US embassy cable - 05ANKARA6083

UNCLAS ANKARA 006083 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETTC, KNNP, KSTC, MNUC, PARM, PREL, TU 
SUBJECT: EXBS: POSTPONEMENT OF DHS/CBP BORDER ASSESSMENT 
 
REF: STATE 185014 
 
Sensitive but unclassified -- please protect accordingly. 
 
1. (U) Post does not now provide country clearance for three 
officials from DHS/CBP to come to Turkey Oct 13-21 to conduct 
a country assessment in preparation for future engagement 
between CBP and the Turkish Customs authority.  At present, 
the proposed visit would not achieve its desired goals due to 
travel limitations imposed by Turkey until the Turkish 
parliament ratifies our bilateral NP Cooperation Agreement. 
 
2.  (SBU) The Nonproliferation Cooperation Agreement between 
the Republic of Turkey and the United States, signed on June 
14th, awaits final ratification by the Turkish Parliament. 
Once this ratification is completed, all programs covered 
under the EXBS umbrella will be open for engagement. 
However, until this time, MFA has requested that EXBS program 
engagement be limited to exchanges with senior government 
officials in Ankara.  MFA officials want to avoid the 
appearance that the government is beginning work before the 
Agreement is ratified; this is expected by the end of 
October.  Many other programs are awaiting this final 
ratification, including the DOE Second Line of Defense. 
 
3.  (U) Post understands that a key element of the border 
assessment is visits to border locations throughout Turkey. 
By postponing this visit until ratification of the Agreement, 
it will be possible to work with the GOT to coordinate such 
visit.  Attempting to do this assessment prior to 
ratification would limit the delegation to discussions with 
authorities only in Ankara and would not provide a true 
picture of the current border situation here in Turkey.  We 
believe this DHS program is very valuable and therefore 
rescheduling this visit to either December or the first of 
the year would provide for the best results. 
 
4.  (U) Questions concerning the Turkish EXBS program should 
be addressed to the Turkish EXBS Advisor, Kevin Lyon.  His 
contact information is phone (90)(312)455-5555 ext 2525, fax 
(90)(312)468-4775, email LyonK@state.gov. 
MCELDOWNEY