SAFE DEPARTURE OF HEU FROM TURKEY ADVANCES

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 001828 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE, DEPT OF ENERGY FOR NNSA E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/23/2019 TAGS: KNNP PREL ENRG TU SUBJECT: SAFE DEPARTURE OF HEU FROM TURKEY ADVANCES NONPROLIFERATION GOAL Classified By: Pol-Mil Counselor Anthony Godfrey, Reasons 1.4 (b,d) ¶1. (C) Officials from Department of Energy/National Nuclear Safety Administration (DOE/NNSA) along with contractors oversaw on December 14 the removal of Turkey's stockpile of highly enriched uranium (HEU) spent fuel elements from the Cekmece Nuclear Research and Training Center located in Istanbul. The elements moved from the Cekmece Center under police escort, boarded a ferry to cross the Dardenlles Strait, and were loaded onto a vessel chartered by the DOE, which departed Turkish territorial waters in the early hours of December 15. This action completes the MOU signed between the Department of Energy and the Turkish Atomic Energy Authority in September 2008 to replace Turkey's HEU fuel with an equivalent amount of LEU. The removal of the HEU ensures that the facility will only operate on LEU and eliminates a potential proliferation risk in Turkey. As agreed to in the 2008 MOU, one unirradiated HEU fuel element remains in Cekmece, which will be used for scientific testing and instrumentation purposes. ¶2. (C) The shipment of HEU represents the final step in the long-standing U.S. effort to remove all weapons-grade nuclear material from Turkey. The USG had proposed to accept the spent HEU from Cekmece as early as 1996, but the GoT had linked the signing of a bilateral Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy (also known as "123") Agreement to its willingness to ship the HEU spent fuel to the U.S. With the entry into force of the 123 Agreement between the U.S. and Turkey in June 2008, the Turkish Atomic Energy Authority (TAEK) agreed to proceed with the shipment, concluding the MOU in September 2008 with DOE/NNSA. ¶3. (C) The shipment became politically complicated because it was combined with a nuclear shipment from Israel. The rising tensions in Turkish-Israeli relations in 2009 had threatened to turn the presence of nuclear material from Israel in Turkish waters into a political issue. To its credit, the GoT kept the matter out of the press and proceeded with the terms of the shipment as agreed to in 2008. The GoT provided the logistical and security support needed to ensure the safe movement of the material. Although there were technical and bureaucratic bumps along the way, TAEK and the MFA, in collaboration with Post and DOE/NNSA representatives and contractors, worked closely to overcome the challenges and made sure the shipment remained on schedule. ¶4. (C) The HEU removal is a tangible step in reducing the risk of nuclear proliferation in Turkey and the region. Post deeply appreciates the Department of Energy/NNSA for its close cooperation and coordination over the course of this project. Post wishes to thank in particular Charles "Chuck" Messick, who served as Post's primary interface with DOE/NSSA, for his tireless efforts in making this shipment possible. SILLIMAN "Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.intelink.s gov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turkey"