Wikileaks - DCXXX
96825 2/15/2007 13:11 07ANKARA325 Embassy Ankara UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY 06ANKARA1414|06ANKARA6248 VZCZCXRO8805 RR RUEHDA DE RUEHAK #0325/01 0461311 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 151311Z FEB 07 FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0968 RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0018 RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHDC INFO RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 2125 RUEHBM/AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST 0963 RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 1653 RUEHUNV/UNVIE VIENNA AU UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000325
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR INL, EUR/SE, SA
E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR, EAID, KPAO, TU SUBJECT: SUCCESS STORY - AFGHAN-TURKISH COUNTERNAROCTICS TRAINING
Ref: A) 2006 Ankara 6248, B) 2006 Ankara 1414,
1. (SBU) Summary: Post organized an INL-funded, DEA-run counternarcotics training program for Afghan and Turkish counternarcotics supervisory agents in Ankara January 29-February 2. The course advanced multiple USG goals at very modest cost: bringing together Afghan and Turkish officials to enhance cross-border cooperation against key international drug production and traffiy over the language used in Leahy Amendment certificaions. End Summary.
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Afghans, Turks and Americans Praise Training
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2. (SBU) Using the remainder of INL counternarcotics (INCLE) funds allocated to Turkey, Embassy Ankara organized with DEA and the Turkish International Academy Against Organized Crime (TADOC) a 5-day Drug Unit Commander's Course for supervisory Afghan and Turkish counternarcotics agents. The course included sessions on leadership, managing informants, using wiretaps, managing cases and other investigative techniques. The course took place January 29-February 2 at TADOC in Ankara. A DEA international training team from Washington conducted the course, which included 13 Afghan and 9 Turkish participants. INL/Kabul provided additional funding to enable all 13 Afghans to travel to Ankara, since the remaining Turkey funds were not sufficient. TADOC -- which operates under the umbrella of the Turkish National Police but with significant UNODC and other international support -- provided the training facility, low-cost lodging and meals for the Afghan participants and funded the Turkish participants' lodging and meals. The Turkish participants were mostly commanders of counter-narcotics police units from provincial police headquarters around Turkey. The Afghans were all from the Narcotics Interdiction Unit.
3. (SBU) The course received warm praise from the participants, as well as from Turkish police officials and Afghan diplomats in Ankara. The Afghan Ambassador wrote the Embassy to thank us for the program: "It is good for Afghanistan , US , Turkey and the world. Narcotics and terrorism are twin monsters, if not stopped, destroy themselves and the world...These kinds of joint training programs specially with the help of US and Turks whom Afghans trust would bring , inshaala , more positive results." The senior Afghan participant in the training said that "thank you" was inadequate to convey his appreciation for USG assistance to his country and his organization.
4. (SBU) On the Turkish side, former foreign minister and NATO Rep in Afghanistan Hikmet Cetin attended the Embassy's reception in honor of the training. Ahmet Pek, the Chief of the Turkish National Police's Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime Division, both privately and in his remarks at the closing ceremony stressed the importance of fighting narcotics trafficking. Pek noted that terrorist groups, combined.
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Ambassador's Speech Makes the News
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5. (SBU) Ambassador Wilson in his remarks at the closing ceremony, in addition to stressing the importance of combating narcotics, linked the training to U.S. and Turkish support for Afghanistan. Mention of the Ambassador's remarks (posted on the Embassy's web site) also made it into the Turkish press. This press coverage was a welcome change from the drumbeat of anti-American stories that tend to dominate Turkish press coverage of the U.S.
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Reviving U.S. Counternarcotics Assistance to Turkey
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6. (SBU) Post hopes to build on the success of this program, and on the inclusion of funding for INCLE programs in the Administration's FY08 budget request, to work with INL and the Turkish Government to find a way to restore counternarcotics cooperation programs in Turkey. Last week's training was funded from the residual of the FY99 allocation to Turkey, the last year in which Turkey was allocated INCLE funds. The principal obstacle to allocations since then has been Turkey's refusal to sign a blanket "letter of agreement" certifying that no program beneficiary is a human rights violator. Post believes that given the importance of Turkey as a transit country for Afghan narcotics, the professionalism of Turkish anti-narcotics police, and the excellent cooperation with U.S. counterparts, there is room for substantial additional cooperation that would advance the U.S. effort to interdict global narcotics flows. Post looks forward to working with INL to identify an approach that would satisfy U.S. law and also make possible the type of work we can do here.
Wilson
