TURKEY: 2007 DECA INSPECTION FOCUSES ON INCIRLIK

UNCLAS ANKARA 002959 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL MARR TU SUBJECT: TURKEY: 2007 DECA INSPECTION FOCUSES ON INCIRLIK CONSTRUCTION ISSUES REF: ANKARA 0026 1.(SBU) SUMMARY: The annual Turkish General Staff (TGS) inspection of US basing facilities made progress in resolving the construction delay issue and turn-over of recently constructed buildings at the 39th Air Base Wing at Incirlik Air Base. It proposed establishment of a joint working group to conduct an environmental assessment of the Yumurtalik Sea Terminal property prior to the facility's turn-over to the Turkish government. As in past years, TGS highlighted US responsiveness to Turkish concerns. While some outstanding issues, such as the employment of US dependents at Incirlik, were left unresolved, there appeared to be a concerted effort by TGS and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to address issues amicably. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) As required under Article XI of the bilateral Defense Economic Cooperation Agreement (DECA),TGS J-5 Agreements Division Chief MajGen Mehmet Cetin led an inter-agency team of TGS, Turkish Air Force, Foreign Ministry, Customs, Labor and Environment and Forestry representatives to conduct an inspection November 27-30, 2007 of the 425th Air Base Group facility at Bayrakli Park and Cigli Air Base in Izmir, and the 39th ABW at Incirlik Air Base outside of Adana. Although General Cetin took a business-like approach to his first DECA inspection, notably canceling his team's participation in a US-hosted luncheon in Izmir and both reciprocally-hosted dinners planned for Incirlik, TGS staff cited mutual solidarity, good will, and a desire to achieve positive progress. The results of the 2006 DECA inspection may be found in reftel. TURKEY PLEASED WITH US CONTRIBUTIONS IN IZMIR ¶3. (SBU) At Cigli Air Base, the 425th ABG provided up-date briefings at facilities where the US has made improvements, including the document control and logistics building, cold storage warehouse, enlisted dining hall, vehicle service station, and an aircraft maintenance hanger. Renovations and upgrades to sole and joint-use facilities were funded by the annual $1M Cigli support fund that is part of the Cigli Air Base turnover agreement. The Turkish delegation appeared pleased by the USG contributions and expressed appreciation for good coordination on the renovation work. ¶4. (SBU) The 425th ABG, which supports US troops at NATO's Component Command Air Izmir and US military operations in Eskisehir, Istanbul and Ankara, is located on a privately-leased compound in Bayrakli Park, Izmir. General Cetin led a 90-minute inspection tour of the facility, punctuated by a series of briefings by base personnel. The Turkish delegation asked about communications systems in use, number of weapons and amount of ammunition stored at the facility, perimeter security monitoring and alarms, disposal of hazardous waste, and medical facilities available on the compound. No major issues were raised. ¶5. (SBU) The municipality of Karsiyaka, on which the Bayrakli property is located, has re-zoned Bayrakli Park and adjacent land as commercial property; the US expects to have to vacate the compound at some point in the future. The facility occupies four parcels of land owned by separate landowners, with current individual leases expiring between November 2008 and December 2011. The primary long-term option under consideration is a drawdown of the Bayrakli Park facility and relocation of the main support functions to on-site locations at the NATO Air Izmir facility. The movement plan, once approved by the 39th ABW and USAFE, will require future discussion with and approval from TGS. INCIRLIK AB -- GOOD FOLLOW UP ON PREVIOUS ISSUES ¶6. (SBU) Following the three-day inspection of the 39th Air Base Wing (ABW) at Incirlik Air Base, TGS expressed appreciation for US cooperation on issues raised during and since the 2006 inspection. Maj Gen Cetin and his team were pleased with: - maintenance of effective base security through use of the main gate large vehicle inspection station and the new electronic ID bar code check now mandatory for all local employees entering and leaving the base; - treatment of waste water on-base before discharge; building and effective use of an incinerator for medical waste; and establishment of a temporary storage area for hazardous waste; - remedial action taken for asbestos containment in the demolition of old buildings and new contracts for construction debris removal and disposal; and, - good maintenance of base roads and water drainage lines. INCIRLIK -- TGS PLEDGES HELP WITH CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING TURN-OVER ISSUES ¶7. (SBU) ODC raised with TGS and MFA the US frustration with delays of important construction and maintenance projects at Incirlik. The delays, experienced since August 2007, were initially caused by the failure of 10th Tanker Base Command to allow certain construction materials on to Incirlik Air Base because they were not manufactured in Turkey. According to regulations contained in the MFA's 2002 circular governing construction at US facilities in Turkey, all projects are required to use materials procured locally whenever possible. ODC disagrees with MFA's interpretation of the construction circular. Confusion on the issue of place of procurement versus place of manufacture caused TGS to reevaluate construction materials lists, resulting in delays in the delivery of materials which forced a halt to work on a range of projects, including: new base housing construction, communications infrastructure, waste water systems, and essential, on-going runway repair work. TGS and MFA agreed to review the issue of the procurement of construction materials and pledged to find a solution to this problem. ¶8. (SBU) The US side also discussed the delays in allowing the 39th ABW to occupy three US-only buildings constructed within the last year for the storage of hazardous materials. Construction of the buildings was completed in March and April 2007 and registration with Ministry of Defense completed. The 10th Tanker has refused to allow occupation and use of the buildings, however, due to lack of a turnover protocol document. TGS agreed to complete negotiations for a protocol to facilitate the formal transfer and use of the buildings as soon as possible. INCIRLIK -- OUTSTANDING ISSUES FLAGGED BY TGS ¶9. (SBU) Issues cited by TGS as requiring resolution: - Fire arms accountability: The quarterly ammunition list contained in Memo 60-2 should be updated and approved, and serial numbers of all fire arms in the US inventory are to be included in the inventory. - Overtime payment for Customs and Immigration officers at the Cargo Hub: Customs repeated its request, first made in 2006, for US payment of overtime salaries and transportation expenses to cover Customs officers' travel to and from the base. In response, ODC reiterated the response made following the 2006 DECA inspection that a formal request for payment be transmitted via an MFA diplomatic note. The Embassy has not yet received such a request. Subsequent to initiation of Cargo Hub operations, Customs notified the 39th ABW of an inspection requirement and requested payment of overtime fees for one Customs officer to ensure 24-hour coverage. Customs Ministry officials have since confirmed that Customs does have the authority to check all cargo transiting Turkey but that it typically does not exercise this authority except in cases of suspicious cargo. - Communications plan: TGS requested that the Master Communications Plan prepared annually should be prepared for 2007, inspected by the 10th Tanker Base Command, and forwarded to TGS. - US Dependent Hires: The Labor Ministry repeated its complaint that the 39th ABW has not provided a list of specific jobs for which it would like to hire US dependents and is not applying for work permits for US dependent hires in accordance with Turkish labor law. This issue was initially raised at the 2005 DECA, after which ODC offered to meet to discuss this issue. The MFA subsequently notified the Embassy that the Turkish side could not come to an agreed-upon position and therefore preferred not to meet. At the 2006 inspection, the Turkish delegation reiterated a request for this information for the record but did not press the issue. - Domestic employees working on-base: Domestic employees working for American personnel on the base are subject to Turkish labor laws requiring their employers to pay social security insurance, according to Social Insurance Law No. ¶506. Contracts for all such employees should be prepared and should be in compliance with Ministry of Labor regulations. - Environmental issues: Formal permission should be obtained from the Adana municipality, with coordination of the 10th Tanker Base Command, for the discharge of treated waste water into the Adana sewage system. In addition, the US should maintain the proposed schedule for the rehabilitation of the former landfill site on the base, originally proposed to be completed in 2009 and recently postponed to 2014. NEED FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY OF YUMURTALIK SITE ¶9. (SBU) General Cetin led both delegations on a walking tour of the Yumurtalik Sea Port facility, located about 30 miles east-southeast of Adana. The turn-over to Turkey of this fenced, 12-acre 1950s-era US fuel terminal and storage facility was the most significant issue raised during the previous year's Incirlik inspection. The facility has not been used for several years and has no resident US personnel. While the perimeter fence appeared intact, the Turkish delegation expressed concerns about security for the site. TGS requested: - The formation of a joint working group to schedule the transfer of the facility and assess any environmental damage at the site, including any possible soil or groundwater contamination, and make preparations for any remedial action that may be required. - Continued USG oversight of the facility during the interim between the departure of US personnel and the removal of USG equipment and TGS assumption of responsibility for the facility following signature of a Turnover Agreement. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON