish Government. They had found evidence about a
bribe paid to CHP leader Baykal. They had also found
information that seemed to implicate the Neuman and Adenauer
Foundations. They had discovered photos and documents
relating to the sexual activities of former CHOD Buyukanit's
daughter.
Extreme Nationalists Recruited
------------------------------
5. (C) Ergenekon had established the Kuvayi Milliye
Association as its primary front organization, and had
recruited members from right-wing nationalist groups whose
adherents seemed appropriately extremist. It had produced
various pamphlets and books, containing assertions such as:
-- Turkish civilian governments have been "the servant of the
West throughout history";
-- Turkey has been "invaded" by foreigners and missionaries;
-- Democracy is not suitable for Turks; the Army has to
intervene;
-- Kurds are the main source of crimes in western Turkey; the
Kurdish population growth must be stopped;
-- EU and USA contacts threaten the sovereignty of the
Turkish government;
-- Turkey is under the control of minorities; actions against
Armenians are legitimate;
-- Selling lands to Brits and Germans and Israelis is an
"invasion."
6. (C) The Police briefers stated that Ergenekon had
resolved to contact various terrorist groups to advance its
ANKARA 00002041 002 OF 003
goals of fomenting chaos and instability in Turkey, and had
also proposed to establish fake terrorist organizations. Its
contacts included the Turkish Mafia; IBDA/C, which aims to
re-establish the Caliphate; Hizbuttahrir; and DHKP/C, which
"is understood" to have killed industrialist Ozdemir Sabanci
on the orders of former General Veli Kucuk. The briefers
said that Kucuk was implicated in several terrorism episodes,
including the attack on the Danistay, the murder of Hrant
Dink, and the killing of Mustafa Duyar.
7. (C) Police briefers underscored that their investigation
had also found detailed sketches on the layout of the
Constitutional Court, which included entryways that were
known only to senior judges. (NOTE: TNP has told Legatt that
the Ergenekon investigation could snare current
Constitutional Court judges as well as several active-duty
high-ranking military generals. END NOTE)
8. (C) Ergenekon is a sizeable and well-organized network,
the briefers said, with separate branches for legal work,
finances, lobbying, administration and control. Kucuk
appears to have been high in the decision-making chain.
Ergenekon had exploited the strong nationalist leanings of
some Turkish youth. The TNP had profiled one of its members,
Mustafa Bagdat, currently in a Turkish prison, and found that
he: shows fascist tendencies; has an unstable character and
is quick to use violence; believes the country is always
facing a threat from foreigners; and feeds on radical,
neo-nationalist propaganda.
Ergenekon Propaganda
-------------------
9. (C) TNP briefers pointed to two men in particular who
were instrumental in forging Ergenekon's propaganda: Umit
Ozdag, the former head of the ASAM think tank; and Erk
Yurtsever. The briefers highlighted published material which
portrayed the United States -- and Ambassadors Mark Parris
and Ross Wilson, in particular -- in insulting and
provocative terms. They noted that Ozdag had sent an
aggressive open warning to the ruling Justice and Development
Party soon after it came to power: "The armed resistance
right of the people will arise if you dare to change the
first four articles of the Constitution, even if you have 660
seats in Parliament." The TNP said they saw strong parallels
to reactionary trends in past decades in Italy (Mafia);
Greece (the Junta) and Spain (Franco).
10. (C) We pressed the briefers on whether they were
optimistic about gaining convictions. They said they view
the investigation as "legally strong," and the overall case
as solid, but that Turkish judges were sometimes
unpredictable. They pointed to a judge who, to the
consternation of the police, had found it "reasonable" when
one defendant had claimed he planned to use the grenades for
fishing.
11. (C) We also asked about the alleged connection between
Ergenekon and the PKK. The briefers replied that after the
Ergenekon arrests, they had seen a rapid increase in PKK
attacks on policemen and police stations. They had drawn the
appropriate conclusion, they said. The symbolism seemed
"clear."
12. (C) COMMENT: This briefing was more of an informational
overview then a detailed recounting of the evidence against
the Ergenekon defendants, but the TNP briefers appeared
strikingly confident that they have compiled the necessary
proof for a successful prosecution. Still, they also
appeared relatively resigned to the prospect that the Turkish
judiciary, whether manipulated or simply erratic, might prove
unconvinced. The briefing's emphasis on Ergenekon's
anti-West and anti-U.S. messages seemed designed to enlist
USG support, whether tacit or direct, of the prosecution
effort. This might reflect TNP's perception that media
coverage of the trial's various fumbles has produced a
negative impact on Turkish public opinion -- which recent
polls confirm. TNP may also be chagrined that one Ergenekon
defendant was released from prison November 18 after
languishing for 17 months behind bars, and that the recent EU
progress report criticized Ankara for its treatment of
Ergenekon suspects. In addition, the Ergenekon prosecutor's
reported weekly meetings with Prime Minister Erdogan lend
credence to allegations that political motives are behind the
investigation.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey
ANKARA 00002041 003 OF 003
SILLIMAN
VZCZCXRO8240
OO RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHAK #2041/01 3291548
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 241548Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8110
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 1356
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL PRIORITY 5076
You can use this tool to generate a print-friendly PDF of the document 08ANKARA2041_a.