US embassy cable - 04ANKARA1386

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001386 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR DS, EB/TRA AND EUR/SE 
ROME FOR FAA 
PARIS FOR TSA 
DHS FOR TSA 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER, EAIR, TU 
SUBJECT:  Civair Safety/Security Update 
 
 
Ref: (A) Ankara 979 (B) Ankara 262 
 
 
1. (U) This is an action cable.  Please see para 10. 
 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
 
 
2. (SBU) In March 5 discussions on air safety and 
security issues, GOT officials told us that transport 
and security officials had not yet taken a policy 
decision on Department of Homeland Security's (DHS') 
emergency amendments on posting armed law enforcement 
officers (LEOs) on planes.  A Turkish National Police 
official told us that, notwithstanding the lack of a 
specialized training program and other preparations, the 
GOT would post an armed LEO if the alternative was 
flight cancellation.  GOT officials also explained that 
physical renovations at the Istanbul Ataturk Airport 
were the reason for a delay in returning to border and 
customs checks at the first airport of entry in Turkey. 
There appears to be no change in the status of air 
safety-related legislation.  End Summary. 
 
 
2. (U) Econoff and Econ Specialist discussed air safety 
and security issues on March 5 with:  Haydar Yalcin, 
Department Head in the Directorate General of Civil 
Aviation (DGCA), Turgay Sahan, Airport Division Head at 
the Security General Directorate of the Turkish National 
Police (TNP), Erdal Kaynak, TNP Protection Department, 
Ayten Eler, of the MFA Aviation Department, and Osman 
Tural and Ali Ariduru, advisors to the Minister of 
Transport and Communications. 
 
 
DHS Aviation Emergency Amendments 
--------------------------------- 
 
 
3. (SBU) Sahan recently told us that the National Civil 
Aviation Security Council discussed the Department of 
Homeland Security's (DHS') amendments on posting armed 
law enforcement officers (LEOs) on planes.  NCASC 
directed GOT agencies and the airlines to commence 
studies and make other preparations (ref A).  In our 
March 4 discussion, he elaborated and qualified this 
readout, noting that, while studies were ongoing, a 
policy decision on whether to post LEOs in fact had not 
been taken.  The GOT is waiting for the results of a May 
meeting of the European Civil Aviation Comission (ECAC) 
at which this issue will be discussed.  In response to 
Econoff's question as to what the GOT would do if TSA 
offered the choice of canceling a flight or posting a 
Turkish LEO, Sahan said the GOT would not cancel the 
flight. 
 
 
4. (SBU) In a conversation with Transport Ministry 
advisors later that day, Econoff relayed Sahan's 
comments on this issue.  Osman Tural opined that, if 
such a situation arose, the GOT would cancel the flight. 
 
 
5. (SBU) Comment:  In an earlier meeting (ref B), TNP 
had also said that GOT agencies were studying the issue, 
but that, in an emergency, an LEO with aviation 
experience could be called on to perform this duty. 
However, this officer would not have received 
specialized air marshal training.  End Comment. 
 
 
Plans to Fix Gap in Immigration/Customs Control 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
 
6. (SBU) As reported ref A, the GOT decided at the 
February meeting to take steps to return to a system 
requiring passengers to clear customs and border control 
at the initial point of entry to Turkey, but the change 
will not be implemented for several months.  TNP told us 
that the reason for the delay is that Istanbul Ataturk 
Airport must be renovated in order to enable passengers 
to claim and recheck their luggage.  Embassy will press 
the GOT to accelerate implementation. 
 
 
Air Safety 
---------- 
 
 
7. (U) Econoff outlined FAA concerns about deficiencies 
in air safety oversight and DGCA difficulties in 
retaining experienced staff, and asked GOT interlocutors 
about the status of draft legislation intended to 
address these concerns.  We also noted that FAA was 
prepared to participate in operations and airworthiness 
training in June and July. 
8. (SBU) Yalcin responded that he was looking forward to 
the FAA training, but that problems retaining 
experienced staff were ongoing and had compelled DGCA to 
postpone the training until this summer.  Yalcin, who is 
responsible for flight standards, said he could not 
comment on the draft legislation because he had not seen 
it.  The Transport Minister's advisors appeared to be 
unfamiliar with these issues and said they would look 
into them.  However, they registered some unease on the 
issue of DGCA autonomy, claiming that air safety 
oversight organizations in a number of European 
countries were not autonomous.  Econoff responded that 
FAA sought to ensure Turkish compliance with ICAO 
standards in this area. 
 
 
9. (SBU) TNP officials told us privately that DGCA staff 
were not focused on security issues, and had left much 
of the work in this area to TNP.  The same officials, 
alluding to the difficulty of working with DGCA in this 
area, told us that they had formally suggested that 
airport security responsibilities be transferred from 
TNP at the February National Civil Aviation Security 
Council (NCASC) meeting.  The suggestion was not 
accepted. 
 
 
10. (SBU) Action Request for DHS/TSA Paris:  Embassy 
requests a response to ref B relaying TNP's request for 
background information on the organization and financing 
of the U.S. sky marshal program, and encouraging DHS/TSA 
to consider training possibilities for the GOT in this 
area.  Given that the GOT is apparently inclined to put 
LEOs who have not been trained as air marshals on 
flights, we request that TSA consider this request on a 
priority basis and consider whether, in the absence of 
this training, it should offer the Turks the option of 
putting an armed LEO on flights destined for the United 
States. 
Edelman