EXBS: TURKEY ADVISORS MONTHLY REPORT- (DECEMBER

UNCLAS ANKARA 000078 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR NP/ECC- YWONG, ACHURCH, BGOLDEN DEPT FOR EUR/ACE- DSILLIMAN, 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- (DECEMBER 2007) REF: ANKARA 02962 ¶1. Summary: The EXBS Program Manager for Turkey met with post and Turkish officials to review the state of the program. EXBS Advisor completed transfer of the Z-Backscatter Van (ZBV) to Turkish Customs. Turkish Atomic Energy Agency (TAEK) has requested a joint proliferation "threat" assessment. Progress continues for ongoing enforcement training and equipment deliveries. ¶2. Completed Actions for the Reporting Period ¶A. Meetings During Recent Reporting Period 1) Brett Golden, EXBS Program Manager for Turkey, held the following meetings during his December 7-8 visit to Ankara: a) Turkish Atomic Energy Agency (TAEK) Director Okay Cakiroglu. Cakiroglu continues to promote indigenous development and deployment of radiation detection equipment, to include portal monitors at key border crossings, hand-held detectors, and personal pagers for Customs Enforcement Officers. He asserted the new Turkish portal monitors would provide a more secure system for Turkey and reduce the risk of "backdoor" access by "other" entities. TAEK already has built over 100 portal monitors to date. He proposed a joint US/Turkish threat assessment to identify specific nonproliferation risks for Turkey (reftel),and based on the assessment, to work cooperatively with the U.S. to develop a suitable radiation detection equipment program for implementation in Turkey. We believe it will be difficult to obtain TAEK buy-in for future EXBS and SLD initiatives without conducting such an assessment. Request update from Washington on progress toward convening a threat assessment team to travel to Ankara within the next few months. On Commodity Identification Training (CIT),Okay noted that TAEK, Foreign Trade, and Customs have delivered training for the US/Turkish developed CIT software program to over 50 Customs officials since its inception last year. There are plans to train an additional 400 officials in the coming year. TAEK also indicated that they have begun integration of WMD related content into their CIT curriculum. b) Undersecretariat for Foreign Trade (UFT) Department Head for Foreign Agreements Atilla Bastimaci. Atilla noted that UFT is working closely with Turkish Parliament to harmonize Turkey's export control laws with EU legislation. As a result, Atilla said it would be difficult for UFT to co-host the Transshipment Forum this year. Atilla suggested UFT would be better positioned to co-host this conference in 2009 or 2010. We agreed EXBS would consider Turkey as a potential co-host in the future. c) Turkish National Police (TNP) Organized Crime and Smuggling Section Head Mehmet Keskinkilic. Keskinkilic expressed appreciation for the assistance and training that EXBS has provided to his officers through U.S. Customs and Border Security training programs. He noted his officers have incorporated this training into training programs in Turkey. His biggest concern now is to obtain enforcement equipment and training that would assist his officers in performing searches for WMD related items. Keskinkilic expressed interest in the possibility of some of his officers attending the October 2008 Controlled Delivery training course offered by US/DHS Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. d) Acting Director General for Customs Enforcement Hayrettin Cevher. We discussed past and current EXBS/Customs cooperation and signed the property grant documents for the formal turnover of the AS&E Z-Backscatter van to Turkish Customs. They plan a more public announcement of this new van and U.S. assistance following future successful seizures by Customs. e) MFA Head of Department for Nonproliferation and Disarmament Elif Ulgen. We reviewed with Ulgen Golden's meetings with other GOT agencies and requested an update on the status of the EXBS agreement. Elif noted that while MFA welcomed news that the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy (PUNE or 123) Agreement is now at the White House, the acceptance note for the EXBS Agreement would most likely be issued simultaneously or immediately following U.S. ratification of the PUNE Agreement. f) EXBS Advisor took intermit leave locally from 17 - 28 Dec, ¶2007. ¶B. Training Conducted During this Reporting Period: - None. ¶C. Equipment Delivered During this Reporting Period: - One Z-Backscatter van was formally transferred to Turkish Customs Enforcement on December 7th, 2007. Customs Enforcement has obtained the required Turkish licenses and picked up the van on January 11th, 2008. ¶D. Imminent Training or Equipment Status Update: 1) 8 ea- CT-30 Kits and 200 ea- Gerber tool kits w/flashlights are at Ankara Airport in bonded storage at a special warehouse for radioactive materials and MFA has informed us that they have obtain all required licenses for Customs clearance. Anticipate delivery to Customs Enforcement in 1-2 weeks. As noted in last month's report, Los Alamos Technical Associates (LATA) will need to provide funding for storage fees upon the equipment's release from the bonded warehouse. Expected storage cost will be approximately $25 per day for all materials in storage, or approximately $1,125 in total. 2) In cooperation with EXBS, DOE/SLD has scheduled 6- two day hand-held radiation detection training sessions for up to 48 Turkish National Police officers at the TNP,s Golbasi Training facility for February 1 - 18, 2008. This will be conducted by three DOE Pacific Northwest Laboratory instructors. ¶E. Significant Developments in Export Controls, Nonproliferation, or Related Border Security: The Undersecretariat for Foreign Trade continues to work with Parliament to harmonize current export control Laws with EU Export Control Laws. UFT expects these new laws to be enacted later in 2008. ¶3. Future Activities: EXBS Advisor requested MFA approval to visit several southern ports of entry in mid-to- late January ¶2008. Advisor also made a request to attend the commissioning ceremony in the port of Izmir for a new x-ray unit which was donated by the EU to Turkish Customs Enforcement. ¶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