US embassy cable - 04ANKARA1936

S E C R E T ANKARA 001936 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR NP/RA AND EUR/SE 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/02/2013 
TAGS: PREL, MARR, MOPS, TU, IZ 
SUBJECT: EXPORT CONTROL COOPERATION WITH TURKEY 
 
REF: A) STATE 70762 B) ANKARA 1608 C) STATE 062402 
 
 
(U) Classified by Political-Military Affairs Counselor 
Timothy A. Betts.  Reasons:  1.5 (B and D). 
 
 
1. (S) Pol-Mil counselor delivered ref a demarche to MFA DDG 
for Arms Control and Disarmament Affairs Haluk Ilicak April 
2.  Noting that Turkey's strategic location makes it a 
high-risk country for transit and transshipment of 
WMD-related material, he stressed the importance of the US 
and Turkey working together to stem proliferation-related 
activities.  He commended the GOT's recent institution of 
catch-all export controls, and said the USG would welcome the 
opportunity to begin expert-level discussions on Turkey's 
system of laws and whether there were ways to make them more 
effective, such as DOJ's OPDAT and ICITAP.  Pol-Mil counselor 
handed over the non-papers contained in ref a, and said the 
USG would be in touch regarding setting up a meeting of 
experts. 
 
 
2. (S) Ilicak noted that recent exchanges between US and GOT 
officials, including A/S Wolf's February 26-27 visit and the 
EXBS-funded seminars in Turkey, were useful in furthering 
US-Turkish proliferation-related cooperation.  He said he 
would share our proposal for further cooperation with other 
GOT agencies and provide us a formal response once he had 
their views. 
 
 
3. (C) Responding to a question, Ilicak said that concerned 
GOT agencies were reviewing Washington's latest comments on 
the draft MOU regarding non-proliferation cooperation.  The 
MFA and other agencies will discuss the agreement and attempt 
to reach a common position during an inter-agency meeting in 
Ankara April 16.  Ilicak noted that for reasons that were 
unclear to him, TGS remained opposed to including 
conventional weapons in the agreement.  Ilicak said he hoped 
the GOT would be able to provide the US a formal response 
shortly after the April 16 meeting. 
EDELMAN