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Viewing cable 03ANKARA7377, TERRORIST FINANCE: USG TEAM VISITS TURKEY

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
03ANKARA7377 2003-12-02 09:31 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Ankara
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS ANKARA 007377 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EB/ESC (GGLASS), S/CT (TNAVRATIL), EUR/SE, 
IO/PHO (APEREZ) 
NSC FOR GPETERS 
TREASURY FOR GENERAL COUNSEL (DAUFHAUSER), OFAC DIRECTOR 
(RNEWCOMB), THE TREASURY TASK FORCE ON TERRORIST FINANCING 
JUSTICE FOR AFMLS (SHAYDEN) 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EFIN ETTC PTER TU
SUBJECT: TERRORIST FINANCE: USG TEAM VISITS TURKEY 
 
 
REF: A. 02 ANKARA 8851 
     B. ANKARA 126 
     C. ANKARA 5365 
 
 
1.  (SBU)  Summary: On November 17-19, a three-person team 
from DOS and DOJ met in Ankara with GOT officials to assess 
the status of Turkey,s efforts to combat terrorist 
financing, and determine what assistance USG should offer. 
GOT officials were generally receptive, and the USG team is 
likely to recommend Turkey tighten its legal framework 
regarding money laundering and terrorist financing, and to 
recommend USG assistance in the judicial/prosecutorial and 
regulatory areas.  End Summary. 
 
 
2.  (SBU)  The USG team included officials from State/INL, 
State/S/CT, and DOJ/AFMLS, and met with officials from the 
Ministries of Interior, Justice, Finance and Foreign Affairs, 
the PM,s General Directorate for Charities, the Ankara State 
Security Court, the British Embassy, and the European 
Commission.  The team was conducting further interviews in 
Istanbul on November 20 when the latest bombings compelled 
suspension of its efforts. Most of the team,s interlocutors 
were highly cooperative and very interested. 
 
 
 3. (SBU)  By year end, the team intends to produce a report 
detailing its findings and recommendations.  Though 
preliminary, the following findings and recommendations are 
likely: 
 
 
      -- The tools currently available under Turkish law for 
locating, freezing and confiscating terrorist assets are 
cumbersome, limited and not particularly effective (Reftels). 
 Turkey needs to revise its legislation to explicitly 
criminalize the financing of terrorism, strengthen its 
anti-money laundering legislation, resolve jurisdictional 
disputes between courts, make it easier to seize terrorists' 
assets, improve the functioning of MASAK (the financial 
intelligence unit), and strengthen the Suspicious Transaction 
reporting regime. The GOT is aware of the problems with its 
current legal framework, and intends in the near future to 
submit to Parliament draft legislation to address some of 
the problems. The team is generally satisfied with the 
legislation as described to it, but is not convinced that the 
draft addresses all the problems. With the notable exception 
of MASAK, GOT personnel interviewed expressed interest in USG 
assistance in refining the draft legislation.  The team is 
likely to recommend that the USG provide such assistance. 
 
 
      -- GOT  Interagency cooperation is insufficient. 
Although Finance Undersecretary Aktan told the team that 
proposed changes to the composition and functioning of the 
Coordination Board for Combating Financial Crimes will 
address this problem, the team is not fully convinced that 
the changes go far enough or address the underlying problem 
of a cumbersome policy development process. 
 
 
      -- In early 2004,  the European Commission will 
undertake two projects that are intended to improve the 
ability of MASAK and the Turkish National Police to pursue 
financial crimes, including terrorist financing. USG efforts 
should be coordinated with EC efforts, to avoid duplication 
of effort and ensure best utilization of resources. 
 
 
      -- Turkish prosecutors and judges desire and need 
substantial training in financial crimes. The team is likely 
to recommend that the USG offer such training, probably in 
the form of a DOJ Intermittent Legal Advisor. 
 
 
      -- MASAK reportedly will soon take over the CTF/AML 
compliance examination function from the Bank Regulatory and 
Supervisory Agency.  MASAK personnel will need training in 
banking operations and examination techniques.  The team is 
likely to recommend that the USG offer this training through 
the federal financial institution regulatory agencies. 
 
 
4.    State/INL and State/S/CT delegation members cleared 
this cable. 
DEUTSCH