Cablegate: Exbs: Turkey Advisors Monthly Report- (January

VZCZCXRO8519
RR RUEHDBU RUEHSL
DE RUEHAK #0194/01 0361000
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 051000Z FEB 10 ZDK DUE TO MULTIPLE ZFX
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2014
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RULSJGA/COMDT COGUARD WASHDC
RUEAORC/US CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION WASHINGTON DC
INFO RUCNEXC/EXPORT CONTROL AND RELATED BORDER SECURITY
RUEATRS/TREASURY DEPT WASHDC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JCS WASHDC

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"

© Scoop Media