US embassy cable - 03ANKARA5579

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 005579 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EB/ESC/TFS (GGLASS), S/CT (SFOX), EUR/SE, 
IO/PHO (APEREZ), NSC FOR GPETERS, TREASURY GENERAL COUNSEL 
(DAUFHAUSER), OFAC (RNEWCOMB), TREASURY (JZARATE), AND THE 
TREASURY TASK FORCE ON TERRORIST FINANCING 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/05/2008 
TAGS: CVIS, EFIN, ETTC, KVPR, PREL, PTER 
SUBJECT: TERRORIST FINANCE: ANKARA: JI TEN/LIST 40 
DEMARCHES DELIVERED TO NEW MFA TF CHIEF 
 
 
REF: A. STATE 249292 
     B. ANKARA 05365 
     C. STATE 254613 
 
 
1.    (U) Classified by Economic Counselor Scot Marciel for 
Reasons 1.5 (b), (d). 
 
 
2.    (C)   Summary: Econoffs met with MFA official Ahmet 
Arda to deliver Ref A and C demarches, and discuss possible 
additional legal bases for seizing terrorist assets. End 
Summary. 
 
 
3.    (C) Effective this past Monday, Arda has taken over the 
terrorist finance portfolio from Deputy Director General 
Hakan Okcal. Arda,s last posting was as Deputy Permanent 
Representative of Turkey to the OECD and his previous 
assignments included the UN, as a result of which he is 
familiar with the relevant UN conventions and resolutions. 
 
 
4.    (C) On September 4, Econoffs delivered Ref A Talking 
Points and Background Paper and confirmed that Arda was 
familiar with existing GOT procedures (Ref B). On September 
5, Econoffs delivered Ref C Talking Points. 
 
 
5.    (C) Econoffs discussed with Arda GOT,s policy of 
awaiting approval by the UN 1267 Committee before acting 
administratively on terrorist designations (Ref B). Econoffs 
delivered to Arda copies of UNSC Resolution 1373 and the UN 
Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, 
and suggested that these documents provide an alternative, 
and broader, legal basis upon which to act administratively, 
as they are not limited to entities associated with UBL or 
the Taliban. Arda stated that he would research this issue. 
 
 
6.    (C) Arda opined that Turkish National Police might need 
more training on terrorist financing issues. He noted, for 
example, that even for PKK financing, Turkish law enforcement 
had been late to identify and freeze assets. 
EDELMAN