

Currently released so far... 6239 / 251,287
Articles
Browse latest releases
2010/12/01
2010/12/02
2010/12/03
2010/12/04
2010/12/05
2010/12/06
2010/12/07
2010/12/08
2010/12/09
2010/12/10
2010/12/11
2010/12/12
2010/12/13
2010/12/14
2010/12/15
2010/12/16
2010/12/17
2010/12/18
2010/12/19
2010/12/20
2010/12/21
2010/12/22
2010/12/23
2010/12/24
2010/12/25
2010/12/26
2010/12/27
2010/12/28
2010/12/29
2010/12/30
2011/01/01
2011/01/02
2011/01/04
2011/01/05
2011/01/07
2011/01/09
2011/01/10
2011/01/11
2011/01/12
2011/01/13
2011/01/14
2011/01/15
2011/01/16
2011/01/17
2011/01/18
2011/01/19
2011/01/20
2011/01/21
2011/01/22
2011/01/23
2011/01/24
2011/01/25
2011/01/26
2011/01/27
2011/01/28
2011/01/29
2011/01/30
2011/01/31
2011/02/01
2011/02/02
2011/02/03
2011/02/04
2011/02/05
2011/02/06
2011/02/07
2011/02/08
2011/02/09
2011/02/10
2011/02/11
2011/02/12
2011/02/13
2011/02/14
2011/02/15
2011/02/16
2011/02/17
2011/02/18
2011/02/19
2011/02/20
2011/02/21
2011/02/22
2011/02/23
2011/02/24
2011/02/25
2011/02/26
2011/02/27
2011/02/28
2011/03/01
2011/03/02
2011/03/03
2011/03/04
2011/03/05
2011/03/06
2011/03/07
2011/03/08
2011/03/09
2011/03/10
2011/03/11
2011/03/13
2011/03/14
2011/03/15
2011/03/16
2011/03/17
2011/03/18
2011/03/19
2011/03/20
2011/03/21
2011/03/22
Browse by creation date
Browse by origin
Embassy Athens
Embassy Asuncion
Embassy Astana
Embassy Asmara
Embassy Ashgabat
Embassy Ankara
Embassy Amman
Embassy Algiers
Embassy Addis Ababa
Embassy Accra
Embassy Abuja
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Embassy Abidjan
Consulate Amsterdam
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura
Embassy Buenos Aires
Embassy Budapest
Embassy Bucharest
Embassy Brussels
Embassy Bridgetown
Embassy Bratislava
Embassy Brasilia
Embassy Bogota
Embassy Bishkek
Embassy Bern
Embassy Berlin
Embassy Belgrade
Embassy Beirut
Embassy Beijing
Embassy Banjul
Embassy Bangkok
Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan
Embassy Bamako
Embassy Baku
Embassy Baghdad
Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen
Embassy Conakry
Embassy Colombo
Embassy Chisinau
Embassy Caracas
Embassy Canberra
Embassy Cairo
Consulate Curacao
Consulate Ciudad Juarez
Consulate Chennai
Consulate Casablanca
Consulate Cape Town
Embassy Dushanbe
Embassy Dublin
Embassy Doha
Embassy Djibouti
Embassy Dhaka
Embassy Dar Es Salaam
Embassy Damascus
Embassy Dakar
Consulate Dubai
Embassy Kyiv
Embassy Kuwait
Embassy Kuala Lumpur
Embassy Kinshasa
Embassy Kigali
Embassy Khartoum
Embassy Kathmandu
Embassy Kampala
Embassy Kabul
Consulate Kolkata
Embassy Luxembourg
Embassy Luanda
Embassy London
Embassy Ljubljana
Embassy Lisbon
Embassy Lima
Embassy Lilongwe
Embassy La Paz
Consulate Lagos
Mission USNATO
Embassy Muscat
Embassy Moscow
Embassy Montevideo
Embassy Monrovia
Embassy Minsk
Embassy Mexico
Embassy Mbabane
Embassy Maputo
Embassy Manama
Embassy Managua
Embassy Malabo
Embassy Madrid
Consulate Munich
Consulate Mumbai
Consulate Montreal
Consulate Monterrey
Consulate Milan
Embassy Pristina
Embassy Pretoria
Embassy Prague
Embassy Port Au Prince
Embassy Phnom Penh
Embassy Paris
Embassy Paramaribo
Embassy Panama
Consulate Peshawar
REO Basrah
Embassy Rome
Embassy Riyadh
Embassy Riga
Embassy Reykjavik
Embassy Rangoon
Embassy Rabat
Consulate Rio De Janeiro
Consulate Recife
Secretary of State
Embassy Stockholm
Embassy Sofia
Embassy Skopje
Embassy Singapore
Embassy Seoul
Embassy Sarajevo
Embassy Santo Domingo
Embassy Santiago
Embassy Sanaa
Embassy San Salvador
Embassy San Jose
Consulate Strasbourg
Consulate Shenyang
Consulate Shanghai
Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis
Embassy Tripoli
Embassy Tokyo
Embassy The Hague
Embassy Tel Aviv
Embassy Tehran
Embassy Tegucigalpa
Embassy Tbilisi
Embassy Tashkent
Embassy Tallinn
Consulate Tijuana
USUN New York
USEU Brussels
US Mission Geneva
US Interests Section Havana
US Delegation, Secretary
UNVIE
Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Browse by tag
ASEC
AU
AORC
AF
AM
AFIN
AEMR
AR
ASIG
AMGT
AG
APER
AL
ABLD
ASUP
AA
ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG
AE
AMED
AS
AGMT
APECO
AO
AFFAIRS
AJ
ACOA
AX
AROC
ATFN
ASEAN
AFGHANISTAN
ADCO
AFU
AER
ALOW
AODE
ABUD
ATRN
AID
AC
AVERY
APCS
CASC
CJAN
CVIS
CS
COUNTER
CD
CU
CI
CO
CG
CE
CA
CMGT
CH
CWC
CBW
CKGR
CR
CN
CPAS
CONS
CDG
CLINTON
CT
CJUS
CY
CV
COUNTERTERRORISM
CIA
CACM
CDB
CAN
COE
CM
COUNTRY
CLEARANCE
CACS
CF
CONDOLEEZZA
CARSON
CL
CIS
CODEL
CTM
CB
COM
ECON
EFIN
ETRD
EAIR
EAID
ET
EFIS
ENRG
EPET
ETTC
ER
EG
EINV
EAGR
ELAB
EUN
EWWT
ENGR
EMIN
ECIN
ENIV
ES
EC
ECPS
EIND
EI
EU
ENVI
ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS
ELTN
EZ
EINT
ELN
EUR
EUNCH
EN
EINVECONSENVCSJA
ELECTIONS
EINVEFIN
ENNP
ECUN
EXTERNAL
EK
EFINECONCS
ECINECONCS
ECIP
EINDETRD
EUC
EREL
ENVR
ECA
ENERG
ENGY
ETRO
EFTA
ECONCS
ECONOMICS
ECONEFIN
EINVETC
EINN
ESA
ETC
ETRDEINVTINTCS
ESENV
ETRDECONWTOCS
IR
IZ
IWC
IC
ILC
IO
IAEA
IN
IS
IT
ICRC
INTELSAT
ILO
IBRD
IMF
ICAO
IMO
ITALY
ITALIAN
IRAQI
ITRA
ISRAELI
ICJ
IACI
INTERPOL
ID
IV
ICTY
IQ
IPR
INRB
ITPHUM
IIP
IL
IA
INR
ITPGOV
IZPREL
IRC
INRA
INRO
IRAJ
IEFIN
IF
KE
KCRM
KDRG
KIPR
KCOR
KSCA
KBIO
KDEM
KMCA
KMPI
KNNP
KJUS
KOMC
KGHG
KSUM
KSTC
KIRF
KTIP
KWMN
KZ
KG
KTFN
KHLS
KPAO
KFRD
KTIA
KOLY
KCFE
KISL
KFLU
KPKO
KWBG
KTBT
KTDB
KOCI
KUNR
KAWK
KICC
KPAL
KSTH
KN
KS
KGIC
KNPP
KWAC
KMDR
KAWC
KBCT
KIDE
KFLO
KWMNCS
KSEP
KU
KNEI
KVPR
KACT
KRAD
KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KCIP
KSAF
KV
KSPR
KPRP
KFSC
KCRS
KR
KRFD
KX
KO
KPWR
KMIG
KSEC
KIFR
KDEMAF
KFIN
KGCC
KPIN
KHIV
KPLS
KIRC
KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KGIT
KBTS
KPRV
KBTR
KERG
KWMM
KRVC
KNSD
KVIR
KNUP
KTER
KDDG
KHSA
KMRS
KHDP
KTLA
KPAK
KNAR
KREL
KPAI
KTEX
KCOM
KNNPMNUC
KPOA
KLIG
KHUM
KDEV
KNUC
KCFC
KREC
KOMS
KWWMN
MASS
MP
MARR
MOPS
MNUC
MX
MO
MCAP
MY
ML
MU
MIL
MC
MTRE
MA
MD
MTCRE
MEPI
MAR
MRCRE
MR
MV
MPOS
MZ
MEPP
MOPPS
MAPP
MASC
MT
MERCOSUR
MK
MDC
MI
MAPS
MCC
MASSMNUC
MQADHAFI
MUCN
MTCR
MG
OVIP
OREP
OTRA
OSCE
OECD
OIIP
OEXC
OPCW
OPIC
OPDC
OPRC
ODIP
OVP
OSCI
OAS
OFDP
OTR
OSAC
OIC
OFFICIALS
OIE
PREL
PGOV
PHUM
PTER
PE
PINR
PINS
PARMS
PARM
PHSA
PA
PK
PBTS
PO
PREF
POL
PLN
POLITICS
PROP
PL
PM
PAO
PSI
PG
PEPR
POV
PALESTINIAN
PINT
PSOE
PU
POLITICAL
PARTIES
PBIO
PECON
PAK
POGOV
PINL
PKFK
PMIL
PY
PFOR
PHALANAGE
PARTY
PRAM
PMAR
PGOVLO
PUNE
PORG
PHUMPREL
PF
POLINT
PHUS
PGOC
PNR
PGGV
PNAT
PGOVE
PRGOV
PRL
PROV
PTERE
PGOF
PHUMBA
PINF
PEL
SNAR
SO
SENV
SU
SCUL
SOCI
SP
SC
SA
SMIG
SAN
SZ
SW
SN
SY
SR
SL
SEVN
SF
SYR
SI
SG
STEINBERG
SIPRS
SH
SNARCS
SOFA
SANC
SHUM
SK
ST
TERRORISM
TRGY
TZ
TX
TBIO
TSPA
TS
TSPL
TW
TU
TD
TIP
TURKEY
TP
TI
TC
TPHY
TH
TO
TK
TNGD
TINT
TRSY
TR
TFIN
TT
UG
UK
UP
UNGA
UNHRC
UZ
UN
UNAUS
USTR
UNSC
US
UNEP
UY
UNESCO
USUN
UNHCR
UAE
UNMIK
USEU
UV
UNO
UNDP
UNCHS
UNVIE
UNCHC
UE
UNDESCO
USAID
UNDC
Browse by classification
Community resources
courage is contagious
Viewing cable 08ANKARA1337, ERGENEKON INDICTMENT STILL MURKY BUT PROCESS ALONE
If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #08ANKARA1337.
Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin |
---|---|---|---|---|
08ANKARA1337 | 2008-07-25 13:01 | 2011-03-19 15:03 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Ankara |
VZCZCXRO6236
PP RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHAK #1337/01 2071342
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 251342Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6952
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 1288
RHMFISS/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE
RUEHAK/USDAO ANKARA TU
RUEUITH/TLO ANKARA TU
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J-3/J-5//
RHMFISS/39ABG CP INCIRLIK AB TU
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/425ABG IZMIR TU//CC//
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001337
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/15/2018
TAGS: PGOV PINS PREL TU
SUBJECT: ERGENEKON INDICTMENT STILL MURKY BUT PROCESS ALONE
IS SIGNIFICANT
REF: A. ISTANBUL 380
¶B. ANKARA 1217
¶C. 07 ANKARA 1112
¶D. ANKARA 502
¶E. ANKARA 213
Classified By: Ambassador Ross Wilson for reasons 1.4(b,d)
¶1. (C) SUMMARY. Istanbul's Heavy Penal Court decided July
25 to accept the indictment filed in the Ergenekon case and
proceed to prosecution (ref A). The 2,500 page indictment
has clarified little about the case. Some Turks see the
indictment as a courageous step toward bringing Turkey's
state and society under the rule of law, purging corrupt
elements and laying the groundwork for greater public
accountability. Others see a politically manipulated
investigation targeting opponents of the ruling Justice and
Development Party (AKP) and designed to protect AKP from
closure (ref B). An additional 26 suspects were detained
July 23. Whatever the outcome, the unprecedented arrest of
senior retired military officers accused of serious crimes
against the government -- and the military's acquiescence --
may play an important role in deterring future coup plotters
and weaken the iron grip of traditional "Deep State" elites
on Turkey's state institutions. END SUMMARY.
Initial Reactions: Hope and Dismissiveness
------------------------------------------
¶2. (C) The media's portrayal of the Ergenekon case as a
Kemalists-versus-AKP battle distracts from the
investigation's significance as a judicial effort to tackle
one of Turkey's untouchable subjects by exposing an alleged
crime network with military links. Some liberal contacts
hope the case represents a "Clean Hands" process that will
hold the traditional state elites accountable for their
conduct. Former Ozal-era State Minister Hasan Celal Guzel
calls Ergenekon the most important case in the Republic's
history because the judiciary is questioning whether the
military may act with the impunity it has enjoyed in the
past. Ankara University professor Baskin Oran argues that
for the first time, people may be tried for planning a coup
and the implicit immunity of the generals may be lifted.
¶3. (SBU) Arrayed against the prosecutor's efforts is a
variety of status quo interests, many unwilling to concede
that "patriotic" retired generals may have gone too far.
Eray Akdag of TUSIAD (Turkish Businessmen's and
Industrialists Association) emphasized to us his doubts about
the substance of the indictment. Other critics focused on
the lack of due process in holding suspects without charge
for extended periods, and ridiculed the twenty "secret"
witnesses cited in support of the allegations and the vague
ties to other unsolved crimes. Some opponents accuse the
prosecutor of redefining "terrorism" to make the Ergenekon
charges fit that crime (ref A). A Republican People's Party
(CHP) statement belittled the indictment, saying the
"mountain gave birth to a mouse." CHP's Atilla Kart accused
the government of interfering in the legal process and using
"politicized law enforcement" (i.e. the Turkish National
Police) against its opponents.
¶4. (SBU) Despite the heated debate and an additional 26
arrests on July 23, the country remains calm. Ayhan Bilgen,
former chairman of human rights NGO Mazlum-Der, told us he
believes social pressure is necessary to stiffen the resolve
of the judiciary to examine those with powerful state
connections but sees no potential for civilian unrest.
Rallies calling for respect for democracy and a new
constitution drew tens of thousands in Bursa, Samsun and
Malatya; Hak-Is labor President Salim Uslu addressed the
crowd in Bursa, which was allowed to carry only Turkish
flags. Another, organized by anti-coup political parties and
NGOs, is planned for July 26 in Ankara. In response, the
Ataturkist Thought Association (ADD) held an "Ataturk and
Democracy" rally in Kadikoy (Istanbul). ADD Vice Chairman
Professor Sina Aksin calls the Ergenekon case an effort to
pressure Ataturkist people; Turkey Youth Union founding
president Adnan Turkkan claims the case was "patented by the
US." Turkish Academics' Association president contends the
ANKARA 00001337 002 OF 003
indictment's real goal is "to erase Mustafa Kemal Ataturk
from history." Rallies nominally "in support of the
judiciary" touted by ultra-nationalist media figure Tuncay
Ozkan have attracted extremely low turnout; the July 7
kickoff events drew only a few hundred people.
A Chance for Accountability?
----------------------------
¶5. (C) The case targets what many liberals describe as the
most concrete manifestation of Turkey's "Deep State" in
recent years, and seeks to link the Ergenekon gang to
specific crimes, some going back more than a decade. The
indictment reportedly contains evidence linking Ergenekon to
the 2006 attack on the High Administrative Court (Danistay)
which killed one judge and wounded others, renewing questions
surrounding the convicted shooter, a disgruntled Islamist
lawyer. Former Mayor of Diyarbakir's Sur municipality
Abdullah Demirtas told us the indictment could also shed
light on unsolved incidents such as Susurluk and Semdinli,
which pointed to murky ties between members of the state
establishment and criminals. Both cases evaporated without
serious legal consequences for those allegedly involved.
¶6. (C) Many hope that legal and public scrutiny of the
Ergenekon crimes will open much-needed opportunities for
greater transparency and democracy. Turkey's recent
economic, social and political changes are shifting the power
balance away from an entrenched elite resistant to change.
The fact the military acquiesced to the arrest of two retired
four-star generals is in itself important. Former MP Nazli
Ilicak cautioned that formal institutional change remains a
necessary step: as long as the military has the duty of
protecting and guarding the Republic, Turkey will not be able
to prevent the next Ergenekon-style interference. Ankara
University Professor Tayfun Altay told us he wishes Turkey
could carry out a more orderly and decent process of
democratization. The Ergenekon precedent could ultimately
raise public demand for greater accountability by the ruling
AKP concerning dubious public financing, sales and tenders,
inappropriate government pressure and questionable enrichment
of party members.
Hurdles Along the Way
---------------------
¶7. (C) Significant challenges will undercut the prosecutor's
ability to see this case through. The arrests of prominent
individuals show the alleged gang may extend high into elite
institutions. Samil Tayyar, author of "Operation Ergenekon"
and other books on the Deep State, claims there are three top
witnesses in the case whose yet-to-be-revealed involvement
would shock the nation. With charges of terrorism,
incitement to uprising, and political assassination, the
stakes for the accused -- and the judiciary -- are high. The
prosecutor reportedly has received threats and key witnesses
are likely at risk. Tayyar said he too has had death threats
since publishing his Ergenekon book, and now receives police
protection. Professor Baskin Oran worries there will be
disputes over whether military or civilian courts have
jurisdiction; this and other technicalities may cause the
case to drag on for years without a clear-cut result, as in
previous investigations.
¶8. (C) The biggest obstacle may be inertia. The Ergenekon
case will be tried in a judicial system that views defense of
the Kemalist order as its paramount mission, above and beyond
the written law (refs C-E). Previous bold prosecutors who
have looked too closely into the state's dirty laundry have
found themselves sidelined or disbarred. The Istanbul public
prosecutor's resolve, critical to getting the case this far,
will need to remain strong as the investigation proceeds.
His reportedly "frequent" meetings with Prime Minister
Erdogan have played a role in keeping the case alive, but
have left both the prosecutor and the charges against
Ergenekon open to allegations of political manipulation.
¶9. (C) By arguing in the indictment that Ergenekon members
disingenuously used Ataturk's Kemalist principles as a guise
for retaining power, the prosecutor is trying to persuade
patriotic Turks the suspects are subversive criminals rather
ANKARA 00001337 003 OF 003
than national heroes. He will need an iron-clad case to make
the charges stick but the case has already had some effect.
A senior AKP journalist predicts that while the evidence may
not support convictions, a clear political signal has been
sent that such anti-democratic behavior is no longer
acceptable. Perhaps this will be the case.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey
WILSON