Cablegate: Five Years Waiting in the Wings: Children's Law Signed

VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAK #2888 3380951
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 040951Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 4537

UNCLAS ANKARA 002888

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR CA/OCS/CI

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CASC PGOV PREL TU
SUBJECT: FIVE YEARS WAITING IN THE WINGS: CHILDREN'S LAW SIGNED
INTO TURKISH LAW

1. Turkish President Gul on December 1 signed into law the
"Children's Law" which includes language implementing the Hague
Convention on International Child Abduction. The Turkish Parliament
passed the law on November 22.

2. This marks the successful culmination of a five-year effort by
post, spanning the terms of three U.S. Ambassadors, to get this
legislation enacted. An especially concerted push for passage of
the law occurred this past spring: Consular Affairs Assistant
Secretary Maura Harty visited Turkey and made a series of calls on

SIPDIS
government officials to urge action, the Ambassador held a dinner
focused on the Hague Convention for selected parliamentarians, and
Embassy officers met on two occasions with governing Justice and
Development Party (AKP) whips.

3. The legislation will be particularly helpful to law enforcement
officials here. In the past, they have been hamstrung by Turkish
domestic law that makes execution of court orders very
time-consuming. With the new legislation, police officers now have
the authority to immediately execute court orders and take custody
of the abducted child even in the absence of an abducting parent.
WILSON

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