IBRAHIM PARLAK DEMARCHE REACTION: "OUR LAWS

UNCLAS ANKARA 002384 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: CVIS PGOV PHUM PREL PTER TU SUBJECT: IBRAHIM PARLAK DEMARCHE REACTION: "OUR LAWS PROVIDE NO OPTION" REF: STATE 124882 ¶1. We delivered reftel demarche urging issuance of a travel document enabling Ibrahim Parlak's return to Turkey. Akil Oktem, head of the Department of Consular Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was familiar with the case. He said the GOT has no travel document akin to the U.S. parole letter and that Turkish law provides no other viable option. "It's either issuance of a Turkish passport or nothing at all." Because Parlak is now considered stateless by the Turkish government, they maintain they cannot assist. ¶2. Oktem indicated Parlak's only recourse would be to petition for reacquisition of Turkish citizenship, which could be submitted to the Embassy in Washington D.C. The case would then be passed to the Ministry of Interior and if the request was felt to have merit, the petition would be referred to the Council of Ministers for approval. ¶3. Realistically speaking, were Parlak to enter a petition, it would be unlikely to get past the Ministry of Interior which, when contacted by the Embassy on this same issue previously, has indicated no flexibility. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON