Turkish daily Hurriyet reports that a bunker has been built in Ankara to protect Turkey’s top brass against nuclear, chemical and biological weapons in the event of war.
Even though the report doesn’t provide any information over the source of the threat, routine statements by US and Turkey’s top officials make abundantly clear that the country in question is Iran. The fact remains that hardly anyone in Turkey sees Iran as a threat.
Hurriyet, 26 December 2010
Turkish daily: Bunker to shelter Turkey’s top brass in the event of a nuclear war
[propaganda alert]
28 December 2010
1) Turkish daily: Bunker to shelter Turkey’s top brass in the event of a nuclear war (26 December 2010)
2) Foreign Minister Davutoglu: Turkey is emphatically against a nuclear-armed Iran (25 December 2010)
3) President Obama: Turkey shares the goal of preventing a nuclear-armed Iran (19 December 2010)
from the archives:
4) US official: Turkey plays an important role as an ally at the front line of ballistic missile threats (12 October 2010)
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Hurriyet [daily] has taken pictures of a bunker built in Ankara to protect [Turkey’s] top brass against nuclear, chemical and biological weapons in the event of war.
The bunker will protect first and foremost the President [Gul], the Prime Minister [Erdogan] and the Chief of Staff [i.e. the head of Turkey’s armed forces General Kosaner], as well as all the other state officials who shall be involved in the war command. In the event of a nationwide mobilization, the bunker shall have the technological infrastructure to convert into a war command center.
The underground bunker is located near the center of Ankara, some meters below a hill covered in grass with planted trees. The bunker shall protect the people inside against chemical and biological warfare agents as well as nuclear weapons.
[excerpt from the Turkish daily Hurriyet, 25 December 2010] [1]
“We are emphatically against a nuclear-armed Iran”
[Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, press conference, Conrad Hotel, Istanbul, 25 December 2010] [2]
“Notwithstanding our differences about tactics, I firmly believe Turkey shares the goal of preventing a nuclear-armed Iran”
[US President Barack Obama, e-mail interview with the Turkish daily Hurriyet, 19 December 2010] [3]
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from the archives:
“In the context of the [Obama administration’s] phased adaptive approach [to ballistic missile defense in Europe], Turkey plays an important role […] because of its geographic location. And as we look at where the ballistic missile threats can come from, Turkey seems to us to be very much along the front lines.”
[U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for European and NATO Policy Jim Townsend JR., briefing on the upcoming NATO Ministerial Meetings in Brussels, Washington Foreign Press Center, Washington, D.C., 12 October 2010] [4]
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notes:
[1] [Note: This excerpt has been translated from Turkish by Cem Ertür]
Baskomutanlik Siginagi [Bunker for the High Command]
by Umit Cetin, Hurriyet, 26 December 2010
http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/16619804_p.asp
[2] [Note: This quote has been translated from Turkish by Cem Ertür]
Israil ile baristan yanayiz [We are in favour of making peace with Israel]
Anadolu Ajansi, 25 December 2010
http://www.aa.com.tr/tr/israil-ile-baristan-yanayiz.html
[3] Obama: US- Turkish ties ‘more important than ever’
Jerusalem Post, 19 December 2010
http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?ID=200120&R=R1
[4] U.S. official on upcoming NATO ministerial meetings in Brussels
America.gov website, 12 October 2010
http://www.america.gov/st/texttrans-english/2010/October/20101013120518su0.9436718.html?CP.rss=true
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related links:
President Gul: NATO missile plan is in line with our expectations
Dandelion Salad, 21 November 2010
http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2010/11/21/president-gul-nato-missile-plan-is-in-line-with-our-expectations/
US: Turkey plays an important role as an ally at the front line of ballistic missile threats
Dandelion Salad, 17 October 2010
http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2010/10/17/us-turkey-plays-an-important-role-as-an-ally-at-the-front-line-of-ballistic-missile-threats/
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