TERRORIST FINANCE: ANKARA: JI TEN/LIST 40

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 005579 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EB/ESC/TFS (GGLASS),S/CT (SFOX),EUR/SE, IO/PHO (APEREZ),NSC FOR GPETERS, TREASURY GENERAL COUNSEL (DAUFHAUSER),OFAC (RNEWCOMB),TREASURY (JZARATE),AND THE TREASURY TASK FORCE ON TERRORIST FINANCING E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/05/2008 TAGS: CVIS EFIN ETTC KVPR PREL PTER SUBJECT: TERRORIST FINANCE: ANKARA: JI TEN/LIST 40 DEMARCHES DELIVERED TO NEW MFA TF CHIEF REF: A. STATE 249292 ¶B. ANKARA 05365 ¶C. STATE 254613 ¶1. (U) Classified by Economic Counselor Scot Marciel for Reasons 1.5 (b),(d). ¶2. (C) Summary: Econoffs met with MFA official Ahmet Arda to deliver Ref A and C demarches, and discuss possible additional legal bases for seizing terrorist assets. End Summary. ¶3. (C) Effective this past Monday, Arda has taken over the terrorist finance portfolio from Deputy Director General Hakan Okcal. Arda,s last posting was as Deputy Permanent Representative of Turkey to the OECD and his previous assignments included the UN, as a result of which he is familiar with the relevant UN conventions and resolutions. ¶4. (C) On September 4, Econoffs delivered Ref A Talking Points and Background Paper and confirmed that Arda was familiar with existing GOT procedures (Ref B). On September 5, Econoffs delivered Ref C Talking Points. ¶5. (C) Econoffs discussed with Arda GOT,s policy of awaiting approval by the UN 1267 Committee before acting administratively on terrorist designations (Ref B). Econoffs delivered to Arda copies of UNSC Resolution 1373 and the UN Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, and suggested that these documents provide an alternative, and broader, legal basis upon which to act administratively, as they are not limited to entities associated with UBL or the Taliban. Arda stated that he would research this issue. ¶6. (C) Arda opined that Turkish National Police might need more training on terrorist financing issues. He noted, for example, that even for PKK financing, Turkish law enforcement had been late to identify and freeze assets. EDELMAN