GUANTANAMO: TURKS CLAIM TURKISH CITIZENSHIP FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 006370 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/09/2014 TAGS: PTER KAWC PINR PREL TU IZ SUBJECT: GUANTANAMO: TURKS CLAIM TURKISH CITIZENSHIP FOR DETAINEE, SEEK INFORMATION ON HIS STATUS Classified By: Counselor for Political-Military Affairs Timothy A. Bett s for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) This is an action request--please see para. 3. ¶2. (C) On November 10, Togan Oral of MFA's Directorate for Intelligence handed PolMilOff a copy of a Turkish national registration document for Mesut Sen. According to the Turks, this is the same Mesut Sen (US9BE-00296DP) who is currently detained at Guantanamo and classified by DoD as a Belgian citizen (and not a Turk). The GOT claims that Sen is (or is also) a Turkish citizen and requests access to information regarding Sen's current status and welfare. According to Oral, this document (Nufus Kayit Ornek in Turkish, or Population Document Copy) is commonly used as proof of Turkish citizenship. The document shows that Mesut Sen was born Feb. 20, 1981 in Belgium. The document also lists details about his parents and siblings (apparently he is a twin). MFA's Oral also requested that the contents of the document--which includes personal information about other members of Sen's family--not be released to the public out of respect for Turkish data privacy laws. ¶3. (C) Action Request: Embassy will forward the document, which is a legible certified photocopy but of poor quality, to EUR/SE by registered pouch (registry number 9007445). Request the Department, upon verification that the Mesut Sen listed is the person currently detained at Guantanamo, provide information on his status that we can pass to the GOT. EDELMAN