VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAK #2888 3380951
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 040951Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 4537

UNCLAS ANKARA 002888 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR CA/OCS/CI 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: CASC PGOV PREL TU
SUBJECT:  FIVE YEARS WAITING IN THE WINGS: CHILDREN'S LAW SIGNED 
INTO TURKISH LAW 
 
 
¶1.  Turkish President Gul on December 1 signed into law the 
"Children's Law" which includes language implementing the Hague 
Convention on International Child Abduction.  The Turkish Parliament 
passed the law on November 22. 
 
¶2.  This marks the successful culmination of a five-year effort by 
post, spanning the terms of three U.S. Ambassadors, to get this 
legislation enacted.  An especially concerted push for passage of 
the law occurred this past spring:  Consular Affairs Assistant 
Secretary Maura Harty visited Turkey and made a series of calls on 
 
SIPDIS 
government officials to urge action, the Ambassador held a dinner 
focused on the Hague Convention for selected parliamentarians, and 
Embassy officers met on two occasions with governing Justice and 
Development Party (AKP) whips. 
 
¶3.  The legislation will be particularly helpful to law enforcement 
officials here. In the past, they have been hamstrung by Turkish 
domestic law that makes execution of court orders very 
time-consuming.  With the new legislation, police officers now have 
the authority to immediately execute court orders and take custody 
of the abducted child even in the absence of an abducting parent. 
WILSON