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Viewing cable 10ANKARA194, EXBS: TURKEY ADVISORS MONTHLY REPORT- (JANUARY

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
10ANKARA194 2010-02-05 10:00 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Ankara
VZCZCXRO8519
RR RUEHDBU RUEHSL
DE RUEHAK #0194/01 0361000
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 051000Z FEB 10 ZDK DUE TO MULTIPLE ZFX
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2014
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
RUEATRS/TREASURY DEPT WASHDC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JCS WASHDC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000194 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR ISN/ECC- JFRIEDMAN, ACHURCH, EMCPHERSON 
DEPT FOR EUR/SE, DMARSH, IGOODMAN 
DOE/NNSA- TPERRY, LPARKER, RTALLEY, EDESCHLER 
CBP/INA- TBAILEY, BSUBER 
DOC FOR DCREED 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETTC KNNP KSTC MNUC PARM PREL TU
SUBJECT: EXBS: TURKEY ADVISORS MONTHLY REPORT- (JANUARY 
2010) 
 
I.  BROAD ITEMS OF INTEREST TO ADVISORS AND AGENCY MANAGERS: 
Customs Undersecretary Maksut Mete advised the media that a 
new Customs law was proposed to the Turkish Council of 
Ministers which will enable Customs officers to conduct wire 
tapping to support cases involving human trafficking, 
narcotics, counterfeit money, bribery, weapon smuggling, and 
the protection of cultural and national assets.  The new law 
provides for an additional 2,500 positions for 2010, and an 
additional 2,500 positions for 2011.  Under the new law, the 
Customs Enforcement Department will establish a new 
intelligence unit to improve its effectiveness against 
smugglers. The law, once passed by Parliament, will 
consolidate the current 18 regional directorates into 14 to 
further streamline the agency. (Source: 
http://www.aksam.com.tr/2010/01/10/haber/ 
dunya/3295/gumrukler de artik dinleyeck.html) 
 
II.  COMPLETED ACTIONS FOR THE PROCESSING PERIOD: 
 
A.  SITE ASSESSMENTS AND MEETINGS CONDUCTED: 
 
1.    January 6 - The EXBS Advisor and Coordinator met with 
Ender Gurleyik and Mehmet Akilli, Department Heads for the 
Directorate General of Customs Enforcement to discuss EXBS 
training events scheduled for 2010, review Customs equipment 
needs, and to request border crossing visits for equipment 
utilization verifications.  Mr. Gurleyik advised that the 
European Union had provided five container relocatable x-ray 
units for four seaports and one land border, 7 new mobile 
truck x-ray units for use anywhere, and had provided funding 
for the construction of a railroad x-ray for the Kapikoy land 
border gate at the Iran - Turkey border.  The rail x-ray is 
estimated to be completed by December 2011 as there are 
several infrastructure improvements that must be made to both 
the Customs facility and the rail line in this remote, 
mountainous area in addition to the installation of the 
x-ray.  He also advised that Turkish Customs welcomed all 
training events, both in Turkey and in the United States, and 
the International Rail Interdiction Training program 
scheduled for this year was both timely and needed.  He 
believes this training should be conducted in the United 
States so the Turkish Customs Officers can see a rail x-ray 
unit in operation, and get hands on experience with 
experienced officers.  He welcomes the International Seaport 
Interdiction Training in Turkey, and suggested it could be 
conducted in Istanbul, Izmir or Mersin to enable practical 
exercises in the stream of commerce.  He also wants his 
officers to attend the Export Enforcement training program 
(ICE), and the Seaport Security and Anti-Terrorism course 
(USCG) when they are scheduled this year. He advised that the 
ZBV Backscatter X-Ray Van, which had been kept in storage for 
the last 2 years due to legal issues, has finally been 
assigned to his mobile task group, and is presently operating 
on the Turkey-Bulgarian border. Mehmet Akilli, who attended 
the Radiation Academy, and International Border Interdiction 
Training this past November, was extremely complimentary of 
both programs, and highly praised the professionalism and 
presentations of the RADACAD program.  He is eager to acquire 
Personal Radiation Devices for his officers to enable them to 
safely recognize and deal with attempts to smuggle 
radioactive materials and requested any assistance we could 
provide in obtaining the devices.  Comment: This could be an 
opportunity for engagement by DOE/Second Line of Defense to 
provide PRDs to Customs and other border officers in lieu of 
Portal Monitors which the Turkish Atomic Energy 
Authority(TAEK) continues to resist. End Comment. 
 
2.    January 11 - The EXBS Advisor and Coordinator met with 
Arslan Umut Ergezer, the Trade Officer for the Delegation of 
the European Union to Turkey to discuss the EU's access to 
the Turkish Customs border gates, training programs conducted 
by EU, equipment grants to Turkey, and other issues relating 
to Turkey Customs border management. The EU has been working 
closely with Turkish Customs for several years in amending 
Turkey's Customs laws to conform with those of the European 
Union.  It has been recently working with Turkish Customs to 
 
ANKARA 00000194  002 OF 002 
 
 
assist them in developing post import controls, providing 
training and materials to improve enforcement of intellectual 
property rights and in establishing better controls over Free 
Trade Zones. The EU will be conducting assessments at each of 
Turkeys border gates and ports of entry during 2010.  We 
requested permission to accompany the assessment teams on 
their reviews, but Mr. Ergezer believes that may be a 
problem.  He did offer to provide us with access to the 
assessment team members as they completed their reviews.  We 
explained that we were particularly interested in the use of 
the radiation detection equipment by the Turkish Customs 
officers, and the current operational status of the portal 
monitors. We requested that he add this observation to the 
check list of the assessment teams.  The EU will also be 
concentrating on export control and export enforcement issues 
this year.  We mentioned that we had conducted some training 
over the last four years in commodity identification, dual 
use merchandise and industry outreach, and that we would try 
to make more training opportunities in export control 
enforcement available to Turkish Customs during the next 
year.  The EU has provided tools, including Busters to 
Turkish Customs in the last several years, but has not 
provided any radiation detection equipment. He thought our 
emphasis on hand held radiation detection and identification 
equipment and the personal radiation detectors for use by 
Customs Officers was a good use of funding that would 
complement the EU's efforts. 
 
B. TRAINING COURSES CONDUCTED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD: 
None 
 
C. EQUIPMENT DELIVERED DURING THIS REPORTING PERIOD: None 
 
D. IMMINENT TRAINING OR EQUIPMENT STATUS:  We have been 
notified by Culmen International, that the hand held 
inspection equipment including 9 Sabre 4000 ion scan 
consumable kits, 15 Buster K-910B denisity meters, 5 video 
scopes, 50 laser distance meters, 10 basic tool bags, 100 
inspection probe kits, and 100 Gerber multi-tools have been 
shipped, and should arrive in early February for disbursement 
to Turkish Customs.  We are also beginning the process to 
coordinate the attendance of 18 Turkish Customs officers at 
the CBP International Rail Inspection Training in El Paso, 
Texas from May 10 to 14. 
 
E. SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN EXPORT CONTROLS, 
NONPROLIFERATION, AND RELATED BORDER SECURITY: None 
 
III. FUTURE ACTIVITIES: 
 
IV. RED FLAG ISSUES: None 
 
V. CONTACT INFORMATION FOR EXBS PROGRAM ANKARA: 
 
Robert Hessler, EXBS Advisor, Email: hesslerre@state.gov, 
Office (90) 312 457-7210, Cell: (90) 533-716-4805; Erhan 
Mert, EXBS Coordinator, Email: MertE2@state.gov, Office (90) 
312 457-7059, cell (90) 533-264-8507.  EXBS Program Office 
FAX (90) 312 468-4775. 
Jeffrey 
 
           "Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.intelink.s 
gov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turkey"