VZCZCXRO6769
RR RUEHHM RUEHPB
DE RUEHAK #2614 2960936
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 230936Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4113
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 3443
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 002614 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
ANKARA PASS TO ADANA 
NEA FOR LAWSON 
OES FOR SALZBURG 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/23/2017 
TAGS: ENIV ENRG SENV TU
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S CALL ON TURKEY'S NEW ENVIRONMENT 
MINISTER 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Ross Wilson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary:  On October 9, Ambassador paid a courtesy 
call on newly appointed Minister of Environment and Forestry 
Veysel Eroglu.  Previously, Eroglu served for four years as 
the Director General of State Hydraulic Works.  He continues 
to be highly interested in water issues and hydro electricity 
generation and less knowledgeable, if not less interested, in 
broader environmental issues.  Eroglu is a friend of the U.S. 
and urged more U.S. private sector investment in Turkey and 
more bilateral cooperation.  With pride, he mentioned that 
his daughter is on scholarship at Harvard University.  End 
summary. 
 
¶2.  (C) Eroglu lamented IMF budgetary restraints that have 
tightly controlled Turkish Government public works spending 
and have not allowed the Government to offer sovereign 
guarantees on several hydroelectric projects under 
construction.  Eroglu discussed the status of nine 
hydroelectric power plants which had been selected per a 
U.S.-Turkish agreement for U.S. prime contractors to lead 
international consortia in the design and engineering of 
these projects (the so-called "Protocol Projects").  These 
companies spent significant sums preparing engineering and 
feasibility studies for the projects.  A recently passed 
Turkish law dictates that these projects must find private, 
rather than GOT, financing.  Responding to a concern raised 
by the Ambassador that these American companies be able to 
recoup costs already expended, Eroglu said he was interested 
in continued American investment in Turkey and if U.S. firms 
encountered any bureaucratic of other barriers, he stood 
ready to assist. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Eroglu expressed his Ministry's support for the 
renewal of the bilateral Science and Technology Agreement. 
The Ambassador agreed and said he hoped environmental 
cooperation could be part of this agreement and noted we sent 
the MFA our draft in March 2007. (Note:  We understand that 
the MFA may be withholding support for a technical reason. 
Embassy will report more septel.  End note.)  Eroglu 
mentioned that during a visit to the U.S. last year in his 
capacity as the Director General of the State Hydraulic Works 
(DSI), an exchange of technical staff between DSI and the 
Army Corps of Engineers was agreed to.  Eroglu asked for the 
Ambassador's help in getting this program stated.  The 
Ambassador agreed and requested details so we could follow up. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The Ambassador invited Ministry of Environment 
participation in the upcoming Clean Energy Workshop that will 
be sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Ministry 
of Energy and Natural Resources and the American Turkish 
Council and held in Istanbul, November 15-16.  (Note:  We 
understand that Energy Secretary Bodman plans to attend.  End 
note.) 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Referring to Ankara's water shortage this summer, 
Eroglu said the situation was unique and projects were 
underway to prevent a reoccurrence of such shortages in 
either Istanbul or Ankara.  He said water supplies from the 
Kizirilmak river would be available by the end of November. 
He also said the Ministry will be conducting a feasibility 
study on new water pipelines for Ankara and Istanbul.  He 
added that Istanbul will host the Fifth World Water Forum in 
¶2009. 
 
¶6.  (C) Comment:  When the Ambassador raised the Ministry's 
participation in the Clean Energy Workshop or the potential 
for environmental cooperation under the Science and 
Technology agreement, Eroglu didn't pursue these topics nor 
did he make any comments about a broader environmental agenda 
for Turkey.  Clearly his experience with water projects is 
dominating his current agenda.  We may need to educate, 
rather than advocate, in order to gain his support on U.S. 
environmental initiatives like climate change and renewable 
energy.  End comment. 
 
 
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON