EXBS: UPDATE ON INTERNAL CONTROL PROGRAM AND

UNCLAS ANKARA 006482 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR ISN/ECC: NJOHANSON, PVANSON DOC FOR TCURTIN, PWOODBERRY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETTC KSTC OTRA PARM PREL TU SUBJECT: EXBS: UPDATE ON INTERNAL CONTROL PROGRAM AND INDUSTRY-GOVERNMENT FORUM PROPOSAL REF: A. USDOC 6121 ¶B. USDOC 6281 ¶1. Summary: The Government of Turkey continues to work on the customization of the Internal Control Program for use by Turkish businesses. Completion of the initial customization awaits confirmation of the translation of the EU control list by appropriate Turkish institutions; lack of ratification of the Nonproliferation Cooperation Agreement by the Turkish Grand National Assembly could be having an effect on the confirmation of the translation. The GOT recommends delaying the proposed instructor training (ref a) and Industry-Government (I-G) Forum (ref b) until final confirmation of translated EU control list and Beta testing of program. End Summary. ¶2. EXBS Advisor met with Ziya Demirduzen, Head of Department of Export Controls for the Undersecretary of Foreign Trade (UFT) concerning the status of the ICP and the planning of the I-G forum. Demirduzen stated that work by the contractor to customize the basic software package is nearly complete. However the Ministry of Defense and Turkish Atomic Energy Authority review of the translated EU control list is taking longer than expected. (Note: The translation of the EU control list from English to Turkish was not part of the original ICP project. This was added to the project in Sept 2006 because the GOT did not have a comprehensive translation of the EU control list to be included in the ICP program. End note.) Demirduzen expects to have input from these agencies within several weeks. According to Demirduzen, because of this delay, the ICP project will not be completed in time to conduct the instructor training and Industry-Government Forum as originally planned. Demirduzen suggested postponing these events until the end of January or early February to allow sufficient time for the translated control list to be verified and the ICP to be properly Beta-tested by the contractor. ¶3. Serhan Yigit, MFA Disarmament and Arms Control First Secretary, stated that some of the institutions had concerns SIPDIS about working on projects which could be perceived to fall under the Nonproliferation Cooperation Agreement with the United States, which has not yet been ratified by Parliament. Yigit added that while the MFA has informed the relevant institutions that it does not consider work on the ICP project as working around the Agreement, it also does not have the authority to force participation prior to ratifiction of the Agreement. Yigit continued that Depty FM Tuygan and Deputy U/S for InternationalSecurity Affairs Rafet Akgunay recognize the mportance of ratifying the Agreement. (Note: DCM during a Nov 17 meeting with Akgunay raised the need to ratify the NP Agreement. Akgunay informed us that he recently had a long meeting with Parliamentarians concerning the Agreement and believes that it will be approved in the coming weeks. End note.) ¶4. We will continue to work with UFT and other GOT institutions to complete the customization of ICP and the selection of appropriate dates for both the instructor training and I-G Forum. UFT contacts have underscored the importance of the I-G forum to assist them to achieve the goal of increasing the cooperation between UFT and the business community. We concur with the GOT recommendation to delay the I-G forum and instructor training until the EU control list can be verified and incorporated into the ICP. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON