EXBS: TURKEY ADVISORS MONTHLY REPORT- (FEBRUARY

UNCLAS ANKARA 000460 SIPDIS C O R R E C T E D C O P Y -- ADDED CAPTION SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT FOR NP/ECC- YWONG, ACHURCH, BGOLDEN DEPT FOR EUR/SE - BHUNT, PMALIK DOE/NNSA- TPERRY, LPARKER, EDESCHLER CBP/INA- BWATTS, BPICKETT DOC FOR DCREED E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETTC KNNP KSTC MNUC PARM PREL TU SUBJECT: EXBS: TURKEY ADVISORS MONTHLY REPORT- (FEBRUARY 2008) ¶1. Summary: EXBS Advisor attended dedication ceremony in Izmir for one of five new Customs Enforcement container x-ray and inspection facilities donated by European Union (EU) Commission as part of the EU Accession project to provide border security assistance programs to Turkish Customs at major Ports of Entry (POE). Post provided MFA with letter requesting implementation of EXBS agreement with submission of Peaceful Use of Nuclear Energy Agreement to U.S. Congress. Turkish Customs is ready to move ahead on planning future professional exchanges and equipment procurements. ¶2. Completed Actions for the Reporting Period ¶A. Meetings During Recent Reporting Period 1) EXBS Advisor and Coordinator met with the following Turkish, European and U.S. officials this period: a) Feb 5 - 8 - Attended dedication of new warehouse based mobile x-ray system in Izmir. Turkish Customs Enforcement provided an extravagant commissioning ceremony for their newest German built truck and container x-ray facility at the Port of Izmir. Attendees included EU Ambassador to Turkey and EU Commission officials, Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey, senior Customs officials, foreign government and local industry guests. The Izmir unit is one of five new mobile x-ray vehicle and container scanning units, with search sheds (inspection buildings with refrigeration units) at key land/sea container ports of Izmir, Istanbul/Ambarli, Samsun, Mersin and Gurbulak. The high quality pictures produced by this system provide Customs operators with the ability to identify both organic and mineral materials/goods within the same scan. Up to 20 trucks/containers per hour can be scanned. During this visit, EU Commission representatives Ann Uustalu, Head of Section for Taxation and Customs Union and her associate, Mr. Stefano Fantorini, told us the EU was generally pleased with Turkish Customs commitment to align and harmonize Turkish Customs practices, procedures, professional development programs and border security systems with EU standards as part of Turkey's EU accession process. The EU has earmarked over 50 Million Euro for Turkish Customs since 2001. One area which they believe requires additional GOT support is human resources development, mainly increasing the size of the Customs force and expanding professional development. The EU had planned to provide state-of-the art training and classroom equipment, along with extensive technical exchanges, for a new Customs academy in Ankara. After an initial commitment of funds by the EU, Customs was unable to obtain GOT funding support required for the acquisition of new, or rehabilitation of existing facilities for this new academy. Since these funds are due to expire this year, Customs has submitted a new proposal to reprogram these funds for procurement of a new railway scanning system (x-ray) for installation in the city of Van, on the main Turkish rail line from Iran to Syria, which is sorely needed. It should be noted that EXBS has provided support through DHS/CBPs ongoing engagement with Customs for over a year to revamp current training curriculum. DHS/CBP is scheduled to the deliver updated curriculum to Customs to use in accession and specialized training programs at existing Custom training facilities. We agreed to work with EU Commission in Ankara to coordinate future assistance programs to ensure we do not duplicate each others' efforts. b. Feb 14 - 15 - DOE/SLD program Manager Eric Deschler visited Ankara and met with Advisor, Coordinator, and PMA staff. Deschler provided a thorough briefing on SLD programs, capacities, and anticipated assistance requirements of EXBS program in Ankara. Deschler and EXBS team met with TNP Criminal Police Laboratory Bomb Disposal Unit Head of Section, Cengiz Ozdemir. We discussed the planned radiation detection training at Golbasi, which was canceled on Feb 7 due to internal issues between TNP and MFA. Ozdemir noted that this training was important for the bomb units throughout Turkey and that his new Deputy General, who was just appointed within the last few weeks, needed more time to assess TNP's role for this new requirement before he would authorize this training. Ozdemir noted that TNP would likely move ahead with this training in May/June timeframe once the EXBS agreement is in force and TNP completed its new bomb disposal academy class. Ozdemir noted his academy would like to integrate the use of radiation detection equipment into their academy curriculum, once this course has been completed by DOE/SLD. We toured the training site and confirmed the radiation detection equipment that was delivered was safely stored at this site. It was agreed that TNP would accept the U.S. radiation sources, shipped by DOE/SLD, for the upcoming training and store them at the academy. c. Feb 21 - MFA Head of Department for Nonproliferation and Disarmament, Ms. Elif Ulgen. Advisor met with Ulgen to review status of EXBS initiatives and request MFAs response to Ambassador's February 15 letter to MFA Undersecretary Apakan requesting full implementation of the EXBS agreement as soon as possible, since the Peaceful Use of Nuclear Energy (PUNE) Agreement has been sent to Congress. Ulgen confirmed that her office was working on a response, but reiterated, as in past meetings, that the EXBS Agreement would not likely be implemented until the PUNE was ratified by the US. During this visit, Ulgen confirmed that GOT would provide the names of one official each from Undersecretariat of Customs, Undersecretariat of Foreign Trade, and General Directorate of the Prime Ministry Security Affairs to attend the EXBS-sponsored Export Control Workshop in Athens, GA in April. She also confirmed that the property grant language, now incorporated into the property grant document, and pending approval by Customs, should be acceptable for the delivery of the CT-30 Kits and Gerber tool kits. d. Feb 22 - Undersecretariat of Customs, Director General for EU and External Relations, Mr. Riza Mehmet Korkmaz and his staff for Training and EU Accession Harmonization, Ms. Deniz Atasoy and Ms. Sevil Karaca. We discussed the need to move ahead with development of a comprehensive plan for professional development, technical exchanges and the acquisition of specialized detection and enforcement equipment for Customs. Advisor provided a broad overview of local EXBS processes and the need to develop a plan through information exchanges with Customs and Custom Enforcement officials. These would include regular border gate visits and ongoing analysis of Custom processes/procedures to identify deficiencies or gaps. This would ensure EXBS funds would have greatest impact on assisting Customs in increasing their capabilities in WMD-related detection and enforcement. We provided an initial list of CBP and DOE course offerings and agreed to meet regularly to develop and implement this plan. e. Feb 26 - Participated in Mission Strategic Planning (MSP) process. Advisor provided initial FY2010 MSP submission for ongoing EXBS initiatives for $850,000 of NADR-EXBS funds under the Peace and Security line item. Post anticipates full implementation of the EXBS agreement this year and will require at least this level of funds to assist GOT in WMD detection and enforcement capacity building, commodity identification training, government to industry outreach initiatives, and continued support of legal/regulatory reforms. f. (SBU) Feb 27 - Turkish Customs Enforcement, Head of Department for Enforcement, Mr. Ender Gurleyik and his assistant, Akin Akon. We discussed status of Z-Backscatter van training and the proposed use of this van as a covert detection system against smuggling along major transportation routes and key shipping locations within Turkey. Gurleyik informed us that they are completing the factory training for this van and are eager to receive the DHS/CBP operational training in March/April so that they can begin making seizures with this new technology. When asked about the changes occurring within Customs as a result of the new administration, he noted that many of the new appointees within Customs are wary of Customs Enforecemnt taking on new roles or responsibilities for the time being. He indicated that it may be more difficult for Customs to move ahead with new U.S. assistance programs, such as acceptance of new detection equipment, until these new appointees feel confident in the Customs organization and the EXBS agreement has been implemented by MFA. We informed him of our discussions with Customs External Affairs Staff and noted we would work closely with them during the planning process. ¶B. Training Conducted During this Reporting Period: - AS&E completed a one week operator and familiarization training with Customs Enforcement on the recently delivered AS&E Z-Backscatter van. This training was well received and Customs is awaiting DHS/CBP Operational training before taking the van into the field for operations. ¶C. Equipment Delivered During this Reporting Period: - None. ¶D. Imminent Training or Equipment Status Update: 1) Three GOT officials will attend the March 31 - April 11 session of University of Georgia's Export Control Academy in Athens Georgia as noted in (2.A.1)c) of this cable. 2) A DHS/CBP team from Miami, FL will arrive Ankara on April 6 to provide Customs Enforcement with a 10 day AS&E Z-Backscatter Van operational training program from April 7 - ¶8. ¶E. Significant Developments in Export Controls, Nonproliferation, or Related Border Security: None for this period. ¶3. Future Activities: EXBS Advisor will be on leave and consultations in U.S. beginning March 12 through April 4 and will be reachable by office cell at (90) 533-716-4805 during that period. EXBS coordinator will attend UGA's Export Control Academy from March 31 - April 4, 2008. ¶4. Red Flag Issues: None. ¶5. Contact information for EXBS Program Ankara is: Robert Cieslinski, EXBS Advisor, Email: CieslinskiRL@state.gov, Office (90) (312) 457-7210, Cell (90) (533) 716-4808 and Erhan Mert, EXBS Coordinator, Email: MertE2@state.gov, Office(90)312 457-7059, Cell (90) (533) 264-8407. EXBS Program Office Fax (90) (312) 468-4775 Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey WILSON