VZCZCXRO9985
RR RUEHDBU
DE RUEHAK #2727/01 3110844
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 070844Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4292
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
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JCS WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 002727 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NP/ECC- YWONG, ACHURCH, BGOLDEN 
DEPT FOR EUR/ACE- DSILLIMAN, BHUNT, PMALIK 
DOE/NNSA- TPERRY, LPARKER, EDESCHLER 
CBP/INA- BWATTS, BPICKETT 
DOC FOR DCREED 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETTC KNNP KSTC MNUC PARM PREL TU
SUBJECT: EXBS: TURKEY ADVISOR'S MONTHLY REPORTING CABLE - 
OCTOBER 2007 
 
REF: 2004 STATE 146478 
 
¶1. Summary:  The EXBS Advisor transition was completed with 
Robert Cieslinski assuming duties as EXBS Advisor to 
Turkey.  The language in the property grant to transfer 
Z-Backscatter Van (ZBV) to Turkish Customs has been 
reviewed with A/LM/AQM and is under consideration by Turkish 
Customs.  Turkish perception of lack of progress toward 
U.S. ratification of the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy 
(123) Agreement continue to hamper current and future EXBS 
and DOE/SLD activities, including implementation of the EXBS 
nonproliferation agreement. 
 
¶2. Completed Actions for the Reporting Period 
 
¶A. Site Assessment and Meetings During Recent Reporting Period 
 
1)  Oct 3 - Robert Cieslinski reported to post to assume 
duties as EXBS Advisor.  Kevin Lyons, outgoing EXBS 
Advisor, provided an overview of current programs to include 
issues concerning the transfer of Z-Backscatter 
Van, CT-30 Kits and Academy curriculum training review with 
Customs, as well as DOE/SLD equipment and training programs 
intended for both Turkish Customs and Turkish National Police. 
 
2)  Oct 4 - Incoming and outgoing EXBS Advisors and EXBS 
Coordinator, Erhan Mert, made introductory calls on Turkish 
National Police and Turkish 
Custom officials including: 
 
a) Mr. Mehmet Ali Keskinkilic, Chief of Organized Crime 
Section, Turkish National Police (TNP).  We 
discussed various past initiatives (RADACAD and Seaport 
training in Miami) and the need to complete the recently 
canceled HAZMAT training stateside, possibly in early CY08. 
We provided Mr. Keskinkilic with a document 
outlining the proposed DOE/SLD equipment program to include 
the assembly of radiation detection vans, radiation pagers, 
hand held detectors and cameras, which he agreed to review. 
TNP has been a major recipient of recent EXBS 
funded workshops in U.S. 
 
b) Mr. Riza Mehmet Korkmaz, Undersecretariat of Customs, 
Director General for EU and External Relations.  We discussed 
training 
and equipment requirements related to the transfer of 
Z-Backscatter van, future training programs for the Turkish 
Customs 
Training Academy, and his desire to continue to work closely 
with the EXBS program. 
 
c) Mr. Ihsan Kocer, Undersecretariat of Customs, Deputy 
Director General for EU and External Affairs.  We provided a 
draft report on the 
 findings of the CBP review, conducted this summer, of 
Turkish Customs Academy training programs.  We stated that, 
with Turkish Customs 
 agreement, CBP is prepared to conduct the final phase of 
this curriculum review using DHS/CBP trainers in Turkey, and 
to provide Turkish 
Customs with recommendations to update the Academy's training 
curriculum. 
 
d) Mr. Mehmet Guzel, Turkish Customs, Deputy Director 
General for Enforcement.  Mr. Guzel is the main POC for 
training initiatives to 
 Turkish Customs Enforcement Officers in the field and for 
all enforcement related equipment deliveries for Customs.  We 
confirmed that 
his office has submitted input on the DOS Property Grant 
Agreement to MFA.  He will be our main POC for the delivery 
of the Z-Backscatter 
van, which is currently in storage in Ankara, and the CT-30 
kits and related enforcement equipment which are due to be 
delivered this fall. 
Mr. Guzel also briefly introduced us to Director General of 
Customs Enforcement Hayrettein Cevher. 
 
 
ANKARA 00002727  002 OF 004 
 
 
3)  Oct 5 - We met with Ms. Elif Comoglu Ulgen, Section Chief 
for MFA Department of Arms Control and Disarmament (DACD). 
Ms. Ulgen, 
who is slated to become DACD department head, provided us 
with the formal feedback for the property grant agreement 
from Turkish Customs 
for the delivery of the Z-Backscatter van.  We agreed to 
review and provide a final U.S. draft of this document for 
formal acceptance by the Turkish 
government.  Ms. Ulgen also informed us of the GOT decision 
not to accept the DOE/SLD offer to replace the older 
U.S-provided radiation detection 
portal monitors with a newer, more capable model, opting 
instead to depend on a portal monitor indigenously produced 
by TAEK (ref. b). 
 
4) Oct 10 - Kevin Lyons officially concluded his tenure as 
EXBS Advisor. 
 
5)  Oct 17 - During a follow-up meeting with DDG for Customs 
Enforcement Guzel, we provided him the latest copy of the 
U.S. approved property 
grant agreement.  He accepted the U.S. changes, and stressed 
that he was most concerned about receiving the van and 
putting it to work for Customs. 
He noted that Turkish Customs, External Affairs Office and 
the MFA would have to provide final approval of this grant . 
Responding to our request to visit 
border crossing locations over the next six months, Guzel 
said this would have to be approved by MFA, since it would 
involve several agencies, including 
Customs, the TNP, and the MFA.  He offered to provide us with 
a presentation at Customs headquarters on their 
organizational structure and an overview 
of their border inspection programs (which took place on 
November 6).  We discussed the new TAEK-built portal monitors 
and he stated that TAEK had 
been working on its own portal monitors even as discussions 
about U.S. replacement of older portal monitors were ongoing. 
 He confirmed that TAEK has 
already deployed four new monitors at Habur crossing on the 
Iraq border, in both the inbound and outbound lanes.  He 
noted TAEK plans to maintain current 
U.S.-provided monitors for the time being, and operate TAEK 
portal monitors to confirm they are operating effectively 
with the U.S. monitors.  Mr. Guzel also 
noted that TAEK,s monitors are capable of providing remote 
alarm information to Customs Headquarters in Ankara.  We 
reiterated our desire to work closely 
with TAEK and Customs to ensure that these portal monitors 
are effective.  He stated that TAEK and MFA have not 
addressed the other equipment that SLD 
has offered to Customs (RIDDS, Pagers, cameras, etc.) and we 
agreed to raise this with MFA in future meetings. 
 
6)  Oct 18 - During a follow-up meeting with TNP,s 
Keskinkilic, he said his section is willing to take part in 
the training events under the DOE/SLD program, 
but it must be approved at a higher level within TNP.  He 
explained that his section's main responsibility is to combat 
organized crimes and not solely nuclear 
material smuggling issues.   The EXBS advisor undertook to 
seek MFA and TNP external relations office's approval of the 
DOE/SLD program so that the 
program can begin as soon as possible. 
 
7) Oct 26 -  We met with Dr. Ahmet Yayla, TNP Assistant 
Director for Counter Terrorism Division to discuss the 
DOE/SLD proposal to provide TNP with 
increased detection capabilities and our desire to move 
forward with continued EXBS related training activities 
(including HAZMAT training and border 
interdiction programs).  Yayla said he does not plan to seek 
MFA and TAEK approval of the DOE/SLD proposal, or any other 
nonproliferation related activities 
until the U.S. provides GOT with some substantive information 
on the status of U.S. efforts to ratify the Peaceful Uses of 
Nuclear Energy (123) agreement. He 
 
ANKARA 00002727  003 OF 004 
 
 
said the president of TAEK had indicated that he will not 
approve nonproliferation cooperation between the U.S. and any 
GOT agency until the GOT sees U.S. 
progress toward ratifying the 123 Agreement.  Dr. Yayla also 
noted the need for improvement in U.S.-Turkish relations in 
general, stating that concerns related 
to the Armenian Genocide Resolution and U.S. inaction toward 
the PKK are impeding GOT willingness to engage in bilateral 
cooperation.  Yayla stressed he is 
eager to work closely with U.S. interdiction and enforcement 
programs in the future, but believes that if he pursues any 
of these new activities at this time, it 
will result in high-level resistance, which would be hard to 
overcome.  We agreed to continue to meet and work toward 
movement on these issues 
on a regular basis. 
 
8)  Oct 31 - We met with Mr. Ziya Demirduzen, 
Undersecretariat of Foreign Trade's (UFT) Director General 
for Agreements, to confirm that UFT was continuing to 
work on the Internal Control Program (ICP) workshop 
implementation and to check on GOT progress in revising 
Turkey's Dual-Use Export Control laws.  Demirduzen said UFT 
has been working 
on transferring the customized ICP software to a web-based 
platform before beginning the delivery of the ICP program to 
Industry.  He anticipates this will be done 
within the next 6-8 weeks and UFT will begin to roll out ICP 
workshops beginning in Istanbul and then Izmir in the 
December/January time frame.  Demirduzen agreed 
to consider our request for either the EXBS Advisor or 
Coordinator to attend one of these ICP workshops.  Demirduzen 
declined our offer to provide an ICP program 
specialist to support UFT's implementation efforts, stating 
that UFT is able to manage the ICP rollout on its own for 
now, but may require assistance with the ICP 
software in the future, once it has been deployed to 
industry.  Regarding ongoing revisions to Turkey's Export 
Control Laws, Demirduzen stated that his staff is 
working with Parliament and that they are almost finished 
with the first draft.  Demirduzen also declined our offer to 
provide legal and regulatory experts to assist his 
office.  We also inquired about the status of the Industry 
Government Forum, which has been dormant for some time.  He 
confirmed that it will still be several years 
until the revised laws are in place and that he wanted to 
complete ICP deployments first, to better inform industry of 
Turkey,s export control programs before holding 
a large forum. 
 
¶B.  Training Conducted During this Reporting Period: - None. 
 
¶C. Equipment Delivered During this Reporting Period: - None. 
 
¶D. Imminent Training or Equipment Status Update: 
 
1)   As noted earlier, it is possible that the property grant 
will be approved by GOT within the next few weeks for the 
acceptance of the Z-Backscatter van.  It is 
anticipated that once this document is approved, the EXBS 
Advisor will be able to deliver the ZBV van to Customs within 
4-6 weeks. 
 
¶E.  Significant Developments in Export Controls, 
Nonproliferation, or Related Border Security:  The 
Undersecretariat for Foreign Trade is working closely with 
Parliament to update current Export Control Laws to be closer 
in line with EU Export Control Laws. 
 
¶3. Future Activities:  EXBS Advisor anticipates visiting 
several Ports of Entry within the next 4-6 weeks, pending MFA 
and Customs/TNP acceptance and approval. 
 
¶4. Red Flag Issues:  None. 
 
¶5.  Contact information for EXBS Program Ankara is:  Robert 
Cieslinski, EXBS Advisor, Email: CieslinskiRL@state.gov, 
Office (90) (312) 457-7210, 
 
ANKARA 00002727  004 OF 004 
 
 
Cell (90) (533) 716-4808 and Erhan Mert, EXBS Coordinator, 
Email: MertE2@state.gov, Office(90)312 457-7059, Cell (90) 
(533) 264-8407.  EXBS Program 
Office Fax (90) (312) 468-4775 
 
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
MCELDOWNEY