Commerce Department Moves Against Illicit Iran Aircraft Network

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has acted against Turkish national Gulnihal Yegane and three affiliated Turkish companies who are involved in illicitly procuring and supplying Iranian airlines with U.S.-origin aircraft engines and spare parts.

The action, called a “temporary denial order” (TDO), suspends the export privileges of Gulnihal Yegane (“Yegane”), Trigron Lojistik Kargo Limited Sirketi (“Trigron”), Ufuk Avia Lojistik Limited Sirketi (“Ufuk Avia”), and RA Havacilik Lojistik Ve Tasimacilik Ticaret Limited Sirketi (“RA Havacilik”). Gulnihal Yegane was previously added to the BIS Entity List for smuggling parts to Iran’s Mahan Air.

Yegane is actively involved in the illicit procurement of U.S.-origin aircraft engines and spare parts (ECCN 9A991) for Iranian airlines and has taken extensive steps to continue this activity while attempting to conceal her involvement after BIS added Yegane to the BIS Entity List in December 2013 for transactions involving Mahan Air (78 FR 75458). Mahan Air was designated by Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in October 2011 for providing financial, material, and technological support to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force. Yegane is now utilizing Trigron, which Yegane owns and operates, and Turkish logistics companies Ufuk Avia and RA Havacilik, with which Yegane is affiliated. The deceptive efforts to obtain U.S.-origin aircraft engines included re-structuring a transaction to Iran to conceal Yegane’s involvement after the initial attempt was discovered by BIS.

"Today’s action sends a strong message that trade with Iran in violation of U.S. export control laws and regulations will not be tolerated. The Bureau of Industry and Security will vigorously pursue parties that seek to take advantage of U.S. companies by providing false end-use information and that seek to profit from illegally supplying materials to Iran.” said Commerce Under Secretary Mira Ricardel.

BACKGROUND

Temporary Denial Orders are issued by the Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement of the Bureau of Industry and Security, denying the export privileges of a company or individual to prevent an imminent or on-going export control violation. These orders are issued for a renewable 180-day period and cut off not only the right to export from the United States, but also the right to receive or participate in exports from the United States.

BIS is the principal agency involved in the implementation and enforcement of export controls for commercial technologies and many military items. The BIS Office of Export Enforcement detects, prevents, investigates and assists in the sanctioning of illegal exports of such items. For more information, please visit us at www.bis.doc.gov, and follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/BISgov.