Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ANKARA1393
2007-06-05 14:33:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:
STATUS OF TURKISH ACTION ON IRAN SANCTIONS, BANK
how-toVZCZCXYZ0017 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHAK #1393 1561433 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 051433Z JUN 07 FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2430 INFO RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 2816
C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 001393
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
TREASURY FOR OTI - RLOEFFLER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/2012
TAGS: KNNP TU IR
SUBJECT: STATUS OF TURKISH ACTION ON IRAN SANCTIONS, BANK
SEPAH
REF: A. SECSTATE 73587
B. SECSTATE 73219
C. ANKARA 1220
Classified By: Economic Counselor Tom Goldberger for
reasons 1.4(b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 001393
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
TREASURY FOR OTI - RLOEFFLER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/2012
TAGS: KNNP TU IR
SUBJECT: STATUS OF TURKISH ACTION ON IRAN SANCTIONS, BANK
SEPAH
REF: A. SECSTATE 73587
B. SECSTATE 73219
C. ANKARA 1220
Classified By: Economic Counselor Tom Goldberger for
reasons 1.4(b) and (d).
1. (C) Summary: Turkish MFA officials claim that Turkey is on
the verge of implementing UNSCR 1737, and will then implement
1747. Turkey will report to the Security Council on the
status of its implementation of 1747 once it can confirm to
the UN that it has implemented 1737. In the meantime, MFA
confirmed the existence of a Bank Sepah account at Turkey's
Is Bank. The bank says it has effectively frozen the
"minimal" balance in the account. End Summary.
2. (C) We delivered refs A and B points to MFA Deputy
Director General for South Asia Babur Hizlan June 4. Hizlan
said that the Council of Ministers' decree necessary to
implement UNSCR 1737 lacked only one minister's signature but
that the minister in question was travelling outside of
Turkey. He hoped and expected the decree to come into effect
in a matter of days.
3. (C) Hizlan reiterated that once the 1737 decree was
signed, the ministry would send to the Council of Ministers a
second draft decree implementing 1747. Using a similar
logic, Hizlan explained that Turkey would not report on its
implementation of 1747 until it was in a position to confirm
to the Security Council that it had implemented 1737.
4. (C) After we (again) stressed the urgency of immediate
action against Bank Sepah, Hizlan said he would ask Is Bank
about its reported relationship with Bank Sepah. Hizlan
subsequently informed us that a Is Bank senior executive
confirmed to him the existence of a Bank Sepah correspondent
account with his bank. According to Hizlan, the Is Bank
executive said the account had a "minimal" balance, and that
Is Bank had effectively frozen all activity in the account at
the time Resolution 1747 was passed by the Security Council.
He said all "loopholes" were closed.
--------------
Action Request
--------------
5. (C) We have raised U.S. concern about Turkey's slow
implementation of 1737 and 1747 repeatedly and at all levels
of the MFA. The Ambassador has raised it twice with Under
Secretary (D equivalent) Ertugrul Apakan and again raised it
SIPDIS
June 5 with Deputy Under Secretary Feridun Sinirlioglu.
6. (C) We recommend Washington addressees consider calling in
Turkish Ambassador Nabi Sensoy in order to underline U.S.
concern and raise the profile of this issue.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/
WILSON
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
TREASURY FOR OTI - RLOEFFLER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/2012
TAGS: KNNP TU IR
SUBJECT: STATUS OF TURKISH ACTION ON IRAN SANCTIONS, BANK
SEPAH
REF: A. SECSTATE 73587
B. SECSTATE 73219
C. ANKARA 1220
Classified By: Economic Counselor Tom Goldberger for
reasons 1.4(b) and (d).
1. (C) Summary: Turkish MFA officials claim that Turkey is on
the verge of implementing UNSCR 1737, and will then implement
1747. Turkey will report to the Security Council on the
status of its implementation of 1747 once it can confirm to
the UN that it has implemented 1737. In the meantime, MFA
confirmed the existence of a Bank Sepah account at Turkey's
Is Bank. The bank says it has effectively frozen the
"minimal" balance in the account. End Summary.
2. (C) We delivered refs A and B points to MFA Deputy
Director General for South Asia Babur Hizlan June 4. Hizlan
said that the Council of Ministers' decree necessary to
implement UNSCR 1737 lacked only one minister's signature but
that the minister in question was travelling outside of
Turkey. He hoped and expected the decree to come into effect
in a matter of days.
3. (C) Hizlan reiterated that once the 1737 decree was
signed, the ministry would send to the Council of Ministers a
second draft decree implementing 1747. Using a similar
logic, Hizlan explained that Turkey would not report on its
implementation of 1747 until it was in a position to confirm
to the Security Council that it had implemented 1737.
4. (C) After we (again) stressed the urgency of immediate
action against Bank Sepah, Hizlan said he would ask Is Bank
about its reported relationship with Bank Sepah. Hizlan
subsequently informed us that a Is Bank senior executive
confirmed to him the existence of a Bank Sepah correspondent
account with his bank. According to Hizlan, the Is Bank
executive said the account had a "minimal" balance, and that
Is Bank had effectively frozen all activity in the account at
the time Resolution 1747 was passed by the Security Council.
He said all "loopholes" were closed.
--------------
Action Request
--------------
5. (C) We have raised U.S. concern about Turkey's slow
implementation of 1737 and 1747 repeatedly and at all levels
of the MFA. The Ambassador has raised it twice with Under
Secretary (D equivalent) Ertugrul Apakan and again raised it
SIPDIS
June 5 with Deputy Under Secretary Feridun Sinirlioglu.
6. (C) We recommend Washington addressees consider calling in
Turkish Ambassador Nabi Sensoy in order to underline U.S.
concern and raise the profile of this issue.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/
WILSON