TURKEY CLAIMS GLOCKS SEIZED IN ANTI-AL QAEDA RAIDS

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 001036 SIPDIS OSD FOR IG KICKLIGHTER E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/04/2028 TAGS: PREL PTER ETTC KCRM OIG IZ TU SUBJECT: TURKEY CLAIMS GLOCKS SEIZED IN ANTI-AL QAEDA RAIDS ARE FROM IRAQ REF: 07 ANKARA 2695 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: AMBASSADOR ROSS WILSON FOR REASONS 1.4 (B,D). ¶1. (C) Summary: The Turkish Foreign Ministry provided us June 3 the serial numbers of five Glock pistols recently seized by Turkish authorities. Four of the Glocks were reportedly seized during Turkish law enforcement raids against al Qaeda cells in Gaziantep, Istanbul and elsewhere on January 24, 2008. Foreign Ministry officials gave us information they said they obtained from Austrian authorities indicating all five Glocks had previously been transferred to U.S authorities in Baghdad. The MFA is requesting more information on these weapons and others previously reported to us via MFA and Turkish National Police channels, as well as an update on U.S. efforts to ensure accountability and prevent leakage of weapons transferred to Iraq. End Summary ¶2. (C) Foreign Ministry Deputy Director General for Security Inan Ozyildiz presented us with a diplomatic note on June 3 containing the following information (faxed to EUR/SE). Begin text: i) The Glock gun with a serial number of "HDB807", captured during the police operation on 7 January 2008 in Diyarbakir, regarding the investigation of the car bomb attack on the 3 January 2008, has been traced by the Austrian authorities to have been sold on 5 April 2005 to the address "US Mission Iraq, BIAP warehouse Grid MB473884BAIP, Carl Blyth 96407901923831 Baghdad, Iraq". ii) Austrian authorities also provided the following information regarding the Glock guns, which were captured during the operations by the Turkish police against the Al-Qaeda cells in Gaziantep, Kahramanmaras, Istanbul and Yalova on 24 January 2008: - The Glock gun with a serial number of "HFF220" was sold to the address "US Mission in Iraq, BIAP Warehouse Grid MB 263 875, Ltc. Emmons, 0 709 192 9098 Baghdad, Iraq" on June 2005. - The Glock gun with a serial number of "GKK653" was sold to the address "US Mission Iraq, Ministry of Interior Republican Compound Baghdad, Iraq" on September 2004. - The Glock gun with a serial number of "GZR786" was sold to the address "US Mission Iraq, Baghdad International Airport Warehouse Baghdad, Iraq" on February 2005. - The Glock gun with a serial number of "HND915" was sold to the address "US Mission Iraq, Baghdad International Airport Abu Ghrayeb Warehouse 68 Abu Ghrayeb Expressway Baghdad, Iraq" on January 2005. End text. The MFA note concludes with a request that U.S. authorities provide any available information on the above-mentioned weapons. ¶3. (C) Referring to DOD Inspector General Kicklighter's April 3 meeting with Turkish Ambassador Nabi Sensoy in Washington, Ozyildiz aide Ceren Etiz told us that the Turkish government would welcome follow-up briefings on measures being implemented in Iraq to strengthen weapons accountability and prevent further leakage into Turkey. She noted that the Turkish National Police (TNP) are still awaiting information from relevant U.S. authorities on Glocks and other weapons which they have seized since 2006 and which appear to originate from U.S. deliveries to Iraq. Etiz also stated that, as Turkish judicial processes move forward on some of these weapons seizures, the GOT may formally request U.S. assistance via letters rogatory under our bilateral Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty. The issue of arms leakage was also raised briefly by Turkish officials during the May 28 visit of Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey WILSON