TURKEY: INSUFFICIENT TIME TO RECALL SHIPMENT TO PAKISTAN

S E C R E T ANKARA 000033



SIPDIS



SIPDIS



ISN/CPI FOR ZARTMAN; ISN/CPI FOR RUSSELL; EUR/PRA FOR

FRIEDT; EUR/SE FOR MALIK; NSC FOR HAYWARD



E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/07/2033

TAGS: PARM, PREL, EWWT, SN, GM, TU, PK

SUBJECT: TURKEY: INSUFFICIENT TIME TO RECALL SHIPMENT TO

PAKISTAN



REF: A. STATE 772



B. ZARTMAN-RICH E-MAIL

C. ANKARA 0016



Classified By: CDA Nancy McEldowney, Reasons 1.4 B and D



1. (S) We followed up ref a demarche with MFA

Nonproliferation and Arms Control Department Head Elif Ulgen

on January 5. We urged the GOT to contact Singapore

authorities to recall the shipment and fully investigate the

case, including the bona fides of shipment's export license.

Per ref b, we noted it would be helpful to be able to point

to positive action on this shipment as a recent example of

Turkey's record on nonproliferation as the White House

prepares to send our bilateral Peaceful Uses of Nuclear

Energy (123) Treaty to Congress for ratification.



2. (S) On January 7, Ulgen called us to report that following

the initial demarche on January 4 (reported in ref c),and

again on January 5, her department consulted with MFA lawyers

and concluded that there was insufficient legal basis for the

GOT to recall the shipment. She noted that even if there

were sufficient legal grounds to take action, there still

would not have been time to act on the case as the shipment

was "on the other side of the world" and scheduled to leave

port over the weekend. Ulgen informed us that the GOT will

hold an interagency meeting soon to examine the shipment's

export license and promised to update us on any findings from

the meeting.



3. (S) Ulgen stressed that the GOT participates in the full

range of international nonproliferation regimes and is

serious in its efforts to uphold international commitments

and obligations on nonproliferation. Highlighting the short

notice that was given, Ulgen said that there was simply

insufficient lead time for the GOT to evaluate the request

and coordinate the requested action. It would be unfair,

Ulgen argued, to criticize Turkey's record on

nonproliferation for being unable to respond to the USG

request in this instance. Reiterating Turkey's willingness

to work closely with the U.S. to prevent shipments of

proliferation concern, Ulgen requested more lead time in the

future to allow the GOT to take appropriate action.



4. (S) COMMENT: We will continue to follow-up this case

intensively and press the Turks for detailed information on

the export license for this transaction. As we proceed, we

want to underscore the importance of receiving front channel

instructions on these sensitive cases. Ref B contained the

urging of individual officers in Washington for this Embassy

to tell the GOT that there is an implicit link between taking

action on this case and the ratification of the Peaceful Uses

of Nuclear Energy (123) Treaty. As ratification of this

Treaty has been pending for over seven years and it is now

our understanding that all relevant agencies have concurred

with moving forward with ratification and the package is now

before the President for signature, in the absence of formal

instructions, we believe that making such a link is both

inappropriate and counter-productive. Ratification of the

123 Treaty will allow us to enhance our bilateral cooperation

with Turkey on nuclear energy at the same time that we press

forward in jointly halting shipments of proliferation

concern. END COMMENT.



Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at

http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey



MCELDOWNEY