COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR ASSISTANT SECRETARY

UNCLAS ANKARA 001252

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OTRA PGOV TU AM AJ GG
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR ASSISTANT SECRETARY
DANIEL FRIED, AMBASSADOR STEVEN MANN AND DELEGATION TO
TRAVEL TO TURKEY MARCH 16 - 20, 2006

REF: A. STATE 37043


B. STATE 38462


1. (U) Mission warmly welcomes and grants country clearance
to Assistant Secretary Daniel Fried, Ambassador Steven Mann,
and Elizabeth Rood to travel to Turkey from March 16 - 21,
2006 for meetings with government officials. We understand
that A/S Fried will depart Turkey on March 17, and Ambassador
Mann and Ms. Rood will continue to Istanbul on March 19th,
and leave Turkey on March 21, 2006. We also understand, by
separate communication, that David Merkel will not be
accompanying the delegation.

The point of contact for the visit is Political Officer Linda
Fenton who can be reached at (90)(312) 455-5555 extension 0,
24 hours a day or via cell phone at 0555 358 6805. Hotel
reservations have been made at the Ankara Sheraton, Noktali
Sokak No. 47, Kavaklidere, Ankara, Phone Number
90-312-468-5454, fax number 90-312-467-1136, for A/S Fried
and Elizabeth Rood at the rate of 130 USD per night,
excluding VAT and breakfast. Istanbul arrangements and
control officer information will be forwarded in separate
communications.


2. (U) Travelers are requested to forward fiscal data for
after-hours and overtime transportation expenses.


3. (U) Visas: All Americans traveling to Turkey must have a
valid visa. Travelers without a visa can obtain a visa valid
for one entry/three months at port of entry upon payment of a
USD 20 fee. This fee is payable only in U.S. dollars cash.
There is no fee for official travel if the visa is obtained
outside of Turkey.


4. (U) Health Safety: Information on vaccinations and other
health precautions can be obtained from the Center for
Disease Control and Prevention hotline for international
travelers (tel: 1-877-394-747); fax 1-800-232-3299; or via
the internet at HTTP//www.cdc.gov.


5. (U) Security Assessment: In the aftermath of Operation
Iraqi Freedom (OIF) there continues to be the potential for
both transnational and indigenous terrorist groups to target
U.S. interests in Turkey. After the Gulf War, the
predecessor to the Turkish Terrorist Group Revolutionary
People's Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C) assassinated four
Americans in Turkey and carried out numerous bombings of U.S.
targets (mostly private sector businesses, although two
rockets were directed toward the Consulate General in
Istanbul). Subsequent to the ending of OIF hostilities,
there have been isolated terrorist bombings attributed to
DHKP/C and other indigenous terrorist groups in protest of
OIF. Other Turkish terrorist groups with anti-Western
sympathies include Marxist-Leninist Communist Party (MLKP),
Turkish Communist Party/Marxist Leninist (TKP/ML),Turkish
Workers and Peasants Revolutionary Army (TIKKO) and Islamic
Greater Eastern Raiders/Front (IBDA/C).

Al-Qa'ida threats to target U.S. facilities in Turkey have
been public knowledge for some time. On November 15, two
synagogues in Istanbul were the targets of suicide car bombs.
On November 20, 2003, the British Consulate General and the
London-based HSBC bank in Istanbul were damaged by powerful
explosions, killing dozens and wounding hundreds. These
incidents represent a significant change from prior attacks
in Turkey, which have previously involved small-scale, random
bombings and small numbers of casualties. The investigations
of these incidents in Istanbul remain open but transnational
terrorist links are suspected. The potential for violence
and terrorist actions against U.S. citizens and interests
continue.

The Turkish National Police (TNP) is quite responsive in
their role as protector of U.S. diplomatic and military
interests in Turkey. The TNP has provided enhanced coverage
at each of our facilities in Ankara, Istanbul, Adana and
Izmir. The incidence of crime, both violent and the more
traditional tourist crimes (pick pocketing, purse-snatching,
etc.),is relatively low throughout Turkey. Visitors to
Istanbul should be aware that tourist-type crimes are more
prevalent there, especially in the traditionalist tourist
areas, such as Sultanahmet and Istiklal Caddesi. The
security office encourages visitors to report any security
incidents, including surveillance, to the RSO immediately.

Useful security information about Turkey is available on the
following websites:


--Embassy Ankara: HTTP://WWW.USEMB-ANKARA.ORG.TR (Click on
Security Matters)

--Consulate General Istanbul:
HTTP://USCONSULATE-ISTANBUL.ORG.TR


6. (U) For further information regarding travel in Turkey,
consult the consular information sheet. The consulate
information sheet and public announcements are available on
the internet at: HTTP://TRAVEL.STATE.GOV

Other information is available on the following websites:

--The State Department Consular Affairs (CA) websites:
HTTP://WWW.TRAVEL.STATE.GOV/TURKEY.HTML

--US Embassy Ankara:
HTTP://WWW.USEMB-ANKARA.ORG.TR


Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/

WILSON