VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAK #7544 3570742
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 230742Z DEC 05
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2165
INFO RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 0791
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0488
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 0072

UNCLAS ANKARA 007544 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/SE, ISN/RA 
DOE FOR JSCHWARTZEL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ENRG IZ JO KNNP OTRA PARM TRGY TU
SUBJECT: STATUS UPDATE: MEETING BETWEEN NUCLEAR AGENCY 
HEADS OF TURKEY, JORDAN AND IRAQ 
 
REF: ANKARA 4037 
 
¶1.  Summary:  Following up on a DOE/IRTR suggestions, Turkish 
Atomic Energy Authority (TAEK) offered to host a meeting with 
the head of the Jordanian and Iraqi nuclear authorities in 
early 2006.  The Turks would welcome U.S. observers to the 
meeting. The purpose of the meeting is to begin discussions 
of regional cooperation and communications to address illicit 
trafficking of radioactive materials across respective 
borders.  TAEK President discussed meeting with Jordanian 
Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) President gaining support for 
the initiative.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  Members of the DOE Office of International Radiological 
Threat Reduction Program (IRTR) visited Ankara June 28, 2005 
and agreed with Turkish Atomic Energy Authority (TAEK) 
President, Dr. Okay Cakiroglu, that IRTR and TAEK would 
cooperatively develop a plan of action and milestones to 
assist the Iraqi gvernment to achieve positive control of 
radioctive materials within Iraq, prevent contaminated 
shipments from leaving Iraq or being dumped close to their 
borders.  Since similar trafficking incidents were occurring 
on the Jordanian/Iraqi border, Cakiroglu agreed to include 
Jordanian authorities in resulting activities (ref a). 
 
¶3.  A first opportunity for the three senior members of the 
Turkish, Jordanian and Iraqi Nuclear Authorities to meet was 
in September 2005 during the "Workshop on Cooperative 
Monitoring along Iraq's Frontiers" sponsored by CMC Amman and 
NESA Center.  Due to scheduling difficulties, Cakiroglu and 
Jordanian Atomic Energy Commission President Dr. Kodah were 
not able to attend this workshop.  However, a representative 
of the Turkish MFA First Secretary for Security Affairs Ali 
Findik, Dr. Kodah's representative Dr. Mamoun Makahleh, and 
Iraqi Radioactive Source Regulatory Agency Chairman Dr. Mousa 
Al Atia did attend and agreed that a meeting of the three 
agency heads could assist in the decrease of radioactive 
incidents at the borders, increase communications between 
agencies and that it would be beneficial to his developing 
program. 
 
¶4.  During a December 8 discussion, TAEK President, Cakiroglu 
informed EXBS Advisor that he had just returned from a 
Regional Nuclear Agency Conference in Amman Jordan.  While in 
Amman, Cakiroglu met with JAEC President Kodah and discussed 
the need to meet and discuss joint cooperation with the goal 
to improve control of radiological and/or radioactive 
contaminated materials in Iraq.  Cakiroglu informed Kodah 
that he was intending to try to hold a meeting the end of 
January or early Feb. and he hoped Kodah was available to 
attend.  Cakiroglu stated that Kodah told him that he was 
unsure of his schedule but that he was very interested in 
attending the meeting and in a joint cooperation program with 
Iraq. 
 
¶5.  Comment: We are encouraged that the GOT has followed up 
on IRTR's suggestion and that the three nuclear authorities 
have agreed in principle to meet.  We have heard from MFA and 
TAEK sources that they would welcome a U.S. observer at this 
first meeting, which they see as an initial information 
exchange.  We will continue to encourage Ankara to push this 
initiative forward.  End comment. 
 
WILSON