U.S. Dismisses Turkish Border Security

LONDON [MENL] -- The State Department has determined that Turkish border
security was antiquated.
In a review, the State Department determined that the government of
Prime Minister Recep Erdogan oversaw an inefficient border security network.
In a cable from the U.S. embassy in Ankara, Turkish security facilities were
said to lack modern equipment and could not block infiltration.
"The customs officers have two official vehicles at the checkpoint, but
one was inoperable and there was no fuel for the other," the September 2009
cable by then-U.S. ambassador James Jeffrey said.
The cable, released by WikiLeaks, reviewed two Turkish border posts
along the frontier with Iran. Jeffrey asserted that both the Gurbulak and
Kapikoy facilities lacked modern equipment and could not detect infiltration
from Iran.
"Gurbulak had more modern conveniences and scanning equipment, while
Kapikoy had no scanning equipment at all, and even the living arrangements
seemed to be substandard," the cable said.
The cable was released amid growing U.S. criticism of Turkey's strategic
relationship with Iran. In January 2011, the Treasury Department reported
that Teheran established Turkish fronts for the supply of material for Iran's
missile program.
Gurbulak was identified as the main border point for traffic from Iran
to Turkey. The State Department determined that Gurbulak was hampered by
frequent power outages, which prevented the operation of modern equipment.
"The two customs posts we visited provided starkly different views of
life on the Turkish-Iranian border," the cable said. "While Gurbulak had
some problems, the facilities are spotless and gleaming and its needs are
mostly in the realm of advanced scanning capabilities -- assuming the power
is working."
Kapikoy, located east of Van along the Iranian border, marked the only
rail crossing from Iran. The cable said Kapikoy resembled a customs post
from the Ottoman empire, which ended in 1917.
"Visiting Kapikoy, on the other hand, is like traveling back in time to
an Ottoman border crossing, lacking any of the tools necessary to carry out
modern customs work," the cable said. "In both posts, however, there is a
sense that when operational capabilities are not running optimally -- either
because the power is out or because the capacity never existed in the first
place -- the border is left open to anyone who is not overtly suspicious."
Jeffrey asserted that Turkish authorities could not examine Iranian
trains for smuggled goods. The diplomat said Turkish personnel did not
appear motivated to conduct any serious examination of passengers or cargo
from Iran.
"When asked about smuggling in the railcars, as opposed to an individual
trying to smuggle things in his baggage or on his person, the customs officials
expressed surprise and asked why anyone would smuggle things in railcars,"
the cable said.