DATE=9/7/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-238259 (CQ)
TITLE=TURKEY / URANIUM (L ONLY)
BYLINE=AMBERIN ZAMAN
DATELINE=ANKARA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:


INTRO:  POLICE IN TURKEY HAVE SEIZED SMUGGLED MATERIALS -- SOME 
FO WHICH THEY SAY COULD BE USED TO MAKE NUCLEAR WEAPONS.  AMBERIN
ZAMAN REPORTS FROM ANKARA.

TEXT:  TURKEY'S SEMI-OFFICIAL ANATOLIAN NEWS AGENCY REPORTED 
EIGHT PEOPLE -- FOUR TURKS, THREE KAZAKHS, AND ONE AZERBAIJANI 
--WERE ARRESTED BY POLICE WHO POSED AS POTENTIAL BUYERS.  THE 
STING OPERATION WAS MOUNTED IN ISTANBUL FOLLOWING A TIP FROM 
TURKEY'S NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY.

THE NEWS AGENCY QUOTED SECURITY OFFICIALS AS SAYING THE SMUGGLERS
WERE TRYING TO SELL FOUR-AND-ONE-HALF KILOGRAMS OF UNPROCESSED 
URANIUM AND SIX GRAMS OF PLUTONIUM.  IT REPORTED THEY WERE 
CHARGING ONE-MILLION U-S DOLLARS FOR THE MATERIALS. 

THE NUCLEAR MATERIALS ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN BROUGHT FROM 
RUSSIA.  BUT TURKISH POLICE WOULD  NOT  CONFIRM THE ORIGIN OF THE
SMUGGLED URANIUM AND PLUTONIUM.

THE NEWS AGENCY REPORT SAID THE MATERIALS HAVE BEEN HANDED OVER 
TO TURKEY'S NUCLEAR ENERGY BOARD.  

TURKISH POLICE OFFICIALS SAY THE COUNTRY HAS BECOME A POPULAR 
TRANSIT ROUTE FOR NUCLEAR MATERIALS BEING SMUGGLED OUT OF RUSSIA 
AND OTHER FORMER SOVIET REPUBLICS SINCE THE FORMER SOVIET UNION 
COLLAPSED IN 1991.

ACCORDING TO FIGURES RELEASED BY THE TURKISH POLICE DEPARTMENT, 
THERE HAVE BEEN 183 INCIDENTS IN THE PAST YEAR INVOLVING THE 
SMUGGLING OF SUSPECTED RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS.  THE REPORT SAYS 
THE MAJORITY OF THE 216 PEOPLE ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE 
SMUGGLING INCIDENTS WERE FROM GEORGIA, AZERBAIJAN, AND IRAN.  
(SIGNED)

NEB/AZ/JWH

07-Sep-98 1:20 PM EDT (1720 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.