EXBS: TURKEY ADVISORS MONTHLY REPORT- (JANUARY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000194 SIPDIS DEPT FOR ISN/ECC- JFRIEDMAN, ACHURCH, EMCPHERSON DEPT FOR EUR/SE, DMARSH, IGOODMAN DOE/NNSA- TPERRY, LPARKER, RTALLEY, EDESCHLER CBP/INA- TBAILEY, BSUBER DOC FOR DCREED E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETTC KNNP KSTC MNUC PARM PREL TU SUBJECT: EXBS: TURKEY ADVISORS MONTHLY REPORT- (JANUARY 2010) ¶I. BROAD ITEMS OF INTEREST TO ADVISORS AND AGENCY MANAGERS: Customs Undersecretary Maksut Mete advised the media that a new Customs law was proposed to the Turkish Council of Ministers which will enable Customs officers to conduct wire tapping to support cases involving human trafficking, narcotics, counterfeit money, bribery, weapon smuggling, and the protection of cultural and national assets. The new law provides for an additional 2,500 positions for 2010, and an additional 2,500 positions for 2011. Under the new law, the Customs Enforcement Department will establish a new intelligence unit to improve its effectiveness against smugglers. The law, once passed by Parliament, will consolidate the current 18 regional directorates into 14 to further streamline the agency. (Source: http://www.aksam.com.tr/2010/01/10/haber/ dunya/3295/gumrukler de artik dinleyeck.html) II. COMPLETED ACTIONS FOR THE PROCESSING PERIOD: ¶A. SITE ASSESSMENTS AND MEETINGS CONDUCTED: ¶1. January 6 - The EXBS Advisor and Coordinator met with Ender Gurleyik and Mehmet Akilli, Department Heads for the Directorate General of Customs Enforcement to discuss EXBS training events scheduled for 2010, review Customs equipment needs, and to request border crossing visits for equipment utilization verifications. Mr. Gurleyik advised that the European Union had provided five container relocatable x-ray units for four seaports and one land border, 7 new mobile truck x-ray units for use anywhere, and had provided funding for the construction of a railroad x-ray for the Kapikoy land border gate at the Iran - Turkey border. The rail x-ray is estimated to be completed by December 2011 as there are several infrastructure improvements that must be made to both the Customs facility and the rail line in this remote, mountainous area in addition to the installation of the x-ray. He also advised that Turkish Customs welcomed all training events, both in Turkey and in the United States, and the International Rail Interdiction Training program scheduled for this year was both timely and needed. He believes this training should be conducted in the United States so the Turkish Customs Officers can see a rail x-ray unit in operation, and get hands on experience with experienced officers. He welcomes the International Seaport Interdiction Training in Turkey, and suggested it could be conducted in Istanbul, Izmir or Mersin to enable practical exercises in the stream of commerce. He also wants his officers to attend the Export Enforcement training program (ICE),and the Seaport Security and Anti-Terrorism course (USCG) when they are scheduled this year. He advised that the ZBV Backscatter X-Ray Van, which had been kept in storage for the last 2 years due to legal issues, has finally been assigned to his mobile task group, and is presently operating on the Turkey-Bulgarian border. Mehmet Akilli, who attended the Radiation Academy, and International Border Interdiction Training this past November, was extremely complimentary of both programs, and highly praised the professionalism and presentations of the RADACAD program. He is eager to acquire Personal Radiation Devices for his officers to enable them to safely recognize and deal with attempts to smuggle radioactive materials and requested any assistance we could provide in obtaining the devices. Comment: This could be an opportunity for engagement by DOE/Second Line of Defense to provide PRDs to Customs and other border officers in lieu of Portal Monitors which the Turkish Atomic Energy Authority(TAEK) continues to resist. End Comment. ¶2. January 11 - The EXBS Advisor and Coordinator met with Arslan Umut Ergezer, the Trade Officer for the Delegation of the European Union to Turkey to discuss the EU's access to the Turkish Customs border gates, training programs conducted by EU, equipment grants to Turkey, and other issues relating to Turkey Customs border management. The EU has been working closely with Turkish Customs for several years in amending Turkey's Customs laws to conform with those of the European Union. It has been recently working with Turkish Customs to ANKARA 00000194 002 OF 002 assist them in developing post import controls, providing training and materials to improve enforcement of intellectual property rights and in establishing better controls over Free Trade Zones. The EU will be conducting assessments at each of Turkeys border gates and ports of entry during 2010. We requested permission to accompany the assessment teams on their reviews, but Mr. Ergezer believes that may be a problem. He did offer to provide us with access to the assessment team members as they completed their reviews. We explained that we were particularly interested in the use of the radiation detection equipment by the Turkish Customs officers, and the current operational status of the portal monitors. We requested that he add this observation to the check list of the assessment teams. The EU will also be concentrating on export control and export enforcement issues this year. We mentioned that we had conducted some training over the last four years in commodity identification, dual use merchandise and industry outreach, and that we would try to make more training opportunities in export control enforcement available to Turkish Customs during the next year. The EU has provided tools, including Busters to Turkish Customs in the last several years, but has not provided any radiation detection equipment. He thought our emphasis on hand held radiation detection and identification equipment and the personal radiation detectors for use by Customs Officers was a good use of funding that would complement the EU's efforts. ¶B. TRAINING COURSES CONDUCTED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD: None ¶C. EQUIPMENT DELIVERED DURING THIS REPORTING PERIOD: None ¶D. IMMINENT TRAINING OR EQUIPMENT STATUS: We have been notified by Culmen International, that the hand held inspection equipment including 9 Sabre 4000 ion scan consumable kits, 15 Buster K-910B denisity meters, 5 video scopes, 50 laser distance meters, 10 basic tool bags, 100 inspection probe kits, and 100 Gerber multi-tools have been shipped, and should arrive in early February for disbursement to Turkish Customs. We are also beginning the process to coordinate the attendance of 18 Turkish Customs officers at the CBP International Rail Inspection Training in El Paso, Texas from May 10 to 14. ¶E. SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN EXPORT CONTROLS, NONPROLIFERATION, AND RELATED BORDER SECURITY: None III. FUTURE ACTIVITIES: IV. RED FLAG ISSUES: None ¶V. CONTACT INFORMATION FOR EXBS PROGRAM ANKARA: Robert Hessler, EXBS Advisor, Email: hesslerre@state.gov, Office (90) 312 457-7210, Cell: (90) 533-716-4805; Erhan Mert, EXBS Coordinator, Email: MertE2@state.gov, Office (90) 312 457-7059, cell (90) 533-264-8507. EXBS Program Office FAX (90) 312 468-4775. Jeffrey "Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.intelink.s gov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turkey"