VZCZCXYZ0017
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAK #6119/01 2991405
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 261405Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9618
INFO RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL IMMEDIATE 1514

UNCLAS ANKARA 006119 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB OTRA AFIN AMGT PGOV TU
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 
OFFICIAL MIHAIL SEROKA 
 
REF: STATE 177391 
 
¶1. (U) Mission warmly welcomes and grants country clearance 
to USDOL official Mr. Mihail Seroka.  Control Officer is 
POLOFF Chris Krafft who can be reached 24 hours at 
90-312-455-5555, ext 0 or via cell 0533-523-3592. 
 
¶2. (U) Hotel and other logistical information will be 
communicated in separate communication. 
 
¶3. (U) Visas:  Please note that all Americans entering Turkey 
must have a valid Visa.  The only exception is military 
personnel traveling on NATO orders.  Military IDs are not/not 
acceptable travel documents.  Travelers with tourist 
passports can obtain a Visa valid for one entry/three months 
at ports of entry upon payment of a USD 20 fee in cash. 
(This fee is payable only U.S. dollars).  Holders of official 
or diplomatic passports must obtain Visas from the nearest 
Turkish Embassy (not Consulate) before arriving in Turkey. 
Visas for official and diplomatic passports will not/not be 
available at ports of entry. 
 
¶4. (U) Health Safety:  Information on vaccinations and other 
health precautions can be obtained from the Center for 
Disease Control and Prevention hotline for international 
travelers (tel: 1-877-394-8747); fax 1-800-232-3299; or via 
the internet at HTTP//www.cdc.gov. 
 
¶5. (U) Security Assessment:  In light of ongoing military 
operations in Iraq and continued operations in support of the 
war on terrorism there remains the potential for both 
transnational and indigenous terrorist groups with 
anti-Western sympathies, to include Kongra Gel (formerly 
PKK), Revolutionary People's Liberation/Front (DHKP/C), 
Marxist-Leninist Communist Party (MLKP), Turkish Communist 
Party/Marxist Leninist (TKP/ML), Turkish Workers and Peasants 
Revolutionary Army (TIKKO) and Islamic Greater Eastern 
Raiders/Front (IBDA/C) continue to operate in Turkey. 
 
Attacks over the last few years, attributed to these groups, 
have occurred in the Aegean and Mediterranean coastal resort 
areas, as well as in Istanbul.  Most of the attacks, 
generally small-scale bombings, have occurred in 
neighborhoods of Istanbul not generally frequented by 
official Americans or tourists.  Also in 2005 and 2006 public 
buses have been set on fire, with the most recent incident 
resulting in three deaths.  Thus far, these attacks on buses 
also have taken place in areas of Istanbul distant from 
official American or tourist destinations.  A Kurdish group, 
ostensibly aligned with the PKK terrorists, claimed 
responsibility for many of the incidents noted above, and in 
April 2006 this group issued a statement renewing a threat to 
target Turkey's tourism industry. 
 
Violent demonstrations have occurred in Turkey, the most 
recent in Istanbul, and in several cities in Southeastern 
Turkey.  Just as with members of Mission Turkey, USG visitors 
are required to obtain RSO Ankara and DCM approval for travel 
to the Southeast. 
 
Al-Qa'ida threats to target U.S. facilities in Turkey have 
been public knowledge for some time.  On November 15, 2003 
two synagogues in Istanbul were the targets of suicide car 
bombs. On November 20, 2003, the British Consulate General 
and the London-based HSBC bank in Istanbul were struck by 
powerful explosions, killing dozens and wounding hundreds. 
Though prosecutions of those responsible are still ongoing, 
indications are that the indigenous radical Islamic terrorist 
group responsible was supported by the Al-Qa'ida network. 
The August 2005 discovery in Antayla of a potential plot 
against maritime interest and subsequent arrest of a Syrian 
Al-Qa'ida facilitator and planner further attest to the 
ongoing transnational threat. 
 
The incidents of crime, both violent and the more traditional 
tourists crimes (pick pocketing, purse-snatching, etc.), is 
relatively low throughout Turkey.  However, over the last 
year, there has been a marked increase in the number of 
crimes reported to Consulate General in Istanbul.  Much of 
the crime is centered in the areas frequented by tourists, 
Consulate employees and official visitors.  Visitors should 
be particularly attentive for pick pockets in and around the 
Sultanahmet, Taksim Square, and Istiklal Caddesi areas of 
Istanbul.  Often pick pocketing if preceded by some sort of 
diversion, such as an argument or fight, or children asking 
to assist tourists, for example with their bags.  If you 
encounter such activity, secure your wallet or purse and 
quickly leave the area.  Another scam that is becoming more 
prevalent is that of a stranger approaching  a visitor and 
striking up a conversation which is continued  inside a 
restaurant or club, where one is either drugged and robbed or 
presented with an enormous bill and intimidated into paying 
 
it.  The security office encourages visitors to report any 
security incidents, including surveillance, to the RSO 
immediately. 
 
Useful security information about Turkey is available on the 
following websites: 
 
--Embassy Ankara:  HTTP://WWW.USEMB-ANKARA.ORG.TR (Click on 
Security Matters) 
 
--Consulate General Istanbul: 
HTTP://USCONSULATE-ISTANBUL.ORG.TR 
 
¶6. (U) For further information regarding travel in Turkey, 
consult the consular information sheet.  The consulate 
information sheet and public announcements are available on 
the internet at:  HTTP://TRAVEL.STATE.GOV 
 
Other information is available on the following websites: 
 
--The State Department Consular Affairs (CA) websites: 
 HTTP://WWW.TRAVEL.STATE.GOV/TURKEY.HTML 
--Turkish Daily News (ENglish Language Turksih newspaper): 
HTTP://WWW>TURKISHDAILYNEWS.COM 
--Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs: 
HTTP://WWW.MFA.GOV.TR 
--The Republic of Turkey Home Page: 
HTTP://WWW.TURKEY/INDEX.HTML 
--Weather for Turkey: 
HTTP://WWW. WUNDERGROUND.COM/GLOBAL/TU/HTML 
 
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON