VZCZCXRO1628
RR RUEHBW
DE RUEHAK #0908/01 1331007
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 121007Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6242
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 000908 
 
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 ADVISORS MONTHLY REPORT- (APRIL 2008) 
 
 
¶1. Summary:  The EXBS Team met with Turkish Customs officials 
and DHS/CBP Training specialist to review previously offered 
training and expand new training initiatives to include 
accession and OJT training programs.  DHS/CBP training team 
completed Z-Backscatter Van (ZBV) training for Turkish 
Customs operators. EXBS Program met with various Turkish and 
EU Commission officials to discuss proposed restructuring of 
Turkey's border management system under the Ministry of the 
Interior. 
 
¶2. Completed Actions for the Reporting Period 
 
¶A. Meetings During Recent Reporting Period 
 
1) EXBS Advisor held consultations in Washington from March 
31 to April 1.  While in DC, Advisor met with Brett Golden in 
DOS ISN/ECC, LaReinna Parker with DOE/INECP, Carson Kuo in 
ISN/NTOC, and Sharon Mark and Bobby Pickett at DHS/CBP. 
Topics included expected July/August implementation of EXBS 
Agreement by Turkey, the need to pursue further CIT 
engagement with Turkish UFT and Customs by moving ahead with 
DOE/NNSA engagement with WMD CIT development and delivery of 
XRF Density testers and associated training. Meeting with DHS 
focused on continuation of Accession and OJT curriculum 
development for Turkish Customs in August time frame by 
DHS/CBP training specialists (in Ankara) and additional 
DHS/CBP IBIT, IRIT training programs beginning in October. 
Kuo, Golden and Advisor discussed the possibility of moving 
ahead with a late fall briefing with Turkish officials by 
ISN/NTOC on coordination of U.S. Nonproliferation initiatives 
with Turkey. 
 
2)  April 8 - Met w/Undersecretariat of Customs, Enforcement 
Head of Department Ender Gurleyik.  Reviewed final 
preparation for Z-Backscatter van training to begin April 10 
at the Customs railway transit yard in Ankara.  Gurleyik 
provided a list of border locations that each CT-30 kit, 
delivered to Customs in March, was assigned to, which include 
the land border gates of Gurbulak (Iran), Oncupinar (Syria), 
Cilvegozu (Syria), Yayladagi (Syria), Harur (Iran), and Sarp 
(Georgia), as well as the maritime port of Samsun (central 
Black Sea coast).  As noted in last month's report, the 
eighth CT-30 Kit was assigned to the Customs Enforcement 
Smuggling unit in Ankara.  During this meeting, Gurleyik also 
provided a list of required detection equipment, per our 
request, and recommended specific equipment locations for all 
border ports of entry in Turkey, to include: IONSCAN 400B 
units (14), SABRE 4000 Mobile Trace Seeker (34), and K910 
Buster units (31).  Advisor again discussed the need to 
travel to various border ports of entry to better understand 
how each port operates, but Gurleyik reconfirmed that MFA 
would need to provide approval for all border visits.  MFA 
has indicated several times this will not occur until 
implementation of EXBS Agreement. 
 
3)  April 9 - Advisor met with DHS/CBP training team members 
Michael Chandarlis, Zulay Nunez and Renaldo Rivera to review 
Z-Backscatter van training goals and objectives and to 
provide them with a better understanding of Turkish Customs, 
Turkish cultural issues, and general security awareness 
issues for Ankara.  Chandarlis (training specialist/team 
lead) from DHS/CBP HQ and Nunez/Rivera are Custom Enforcement 
Officers who operate the Z-Backscatter van at the port of 
Miami. 
 
4) April 10 - EXBS Team attended the first day of 
Z-Backscatter van training and provided brief overview of 
EXBS program with Turkish Customs to the six students and 
port directors in attendance. 
 
5) April 16 - EXBS Team and Michael Chandarlis (DHS/CBP Team 
Lead) met w/Undersecretariat of Customs, and Customs 
Enforcement Training and Custom export control officials.  We 
reviewed previously delivered descriptions of DHS/CBP course 
offerings and discussed the need to progress with the 
training review of Turkish Customs accession and on-the-job 
training programs for Customs and Customs Enforcement 
officers.  In addition to DHS/CBP courses on enforcement, the 
group noted that they would like to access U.S. expertise for 
 
ANKARA 00000908  002 OF 004 
 
 
Turkish Customs Inspectors, specifically on intellectual 
property rights, and expressed an interest for more 
professional exchanges at large U.S. Border areas and "in the 
field" training as well.  We discussed various professional 
exchange opportunities available through both CBP and ICE, 
and noted the pending Controlled Delivery course that is to 
be delivered by DHS/ICE later this year, possibly in October. 
 Advisor inquired about the status of the new Commodity 
Identification Training (CIT) program that Turkish Customs 
and Turkish Atomic Energy Commission (TAEK) developed, with 
EXBS supported DOE collaboration.  Ms. Aynur Ciray, a Customs 
Expert from Turkish Customs noted that the first course was 
very successful, to the point of creating more demand for 
investigations and reviews than the current system could 
support.  Customs and TAEK are prepared to begin CIT training 
for 400 additional Customs officers, but are waiting for the 
revision of Turkish export control laws, which is being 
delivered to Parliament this summer, to ensure training 
contains new legal requirements and their limited licensing 
and CIT reach back capacity has been resolved under the new 
requirement for each ministry involved to establish a joint 
commission for export control licensing and regulatory review. 
 
6) April 17 - EXBS Team officiated the completion of 
Z-Backscatter van course and presented certificates of 
completion. 
 
7) April 22 - Advisor and Embassy Law Enforcement Work Group 
(LEWG) met with ISN/ATA assessment team and discussed their 
overall findings.  Team members stated the Turkish National 
Police (TNP) training academy was looking to train some 
40,000 new Border Management Specialists in the future to 
assume the role of Border Patrol officers between Ports of 
Entry, which the Turkish Gendarme currently performs. 
Advisor agreed with LEWG to investigate further to determine 
the restructuring of Turkish Border Management institutions 
were in fact being enacted within the Ministry of Interior. 
 
8) April 23 - EXBS Advisor and coordinator attended a Border 
Control Workshop at the Partnership for Peace Training 
Academy in Ankara.  This course was provided by Turkish 
General Staff (TGS), Coast Guard and Gendarme officers to 
approximately 18 regional Border Guard officials (Ukrainian, 
Albanian, and Turkish) and showcased how the Turkish General 
Staff, Coast Guard and Gendarme monitor and enforce Turkish 
border controls concerning terrorist, smuggling and other 
illicit activities at remote Turkish border locations.  Two 
DHS/CBP Border Patrol Officers presented both U.S. Border 
management strategies for the U.S./Mexican border and the 
U.S. Border Patrol's Case Management system, which could be 
used as a model for Turkish and regional case management, to 
include incident mission planning and personnel/resource 
management during routine patrolling and illegal border 
incursions operations against terrorists, illegal immigrants, 
and/or smugglers. 
 
9) April 24 - EXBS Team met with Integrated Border Management 
Project Implementation Project Director, Senol Arslan, at TNP 
headquarters.  Aslan described the National Action Plan for 
implementation of Turkey's Integrated Border Management 
Strategy, to bring Turkish Border Management practices in 
line with EU requirements for civilian control, in 
anticipation of accession to the EU.  He noted that this 
project began with the publication of the National Action 
Plan (NAP) in 2004, with the assistance of both Australian 
and EU officials.  The NAP, which is to be jointly funded by 
Turkey (25%) and EU Commission (75%) will give the Ministry 
of Interior responsibility for the management of all border 
areas between each Port of Entry's (POE), which will continue 
to be managed by Customs and TNP.  The NAP envisions that TNP 
will train approximately 34,000 new border officers, 
replacing the conscripted border force which Gendarme 
currently employs along its borders.  An additional 20,000 
new Coast Guard, Customs, and Police officials would also be 
recruited to support this new Border Management organization, 
which is envisioned to grow to approximately 54,000 personnel 
in 2014.  Turkish military and Gendarme would continue to 
maintain border security within the southeastern section of 
Turkey's borders with Iraq and Iran, as long as they remain 
 
ANKARA 00000908  003 OF 004 
 
 
militarized, to deal with the current PKK terrorist threat. 
When asked about the legal and political requirements to 
support this initiative,  Arslan stated Parliament will need 
to pass new laws giving the Ministry the ability to establish 
this new force.  While he stated there was political support 
for this new strategy, he noted there has been no legislation 
introduced for this initiative and no funds have been 
authorized by the Turkish Parliament.  Advisor will provide a 
more detailed assessment of this proposed strategy Septel. 
 
10) April 25 - EXBS Team met with EU Commission Senior 
Managers, Arslan Ergezer and Burce Ari, to discuss current 
and proposed Border Management projects that the EU 
Commission are currently supporting with GOT.  They noted 
that the Rail X-Ray project for Van, previously discussed in 
February/March Advisor reports, has been approved for funding 
and they have moved forward with project reviews for seeking 
bids along with GOT.  On the matter of the NAP, Ari stated 
the GOT, with EU and Australian support, completed a 
comprehensive assessment in 2002.  The National Action Plan 
for Turkey's Border Management Strategy to civilianize all 
border management forces was published, with EU and IOM 
support, in 2004.  This Plan has become the basis for a 
proposed multi-million Euro project.  This project is still 
pending funding approval by the EU and, if approved, would 
take until 2014 or later to fully implement.  Turkey has 
still not developed a legislative proposal consideration by 
Parliament to enact required legislation to authorize this 
new organization. 
 
 
¶B. Training Conducted During this Reporting Period: - 
 
1) Three GOT officials attended the March 31 - April 11 
session of University of Georgia's Export Control Academy in 
Athens, Georgia, as noted in March's monthly cable. 
 
2) A three person DHS/CBP training team completed a 6 day 
operational training program for six Custom Enforcement 
officials who have been tasked with operating this van 
throughout Turkey.  The CBP team did an outstanding job at 
providing both familiarization and review of equipment safety 
precautions for each student.  Both Nunez and Revira took an 
individual approach to teach each student safety issues 
associated with operation of this van and how to obtain the 
best resolution/image for detecting illicit cargo in various 
environments, to include inspecting vehicles ranging from 
automobiles, delivery vans, semi trucks, fuel tankers, rail 
cars, and Custom storage areas, including Esenboga airport. 
The CBP team exceeded host country's and advisor's 
expectations for this training and Post greatly appreciates 
the teams high level of professionalism and dedication to 
ensuring the success of this course in a challenging outdoor 
training environment. 
 
¶C. Equipment Delivered During this Reporting Period:  None 
this period. 
 
¶D. Imminent Training or Equipment Status Update:  Turkey will 
be sending a three person delegation (Two Customs officials 
and one UFT official) to the EXBS transshipment Conference to 
be held in Tangier, Morocco from May 20 - 22, 2008. 
 
¶E. Significant Developments in Export Controls, 
Nonproliferation, or Related Border Security: 
 
MFA and UFT have indicated that the new proposed regulations 
for reforming licensing and reach back requirements has 
completed the interagency review process, including the Prime 
Ministry review, and is expected to be delivered to 
Parliament in May 2008.  The proposed new regulations will 
streamline the three existing Export Control lists into one 
consolidated National Control list consistent with the EU 
Control list, create a new sensitive commodity list which 
will be provided to Turkish industry, and create a new 
Coordination Board composed of representatives of the 
Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 
Undersecretariat of Customs, Undersecretariat of National 
Intelligence, Undersecretariat of Foreign Trade, and the 
 
ANKARA 00000908  004 OF 004 
 
 
Turkish Atomic Energy Authority (TAEK).  This Board will meet 
every 15 days and in extraordinary sessions when requested by 
board representatives.  The Board will be tasked to achieve 
uniformity in export control procedures employed by licensing 
authorities and serve as a platform for the discussion of 
export control policies for Turkey.  It will also serve as an 
advisory body for licensing institutions and may make use of 
inspection capabilities of their ministries in order to 
ensure compliance with export control laws and provide 
industry oversight of specific export control and sensitive 
items issues. 
 
¶3. Future Activities: None at this time. 
 
¶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, 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.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey 
 
WILSON