TURKEY: MORE ATTENTION TO AL-QA,IDA, GLOBAL

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000487 SIPDIS SIPDIS DOJ FOR DAAG/CRM BSWARTZ E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/10/2028 TAGS: PTER PREL TU SUBJECT: TURKEY: MORE ATTENTION TO AL-QA,IDA, GLOBAL TERRORISM URGED REF: A. ANKARA 0394 ¶B. ANKARA 0395 ¶C. TD-314-015143-08 Classified By: DCM Nancy McEldowney. Reasons: 1.4 (b)(d). ¶1. (S) Summary. S/CT PDAS Urbancic, during February 12 meetings in Ankara, briefed a Turkish interagency group on Al-Qa'ida and its wider network (AQN) and the findings from the AQ documents obtained through Objective Massey, urging Turkey to strengthen its fight against Al-Qa'ida and other terrorists by broadening its terrorism law. MFA DG Guven undertook to pursue Urbancic's suggestions. Urbancic's meetings helped set the stage for the Attorney General's successful visit and secured greater Turkish cooperation in our fight against AQ and other terrorists. End summary. Strengthening Turkey's Counterterrorism Law -------------- ¶2. (C) During a February 12 interagency meeting hosted by MFA Security Affairs Director General Hayati Guven, S/CT PDAS Frank Urbancic congratulated Turkey for successfully taking down an Al-Qa'ida (AQ) cell in Gaziantep in January, and stressed the need to stay alert. To further strengthen Turkey's fight against AQ and other terrorists, Urbancic encouraged Turkish authorities to reexamine Turkey's terrorism legislation. Under present law, prosecutors are constrained if they cannot establish a direct link to Turkey or Turkish interests. Urbancic urged the Turks to broaden their definition of terrorism to include non-Turkey-specific targets; permit use in court of evidence from undercover agents; and stiffen penalties for terrorism facilitation and document fraud. (Note: MOJ officials subsequently agreed in principle to establish a MOJ-DOJ working group to examine international standards and best practices in terrorism laws as well as any areas where Turkey's laws could be improved. The Attorney General formally raised the matter during his February 14-15 visit and the Minister of Justice agreed. The RLA will bring relevant MOJ officials to Washington in May to begin discussing legislative issues with their U.S. counterparts. MOJ officials stressed the importance of keeping the working group small and limited to the DG in charge of international relations, several of his associates and the RLA. End note.) Strengthening Border Security, Information Sharing -------------- -------------- ¶3. (C) Turkey could further reinforce its efforts against AQ and other terrorists by increasing surveillance of suspects, strengthening border security, especially the border with Syria, and sharing information gained from such closer scrutiny with the United States, Urbancic continued. He also asked Turkey to increase terrorist screening information sharing with regional partners, and to consider adopting the Passenger Name Records system. Urbancic left copies of the brief with additional detail on proposals at the interagency meeting. ¶4. (C) Turkey shares the same concerns as the United States, DG Guven responded. He acknowledged certain nationalities, including Tunisians and Moroccans, do not require visas and noted Turkey has a problem with Pakistanis entering Turkey without visas after training at conservative Pakistani madrassas. Guven undertook to pursue the issue. "When the subject is fighting terrorism, we always take it seriously," he stated. ¶5. (C) In a separate February 12 meeting with MASAK, Turkey's financial intelligence unit, Urbancic and his team discussed joint efforts to address terrorist finance. MASAK President Adnan Erturk reported his agency is working to come into compliance with FATF recommendations. MASAK has also begun to meet with prosecutors to share ideas and to get the prosecutors into the investigative process at an earlier stage. Responding to information about an upcoming MOI-DOJ roundtable to focus on counterfeit cigarettes, a growing source of revenue for the PKK and other terrorists, Erturk suggested MASAK and RLA form a small working group to "follow the money" from those crimes. ANKARA 00000487 002 OF 002 ¶6. (S//NF) Comment. Urbancic's meetings further sensitized the Turks to the AQN threat and to terrorist issues beyond the PKK. Ref C reports the Turkish National Police (TNP) subsequently arrested two North African suspected Foreign Fighters (FF) and traced the movement of several others into Syria. This TNP action may indicate the Turks are taking FF more seriously after Urbancic's briefing. While MASAK's agreement to form a small working group with RLA to combat counterfeit cigarettes arose for its concerns about PKK activities, the agreement marked the first time MASAK agreed to cooperate with the USG and sets a precedent for future CT cooperation. In addition, by proposing a reexamination of Turkey's terrorism law, Urbancic set the stage for the Attorney General's successful visit and helped secure greater Turkish cooperation in our fight against AQN and other terrorists. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey WILSON