INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Exbs: Turkey Advisors Monthly Report- (May 2008)

Published: Tue 10 Jun 2008 08:49 AM
VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB
DE RUEHAK #1068/01 1620849
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 100849Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6519
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RULSJGA/COMDT COGUARD WASHDC
RUEAORC/US CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION WASHINGTON DC
INFO RUCNEXC/EXPORT CONTROL AND RELATED BORDER SECURITY
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JCS WASHDC
UNCLAS ANKARA 001068
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
DEPT FOR NP/ECC- YWONG, ACHURCH, BGOLDEN
DEPT FOR EUR/ACE- DSILLIMAN, BHUNT, PMALIK
DOE/NNSA- TPERRY, LPARKER, EDESCHLER
CBP/INA- BWATTS, BPICKETT
DOC FOR DCREED
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETTC KNNP KSTC MNUC PARM PREL TU
SUBJECT: EXBS: TURKEY ADVISORS MONTHLY REPORT- (MAY 2008)
REF: A. ANKARA 950
B. ANKARA 908
1. (U) Summary: Turkey continues to progress with proposed
enhancements to their existing export controls and has
submitted new proposed legislation to combine export control
lists, form a Export Control Board (ECB), and improve
licensing processes for dual-use and other sensitive items
(ref a). MFA has indicated that with the ratification of the
PUNE agreement by the US this month, they will begin
preparations to implement the long awaited EXBS/NP Agreement.
EXBS Program continues to meet with GOT agencies to discuss
proposed restructuring of Turkey's border management system
under the Ministry of the Interior. MFA is receptive to
holding a joint EXBS Nonproliferation Seminar in Ankara at a
mutually agreed date, once the EXBS NP Agreement is
implemented. End Summary.
2. (U) Completed Actions for the Reporting Period:
A. Meetings During Recent Reporting Period by EXBS Advisor
and Coordinator:
1) (U) May 1 - Delivered the CTP, Inc. letter granting the
GOT usage rights for ICP software on the UFT on-line servers
for access by Turkish industry to MFA Head of Department for
Nonproliferation and Disarmament Elif Ulgen and
Undersecretariat of Foreign Trade (UFT) Head of Department
Halit Akcaglayan. Advisor advised Akcaglayan that EXBS is
available to support further ICP development as needed. UFT
confirmed that the CTP letter is sufficient for them to use
the ICP software on their official website and no other
support is requested for ICP at this time. Ulgen and
Akcalayan disclosed the general content of the new Export
Control Legislation (ref a), which is pending final review by
the Prime Minister,s office and is expected to be submitted
to Parliament in June for approval.
2) (U) May 6 - EXBS Advisor raised the need to move ahead
with the SLD hand-held and pager radiation detection training
program as soon as possible with TNP Criminal Police
Laboratory Bomb Disposal Unit Head of Section Cengiz Ozdemir.
Ozdemir agreed that the last two weeks of August would be
the best time to hold this training and we agreed to move
ahead with planning for Aug 18th - 29th, 2008 classes at the
Golbasi training facility. The hand-held radiation
detectors, pagers, and radioactive training sources for this
training are currently stored at the Golbasi site.
3) (U) May 7 - Discussed Turkey's new Border Management
Strategy and the National Action Plan for implementation (ref
b) and TNP's role in developing the border management
training programs with Turkish National Police (TNP) Deputy
Director of Training Ahmet Karagoz. Karagoz, who is in
charge of training for all TNP officers, said the Ministry of
Interior will be responsible for a new border management
force of approximately 54,000 officers and that TNP will have
the lead for establishing and managing a new Border
Management Academy. The current plan is to build a
state-of-the-art Border Management Academy on the grounds of
Ataturk's Farm, which is located just west of downtown
Ankara. This new facility will have a training capacity of
500 students at a time and will provide specialized training
to the expected 40,000 new border management officers who
will serve within TNP, Customs, Coast Guard and other
agencies with border security responsibilities. TNP expects
the new academy to be completed sometime in CY2010. Advisor
offered to work closely with the new border management
program to provide access to US border training facilities
and border experts, as agreed to by GOT and US agencies,
which could provide training on border management related
programs in the U.S. Advisor asked about funding and legal
authorities for this new border management organization.
Karagoz noted that a Prime Minister,s decree signed in April
2006 established this organization under the Ministry of
Interior; he believed funding was still being coordinated
between the GOT and EU. We agreed to continue to meet as the
GOT moves forward on this initiative.
4) (SBU) May 13 - Reviewed the success of Z-Backscatter van
training in April with Undersecretariat of Customs,
Enforcement Head of Department Ender Gurleyik. Gurleyik
confirmed that the van would be moved to the Western border
area sometime this month to begin covert scanning operations
for the next 6-12 months while the Customs Port of Entry with
Bulgaria is being modernized. He agreed that late June would
be a good time for his staff and EXBS team to visit this
border area to see existing border operations and witness the
van in an operational setting. During this meeting, we
agreed that the next equipment order from EXBS should contain
one IONSCAN400 unit, 5 SABRE 4000 trace detectors, and 15 or
more K910 Buster density testing units. He expressed Turkish
Customs appreciation for US assistance.
5) (U) May 20 - Met again with MFA's Ulgen to discuss the
status of the NP Agreement. Ulgen said the Embassy will be
notified by diplomatic note shortly after the 123/PUNE
agreement enters into force. She agreed it would be
desirable to re-introduce the EXBS program and other
nonproliferation programs again to GOT agencies. Advisor
discussed the possibility of holding a 2-3 day EXBS
Nonproliferation Seminar in Ankara in late July 2008 to allow
both US and GOT agencies to showcase program goals and
capacities and provide an opportunity for US and Turkish
officials to get reacquainted with each other. She agreed
that this would be valuable for both countries and would
allow Turkey to "remove the old soil" and start with a fresh
approach to nonproliferation cooperation between Turkey and
US. She agreed to proceed with notifying the relevant
agencies in Ankara to see if the last week of July would be
achievable for this conference. She is amenable to using MFA
conference facilities or a conference facility at the hotel
where the US delegation will stay for this seminar (Note:
Ulgen subsequently told us it would be difficult to ensure
that the right people attend the seminar in late July, and
suggested the US consider a date in the fall. Ramadan begins
September 1 and ends September 30. We recommend exploring
dates after Ramadan to maximize the effectiveness and
productivity of the proposed conference. End Note).
B. (U) Training Conducted During this Reporting Period: -
None this period.
C. (U) Equipment Delivered During this Reporting Period:
None this period.
D. (U) Imminent Training or Equipment Status Update: EXBS
funded a three person delegation (two Customs officials and
one UFT official) to attend this year's EXBS transshipment
Conference which was held in Tangier, Morocco from May 20 -
22, 2008.
E. (U) Significant Developments in Export Controls,
Nonproliferation, or Related Border Security:
(U) Ref a contains a detailed description of the proposed new
Export Control legislation noted in last months report. It
is anticipated that this proposal will be submitted to
Parliament in June 2008.
3. (U) Future Activities: Advisor will be on annual leave and
in Washington for EXBS Advisor conference from May 26th -
June 18th, 2008. EXBS Coordinator will be in Washington to
attend EXBS Advisor conference June 9-13th, 2008.
4. (U) Red Flag Issues: None.
5. (U) Contact information for EXBS Program Ankara is:
Robert Cieslinski, EXBS Advisor, Email:
CieslinskiRL@state.gov, Office (90) (312) 457-7210, Cell (90)
(533) 716-4808 and Erhan Mert, EXBS Coordinator, Email:
MertE2@state.gov, Office(90)312 457-7059, Cell (90) (533)
264-8407. EXBS Program Office Fax (90) (312) 468-4775.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey
WILSON
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey
WILSON
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