TURKEY: BALKANS WITNESS SECURITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 003921 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/2013 TAGS: PREL EAID PGOV ZL TU SUBJECT: TURKEY: BALKANS WITNESS SECURITY REF: A. SECSTATE 125097 ¶B. ANKARA 3896 Classified by acting Political Counselor Nicholas S. Kass. Reason: 1.5(b)(d) ¶1. (U) Responding to ref A questions, Atalay Ozdemiroglu, Assistant Chief of the GOT Ministry of Interior's Department of Organized Crime and Smuggling (Research Division), informed us June 17 that Turkey: -- has no legal regional witness security programs; -- makes witness protection decisions through the courts, with the police providing security accordingly; -- does not have legislation authorizing participation in foreign witness security programs; -- signed the Council of Europe's witness protection legislation No. 31/99/5Y1207(04) on November 23, 1995; -- has not yet implemented the Council of Europe's witness protection legislation. ¶2. (C) Ozdemir also said that he had been working closely with FBI regarding Turkish witness protection programs. He noted that Turkish representatives will be attending a regional conference in Bosnia "in two days" to help develop a witness protection data base. ¶3. (U) Comment: Turkey does not operationalize witness security as a "program" per se. Art. 20 of the 1991 Anti-Terror Law says in relevant part that "the State will take necessary protective measures...for witnesses and informants who assist" in the prosecution specifically of terrorist crimes. These measures include plastic surgery and alteration of records. Application of these measures is specified by guidelines issued by the Office of the Prime Minister. PEARSON