Cablegate: Counter Terrorism Finance Working Group (Ctfwg):
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS ANKARA 007073
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
TREASURY FOR OFAC, FINCEN AND TFFC
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EFIN PTER ETTC TU KTFN
SUBJECT: COUNTER TERRORISM FINANCE WORKING GROUP (CTFWG):
MINUTES OF 12/20/04 MEETING
1. (SBU) On December 22, DCM and Terrorism Finance
Coordination Officer (TFCO), Robert S. Deutsch, chaired the
meeting of the Counter Terrorism Finance Working Group
(CTFWG). Other participants included representatives from
ECON, RSO, DEA, FBI, CONS, and OSI.
2. (U) ECON gave a brief overview of the results of two
training programs on money laundering and terrorist financing
that took place in Ankara this month. The first was held
December 6-10 at the Turkish National Police (TNP) training
academy and was instructed by a team of FBI, IRS, and
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) agents. The
second was held December 13-15 at the Ankara Judge House for
prosecutors and judges and was conducted by a team of US
judges, prosecutors, and a DEA agent. Both training programs
generated positive feedback from the Turkish participants.
The main issue that resonated throughout both programs was
the need for greater cooperation between the relevant
government agencies which deal with money laundering and
terrorism finance.
3. (U) ECON also reported that the GOT is taking measures to
improve their internal capabilities on fighting terrorism
finance. The GOT finally approved the Strasbourg Treaty of
1990 which allows for more international cooperation on the
seizing of assets for drug-related and non-drug-related
crimes. The treaty allows the GOT to freeze assets on their
own authority. Previously, the GOT abided by the reciprocity
principle or determined whether the individual or entity was
listed on one of the UN sanctioned lists of sponsors of
terrorism finance before it could freeze assets. In
addition, there is a GOT working group which is revising the
national terrorism-combating law. It seeks to broaden the
definition of terrorism finance so that it complies with the
UN definition and is harmonized with the EU definition of
terrorism finance.
DEUTSCH