TURKEY TO FOLLOW-UP AGAINST WITH IRANIANS ON

S E C R E T ANKARA 003009 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT. FOR EUR/SE, NEA/IR, AND CA - JENNY FOO E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/19/2017 TAGS: CASC PREL PHUM TU IR SUBJECT: TURKEY TO FOLLOW-UP AGAINST WITH IRANIANS ON ROBERT LEVINSON CASE REF: A. STATE 166577 ¶B. ANKARA 1476 ¶C. STATE 80300 Classified By: PolCouns Janice G. Weiner for reasons 1.4(b) and (d) ¶1. (S) GOT officials have said they will again follow-up with Government of Iran authorities to press for information related to the disappearance of Robert Levinson. MFA Deputy Director General for South Asia Babur Hizlan told us December 18 that he will ask the Turkish embassy in Tehran to contact appropriate officials there to inquire about Levinson and the Iranians' investigation into his disappearance. He noted the Turkish embassy had requested information previously from the Iranians after our initial demarche on Levinson in June but had received no reply. ¶2. (S) We also contacted officials at the Turkish National Police Intelligence Department, Terrorism Unit, Interpol Department, and Foreigners' Police and asked that they check their systems and records to ensure Levinson did not enter or exit Turkey. The only records related to Levinson in TNP systems are a September 5, 2006 entry in Istanbul and a December 7, 2006 exit. We will report any additional information that results from these inquiries. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON