TURKEY 2005 END USE MONITORING REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001434

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AFIN SNAR TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY 2005 END USE MONITORING REPORT

REF: STATE 222564

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Overview
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1. Since 1986, the International Narcotics Crime and
Control (INCC) program has provided approximately 5,500
units of equipment and training, valued at over USD 5.7
million, to five Turkish agencies with responsibility
for Turkey's anti-narcotics programs: the Turkish Grain
Board (TMO),Turkish National Police (TNP),Jandarma,
Customs, and the Amatem drug addiction treatment
facility. During calendar year 2005, training and
equipment valued at USD 60,384 was provided.
Generally, the equipment provided since 1986 can be
assigned to the following categories: training,
communication, surveillance, and poppy processing.
However, because of the number and types of equipment
provided, to report by type of resource rather than by
project, as requested in reftel, is not practicable.
(For example, while computers have been provided to all
five agencies, they serve completely different
functions in each agency.)


2. Similarly, because equipment has been assigned to
scores of locations throughout the country, physical
inspection of any but a very small portion is a
practical impossibility. Thus, Post relies upon
periodic meetings with supervisory personnel in each
recipient agency to monitor use. (It appears that all
agencies maintain up-to-date physical inventories.)
Where feasible, Post does, in connection with such
meetings, also physically inspect some equipment.
Physical inspections were carried out at TNP Istanbul
and at Amatem in calendar year 2005. In 2006, Post
plans to inspect some equipment provided to the TMO.


3. Because of Turkey's refusal to accept Leahy
Amendment language contained in the year 2000 Letter of
Agreement, the INCC program has been winding down.
After funding a DEA-led Jetway Drug Interdiction School
seminar in Istanbul in 2005, Post is left with a total
of USD 57,719 remaining INL funds. Our local partners
have made many requests for additional training and
equipment and believe resumption of the program will be
of great value to Turkey's anti-narcotics efforts.

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Turkish Grain Board
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4. Starting in 1992 and continuing through 2001, the
INCC program provided TMO with equipment and training
valued at over USD 900,000. All of this equipment is
still being used. No new items were delivered in 2005.
We plan to conduct a physical inspection of donated
items in spring 2006. The items are located in the
town of Afyon, a three-hour drive from Ankara.

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Turkish National Police
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5. Starting in 1986 and continuing through 2004, the
INCC program provided TNP with equipment and training
valued at over USD 1.2 million. In March 2005, INCC
funded the Jetway Airport Interdiction Seminar at
Istanbul's Ataturk International Airport for TNP and
Customs officials. The 30 participants received
training in identifying drug couriers and initiating
and developing airport investigations. This program,
which cost approximately USD 60,400, strengthened DEA
Turkey's already excellent relationship with the TNP.


6. We met with Erol Keskinkilic, chief of the
Technical Unit at TNP Ankara. He began the meeting by
mentioning that the INCC program was no longer active
because of the addition of Leahy Amendment language to
the Letter of Agreement. Keskinkilic reported that the
vast majority of the items donated under the INCC
program are outdated and no longer used. He told us
that TNP Ankara still uses the donated GPS equipment,
camera lenses, siren systems, and hand-held radios in
its operations.


7. We also met with Ramazan Emekli, deputy chief of
the Narcotics Division at TNP Istanbul. According to
Emekli, the fiberscopes provided under the INCC program
in 2003 have been the most useful. The vast majority
of the technical equipment provided to the TNP in the
last ten years has reached the end of its useful life.
Emekli reported that aside from the fiberscopes, the
INCC-donated equipment is no longer in use and is in
the TNP's storage warehouse. He told us that digital
recording devices, microphones, wire transmitters, and
headphones would be very useful for their search and
surveillance operations.

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Jandarma
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8. Starting in 1988 (when the INCC program was revived
for the Jandarma) and continuing through 2004, the INCC
program delivered to Jandarma training and equipment
valued at over USD 81,390. We met with Cengiz
Yildirim, head of the Smuggling and Organized Crimes
division, who told us that the Jandarma still use the
digital video cameras and night vision goggles that the
INCC program provided. He reiterated that, if in the
future the program were revived, the Jandarma would
benefit from training rather than equipment, as the
INCC-funded equipment often must be purchased in the
U.S. and does not resemble local equipment, making
covert operations difficult.

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Customs
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9. Starting in 1994 and continuing through 2002, the
INCC program delivered to Customs equipment valued at
USD 562,000. We met with Ender Gurleyik, Head of
Department, Undersecretariat of Customs. From 1999
through 2004, the INCC program provided English
language instruction to customs officials to enable law
enforcement officers to follow international
developments more closely and cooperate better with
international counterparts if they spoke English.
These courses were terminated in January 2005 due to
lack of funding. Gurleyik stressed that if the INCC
program were to be revitalized in the future, Customs
would greatly benefit from the resumption of English
language courses.

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Amatem
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10. Amatem is a state-sponsored drug rehabilitation
center with six branches throughout Turkey. Starting
in 1994 and continuing through 2003, the INCC program
delivered to Amatem computer and communications
equipment valued at USD 86,000. We met with Dr. Duran
Cakmak, the Istanbul clinic chief, to discuss the
program and tour the facility. Cakmak said that all of
the donated equipment is still being used for patient
registration and rehabilitation and to manage a 24-hour
hotline. He noted that future funding could be used
for research projects and to replace the donated
equipment, as much of it is reaching the end of its
useful life.

Wilson