BLUE LANTERN LEVEL 3: PRE-LICENSE END-USE CHECK ON

UNCLAS ANKARA 000017 SIPDIS SIPDIS PM/DTCC - BLUE LANTERN COORDINATOR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETTC TU KOMC SUBJECT: BLUE LANTERN LEVEL 3: PRE-LICENSE END-USE CHECK ON LICENSE 05-050075628 REF: A. STATE 164844 (07) ¶B. STATE 217260 (05) ¶C. STATE 140478 (06) ¶D. ANKARA 502 (07) ¶E. ANKARA 6252 (06) ¶1. This is an action request. Please see paragraph 6. ¶2. Per ref a. we met with Mechanical and Chemical Industries Corporation (MKEK) Director of Marketing and Export Akif Akgul on January 3, 2008 to discuss case number 05-050075628 related to an order for approximately one thousand Smith and Wesson handguns. ¶3. Akgul confirmed that MKEK is a state-owned company which falls under the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM) in the Ministry of Defense. MKEK was established in 1950 and is one of the leading defense companies in Turkey. MKEK is the sole seller of imported handguns and rifles in Turkey, a responsibility that SSM assigned the company. The sole point of sales for imported handguns is at MKEK headquarters, located in Tandogan, Ankara. Imported handguns are stored on site in a secured facility that is guarded around the clock by several layers of security. Akgul also stated that individuals seeking to purchase an imported weapon must first obtain a purchasing license from the Ministry of Interior. The Ministry of Interior approves the licenses only after conducting a criminal background check on the applicant. Once the license is obtained, an individual would apply to MKEK to purchase an imported gun, and will be notified once the type of weapon requested is in stock. Upon purchasing the weapon from MKEK, the individual must register with and apply for a handgun user license from the provincial Security Directorate. Individuals are permitted to own at most two handguns. These licenses must be renewed annually by the gun owner. Once the two-gun limit has been reached, a gun owner can only purchase another gun by turning in a gun that was previously purchased. Gun owners may purchase up to 200 rounds of ammunition per year. Akgul said he is familiar with the restrictions governing the import of U.S. Munitions List (USML) commodities, and stated that the re-exporting of imported handguns by individuals is prohibited under Turkish law. ¶4. Akgul stated that the amount of weapons in the order reflect the projected sales of each type of handgun over the course of the year. Akgul estimated the total number of imported guns sold in all of Turkey at about 4000 per year. Although Akgul was courteous and cooperative throughout our meeting, he expressed frustration that this was the third time in two years that he has met with embassy officials to discuss the status of MKEK and the controls that are in place to satisfy the restrictions associated with USML commodities. He also stated that none of the orders that MKEK had placed with Smith and Wesson over the past three years have been delivered. We confirmed that there were at least two other occasions in the past three years when we conducted pre-license end-use checks on MKEK (refs b and c),one of which involved an order with Smith and Wesson (ref. b). ¶5. Based on reporting in ref. d and e, and the fact that MKEK is a well-established, government-owned entity that is the sole authorized point of sales for all imported handguns in Turkey, and that there are robust controls established to limit ownership of these weapons to vetted individuals, Post believes the proposed sale meets the appropriate end-use standards. ¶6. Action request: We would appreciate PM/DTCC confirmation whether the licenses in refs b and c were approved. We also request that PM/DTCC no longer require pre-license end-use checks on handgun orders by MKEK. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey MCELDOWNEY