For Immediate Release
DHS Press Office
Contact: 202-282-8010
ANKARA, Turkey—Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, Under Secretary for the National Protection and Programs Directorate Rand Beers and Assistant Secretary for International Affairs Alan Bersin today were in Ankara, Turkey where they met with counterparts to discuss the Department’s collaboration with international partners on enhancing information sharing and combating transnational crime, while strengthening economic ties.
Secretary Napolitano met bilaterally with Deputy Prime Minister Beşir Atalay to discuss collaboration on effective border management and the facilitation of legitimate travel and trade, while promoting economic prosperity. Just last month, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) established a full-time DHS/U.S. Customs and Border Protection Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara to work with Turkish counterparts to address shared threats.
While in Ankara, Secretary Napolitano also met with Minister of Customs and Trade Hayati Yazıcı, Minister of Interior İdris Naim Şahin, Minister of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications Binali Yıldırım, and General Director of the Turkish National Police Mehmet Kılıçlar.
Tomorrow, Secretary Napolitano and Assistant Secretary Bersin will travel to Istanbul to meet with Turkish private sector representatives and local business leaders to discuss initiatives to facilitate trade and travel, while strengthening security.
For more information, please visit www.dhs.gov.
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