VZCZCXRO5006
PP RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHPB
DE RUEHAK #0630/01 0441350
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 131350Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3125
INFO RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0569
RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 1834
RUEHKB/AMEMBASSY BAKU 1322
RUEHBM/AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST 0818
RUEHCH/AMEMBASSY CHISINAU 0353
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS 1491
RUEHSF/AMEMBASSY SOFIA 0993
RUEHSI/AMEMBASSY TBILISI 2974
RUEHVI/AMEMBASSY VIENNA 1496
RUEHYE/AMEMBASSY YEREVAN 1187
RUEHKU/AMEMBASSY KUWAIT 0807
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 0577
RUEHMK/AMEMBASSY MANAMA 0165
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 5337
RUEHKV/AMEMBASSY KIEV 0676
RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 6943
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6545
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 6488
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHVK/AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK 0080
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 0388
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 9797
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RHMFIUU/39ABG INCIRLIK AB TU
RHMFIUU/39CES INCIRLIK AB TU
RHMFIUU/BDP INCIRLIK AB TU
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1439
RUEHAST/USOFFICE ASTANA 0077
RUEHZN/EST COLLECTIVE
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000630 
 
SIPDIS 
 
USAID FOR TROSTLE, BLANCHET AND CARROLL 
HHS FOR WSTEIGER/PBUDASHEWITZ 
FAS FOR ITP/MACKE/THOMAS, CMP/DLP/WETZEL, FAS/JDEVER 
FAS PASS FSIS AND APHIS 
VIENNA PASS APHIS 
BRUSSELS PASS APHIS/FERNANDEZ 
GENEVA PASS HEALTH ATTACHE 
ROME FOR US MISSION TO FAO 
TREASURY FOR PLANTIER 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:N/A 
TAGS: TBIO AMED EAID CASC SENV EFIN EAGR TU KFLU
SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA: USG SUPPORT FOR WORLD BANK 
PACKAGE 
 
REF: A. ANKARA 341, B. ANKARA 263, C. 05 ANKARA 7561 AND 
PREVIOUS. 
 
ANKARA 00000630  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  SUMMARY.  The World Bank is moving ahead with 
a flagship Avian Influenza (AI) package for Turkey that 
should be ready for Executive Board approval by the end 
of March.  A U.S. contribution as part of this package 
could help fill local gaps in a country that remains 
highly vulnerable to new outbreaks, could bolster the 
region's response, and could help leverage other 
assistance.  A U.S. contribution outside the package 
would not have the same impact, either in Turkey or 
regionally.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  The World Bank Resrep tells us he plans to 
enter into loan negotiations with the GOT on February 21- 
22 for a $24 million IBRD loan, out of a $44 million AI 
package that includes $13 million in EU grants and 
Turkish public and private sector contributions.  Given 
the 5-6 week time lag between conclusion of negotiations 
and Executive Board approval, this means the package 
would be finalized at the end of March.  Both the World 
Bank and Turkish Government would welcome U.S. Government 
participation in this package, which will be seen as the 
flagship vehicle for the international community efforts. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Turkey has done a relatively good job on AI 
animal and human response during the recent outbreaks 
that lead to the first four human deaths outside Asia. 
But, as the visiting multi-agency team found, the 
response was far from perfect and there are key gaps in 
surveillance and communication (refs).  Both the local 
reps of international organizations and the Turkish 
government see the current lull following the last death 
on January 15, as only a respite.  Outbreaks in animals 
continue, and migratory birds will begin returning to 
Turkey from the south over the coming months.  Although 
culling of backyard fowl is proceeding, Turkey remains 
very exposed to another outbreak. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  We see potential benefits in at least a small 
contribution to the World Bank package: 
 
  --Turkey's geographical location at the crossroads of 
  global bird migrations makes its response critical for 
 
ANKARA 00000630  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
  the region and the world. 
 
  --Turkey can serve as a model and resource for the 
  region.  An example would be developing a regional 
  capacity for laboratory testing for H5N1. 
 
  --Even a modest expenditure would engender many 
  benefits in the U.S. relationship with this key 
  country.  Our absence from a World Bank/EU package 
  would be well noted. 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  As discussed with the visiting team, areas 
where USG expertise and support could make a difference 
include supporting additions to human laboratory capacity 
testing in Ankara (raising to Bio-Security Level 3). 
This would create a regional capacity that could support 
the Caucasus, Iraq, and other neighboring countries. 
Other areas in which the impact of U.S. support could be 
felt beyond Turkey include (a) augmenting veterinary 
surveillance training to increase detection capacity for 
handling multiple outbreaks could be important, and (b) 
help in developing communications outreach capability for 
a region of the world that is characterized by high 
illiteracy rates and multiple languages and ethnicities. 
An alternative currently outside the scope of the World 
Bank project - but which could be added - would provide 
catalytic funding and technical assistance to Turkish 
activities aimed at crisis response capacity building 
with neighboring countries.  Ankara might have more 
success than the U.S. or the U.N. agencies in places like 
Azerbaijan, to say nothing of Syria or Iran. 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  It appears to us that the World Bank package 
is responsive to Turkey's needs and well coordinated, 
although with some difficulty, with relevant GOT 
agencies.  The USG has played an important role in 
shaping the overall package proposed by the World Bank 
through our substantial interaction and input with IO's 
during two AI visits and in Washington. 
Wilson