VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAK #0502 0381230
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 071230Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2976
INFO RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU PRIORITY
RUEHAK/USDAO ANKARA TU PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC//USDP:PDUSDP/ISA:EUR/ISA:NESA/DSCA// PRIORITY

UNCLAS ANKARA 000502 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE AND PM/DTTC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KOMC ETTC MASS TU
SUBJECT: BLUE LANTERN LEVEL 3: PRE-LICENSE END USE CHECK OF 
APPLICATION 05-981743 
 
REF: SECSTATE 217260 
 
¶1. Begin Summary: We met twice in January 2006 with officials 
from Turkey's Mechanical and Chemical Industries Corporation 
(MKEK) to discuss order/contract number 03361, per reftel, 
and confirmed that MKEK's intended purchase of approximately 
200 handguns from Smith and Wesson appears to be a standard 
transaction.  Despite an awkward initial meeting, Embassy 
officers received satisfactory answers to their questions 
during a subsequent meeting.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. During a Jan. 6 meeting, MKEK acting procurement chief 
Mustafa Aycicek was not very forthcoming.  In fact, Aycicek 
appeared nervous and refused to answer basic questions. 
Aycicek did, however, show us a copy of the proposed handguns 
deal with Smith and Wesson, and stated that the handguns were 
not intended for any specific government organization. 
 
¶3. In a follow-up meeting on Jan. 23, Akif Akgul, MKEK's 
Director of Marketing and Export, and Aynur Ceylan, an MKEK 
Export Manager were very forthcoming.  According to Akgul, 
MKEK is 100 percent owned by the Turkish government, and 
receives almost all of its orders/contracts from the Turkish 
Ministry of National Defense (MND).  MKEK Marketing/Sales 
officials said the company sells a small amount of controlled 
goods (such as explosive survey charges) to civilians and 
civilian firms, but that goods such as the Smith and Wesson 
handguns could only be purchased by a very select few people 
in Turkey -- namely those in the military or internal 
security, as well as a limited number of civilians with 
permits -- after strenuous background investigations.  The 
Marketing/Sales team emphasized that MKEK keeps good records 
on any contracts/purchases that involve firearms. 
 
¶4.  MKEK has been in business since 1950, and the main MKEK 
facility on Tandogan Square appears to have good on-site 
security.  The company appears to have the necessary firearms 
license and import permits required.  The MKEK officials 
commented that U.S. export regulations, such as those 
involving the Smith & Wesson handguns, were too stringent and 
hurt the ability of U.S. companies to compete for Turkish MND 
contracts. 
 
¶5.  Based on the site visit, the viewed documentation and the 
meeting with MKEK Marketing/Sales officials, we believe the 
proposed sale meets the appropriate end-use standards. 
WILSON