VZCZCXRO5532
RR RUEHAST
DE RUEHDA #0155 1810544
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 300544Z JUN 06
FM AMCONSUL ADANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4215
INFO RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0763
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0660
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0110
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS 0178
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 0815

UNCLAS ADANA 000155 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON CASC TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY: CORRUPTION INVESTIGATION AT HABUR GATE SLOWS FUEL 
TRUCK TRAFFIC 
 
¶1. (U) On June 28 the flow of fuel trucks across Habur Border 
Gate was drastically reduced in both directions for nearly one 
day as a result of the arrest of 30 officials at the gate, 
allegedly for irregular handling of petroleum products.  The 
press reported that the Silopi Prosecutor stopped transport 
through the gate for most of the day based on truck drivers' 
complaints that gate officials charged with detecting excess 
fuel (i.e., amounts of fuel exceeding the capacity of each 
individual truck-and therefore taxable--and carried in barrels) 
had seized extra fuel and stored it in tankers, allegedly for 
private use or sale.  As of the morning of June 30, the flow of 
trucks across the border had picked up only slightly.  It 
remains uncertain how long it will take before a more normal 
flow of traffic across the border will resume. 
---------- 
Earlier Meetings with Gate Officials 
----------- 
¶2. (SBU)  AMCON Adana conoffs called on acting Habur Gate 
sub-governor Haci Mehmet Kara on June 21.  The Habur MFA 
representative and the TOBB consortium construction manager 
joined the meeting while in progress.  Kara expressed confidence 
that the gate could continue to expand its operating capacity 
since the southbound construction project largely was completed 
and he had inspectors visibly working five of six available 
customs inspections stations, each oh which he said was equipped 
with scales.  He mentioned that both north and southbound bridge 
resurfacing also was complete.  The TOBB construction manager 
said that remaining project work was focused on completion of 
the initial northbound security assessment area followed by the 
northbound customs inspection stations.  Visible work to pour 
concrete over a wide concrete apron leading from the northbound 
inspection stations to a pre-exit marshalling area was visible 
on June 21.  Kara and the MFA representative said that the GoT 
agreed with the concept of multiple eventual border crossing 
with Iraq, mentioning Ovakoy as the second proposed site and 
saying that a third potential crossing could be placed between 
the Habur and Ovakoy sites, if traffic so demanded.  When 
discussion of the current renovation project's completion arose, 
Kara ventured "late July, early August," as the likely 
completion window.  Later the TOBB representative, who runs the 
project, said "middle to late August" is a more likely 
completion date, adding that "it will be no later than August 
when we get this project done."  Efforts to determine the exact 
traffic flow between customs stations southbound were 
unsuccessful and a clear process was not evident to conoffs. 
However, traffic flow inside the recently-completed southbound 
customs holding area immediately before the inspection stations 
and at the inspection stations themselves appeared more orderly 
than in past recent gate visits. 
 
¶3. (SBU)  At a subsequent June 21 weekly border crossing meeting 
attended by Turkish, Iraqi and U.S. military officials, Turkish 
and Iraqi officials discussed a possible plan to schedule most 
northbound Iraqi fuel oil shipments, which account for up to 150 
tankers daily, between 0500 and 0900 (local).  Iraqi officials 
also complained to GoT officials that a shipment of U.S.-origin 
frozen chicken from the Koch company had arrived at the Ibrahim 
Khalil side in spoiled fashion and thus was rejected, explaining 
a traffic snarl earlier in the week.  The Turkish truckers union 
representative asked that cargo trucks carrying "rejected 
merchandise" be given a priority to return to Turkey over other 
northbound traffic.  Both Turkish and Iraqi officials were 
non-committal in response. 
 
REID