S13-03: TURKS WILL BLOCK HEAT EXCHANGER EXPORTS

S E C R E T ANKARA 001666 SIPDIS DEPT FOR NP/CBM, EUR/SE, EUR/PRA, IO/PHO, NEA/NGA, INR/SPM E.O. 12958: DECL: (X1, X6) TAGS: PARM PREL ETTC TU IZ SY JO UNSC CBW SUBJECT: S13-03: TURKS WILL BLOCK HEAT EXCHANGER EXPORTS REF: A. STATE 64956 ¶B. ANKARA 1037 ¶C. ANKARA 891 (U) Classified by Pol-Mil Counselor Stuart Brown. Reasons 1.5 (b) and (d). ¶1. (S) On March 13, polmiloff met with Ferhat Alkan of the MFA's Iraq Desk and delivered Ref A points. Alkan remarked that the information was "news" to the MFA. He promised to pass the information immediately to the Turkish National Intelligence Agency (TNIO),the Turkish General Staff, and via the Undersecretariat of Foreign Trade, to Turkish Customs. ¶2. (S) Polmiloff pressed Alkan regarding the mechanics of the GOT's preventing the exports and the method by which it would prevent third-country trans-shipments. Alkan responded that, depending on the stage of the business transaction, either the Undersecretariat of Foreign Trade would refuse the export permit, or Turkish Customs would attempt to intercept an outbound shipment. In response to polmiloff's reminder regarding Ref D, Alkan said that Foreign Trade had stopped exports of atropine autoinjectors in response to Post's February demarche and that the sole Iraqi-related shipment had been in August 2002. In regard to Ref B, he told polmiloff that Foreign Trade is alert to the import and/or export of the meteorological balloons, but had not yet encountered them. He noted that the TNIO has and would look into all firms that we have brought to the GOT's attention. PEARSON