US embassy cable - 03ANKARA3172

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 003172 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR L/UNA, EB/ESC, IO/UNP, EUR/SE 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/09/2013 
TAGS: ETRD, ETTC, IZ, PREL, TU 
SUBJECT: GOT OFFICIALS ON IRAQ SANCTIONS IMPLEMENTATION 
 
 
REF: STATE 123640 
 
 
(U) Classified by Acting Economic Counselor Robert Silverman 
for reasons 1.5 B, D. 
 
 
1. (C) Emboffs met with MFA and Foreign Trade 
Undersecretariat officials to obtain information on Turkish 
implementation of Iraq sanctions as requested reftel. 
Although our interlocutors cautioned that they could not 
provide definitive answers on how quickly Turkish sanctions 
against Iraq would be lifted once a new UN Security Council 
resolution is passed, they opined that new legislation would 
not be required and that the process would take place quickly. 
 
 
2. (C) Tevfik Mengu, Director General for Agreements at the 
Foreign Trade Undersecretariat, told Econoff that MFA rather 
than U/S Foreign Trade had the lead on this issue.  However, 
he opined that new legislation would not be necessary to 
implement the resolution.  Mengu suggested that a customs 
circular or publication of the resolution in the State 
Gazette would be sufficient, and that the change could be 
implemented within 24 hours of a UNSC vote. 
 
 
3. (C) Akif Ayhan, Head of Department at MFA's Bilateral 
Economic Affairs Department, also suggested that new 
legislation would not be needed to lift sanctions, and that 
the change could be effected within days of a UNSC 
resolution.  He noted that, while MFA would inform all 
relevant Turkish agencies of the final resolution, Foreign 
Trade would be responsible for implementing any change in 
sanctions policy.  Serra Erarslan, MFA Iraq office director, 
told Poloff on May 12 that she would check on whether 
legislation would be required to bring the resolution into 
force and provide further information to the Embassy. 
PEARSON