VZCZCXRO6402
PP RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHAK #1478/01 0801030
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 211030Z MAR 06 ZFR
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4107
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001478 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PLS ZFR ZFR ZFR ZFR ZFR ZFR THIS MESSAGE (BOTH SECTIONS) 
MESSAGE WILL BE RESENT WITH NEW MRN AND MCNS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
USDOC FOR 4212/ITA/MAC/CPD/CRUSNAK 
DOE FOR CHARLES WASHINGTON 
EUR ALSO FOR MATT BRYZA AND STEVE MANN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2016 
TAGS: EPET ENRG EINV PREL TU GG AZ
SUBJECT: TURKEY: PLAYING CHICKEN ON BTC AND CASPIAN GAS 
 
 
ANKARA 00001478  001.3 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR ROSS WILSON FOR REASONS 1.4 (B,D) 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary: During Ambassador Steve Mann's March 17 
meetings in Ankara, Turkish government and BTC officials said 
they are still aiming for loading the first oil tanker May 27 
in Ceyhan, although the target date for an official ceremony 
has slipped to July.  The BTC consortium and BOTAS are at 
loggerheads about sharing responsibility for funding 
approximately $330 million in cost over-runs under the lump 
sum-turnkey contract awarded to BOTAS for pipeline 
construction in Turkey.  Turkish and U.S. officials stressed 
the importance of Azerbaijan and Georgia in developing 
southern corridor east-west natural gas transit.  There is 
interest in exploring links to Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. 
End Summary. 
 
Playing Chicken on BTC: 
----------------------- 
 
¶2.  (C) In a March 17 meeting in Ankara with Ambassadors 
Wilson and Mann, BTC CEO Michael Townshend reaffirmed the 
target of first tanker loading at Ceyhan May 27, with an 
official ceremony the second week of July.  Sharing his 
concerns about BOTAS, capacity to complete the work and 
lamenting the political reality that the GOT Treasury 
guarantee was not actionable, Townshend stressed that the BTC 
consortium could not accept full responsibility for delays 
and cost over-runs.  The BTC CEO shared what he described as 
a final and generous offer to the Turkish Minister of Energy 
to accept limited responsibility and fund a portion of cost 
over-runs.  Townshend felt this would expedite completion in 
a win-win way and avoid a messy arbitration where the GOT 
would win a less advantageous result.  Out of about $330 
million in disputed claims, BTC,s final offer calls for 
BOTAS to cover $80 million.  In addition, the BTC consortium 
would provide other measures to assist cash flow at BOTAS and 
its pipeline operating arm (BIL ) BOTAS International). 
 
¶3.  (C)  Ambassador Wilson agreed that arbitration would not 
be a productive path, noting the negative signals this would 
create for building links to Kazakhstan for BTC and for 
improving Turkey,s investment environment when Turkey aims 
to seed $126 billion in energy investment, including moving 
forward on ambitious plans for a new nuclear power program 
and catalyzing Ceyhan as a regional energy hub. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
Natural Gas From Azerbaijan and Beyond 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (C)  Townshend also reported that the follow-on South 
Caucasus Pipeline for Shah Deniz natural gas is remarkably 
proceeding on schedule for the end of 2006.  He expects 
delays in BOTAS achieving connection to the Turkish grid at 
Erzurum.  Townshend noted that BOTAS had asked BTC if it 
could secure a natural gas compressor, critical for 
completion of the connection ) and not at all easy to 
procure on short notice. 
 
¶5.  (C) In a separate March 17 meeting, Mann and MFA 
officials discussed Georgia,s request for additional and 
earlier gas from the SCP.  Enegry DDG Mithat Rende criticized 
Georgia,s arbitrary increase in projected annual demand from 
1.2 BCM to 3.5 BCM, based on inflated rosy projections for 
domestic growth and a chemical fertilizer plant.  He and Mann 
agreed that the bottom line was that Georgia would have to 
pay a market rate for gas ) whether from Turkey or from 
Russia.  Rende articulated Turkey,s oft-repeated position 
that Shah Deniz gas offered Turkey diversification, re-export 
rights, and advantageous pricing. 
 
¶6.  (C)  These issues were also discussed in separate 
meetings March 16 at the MFA with Deputy Under Secretary 
Uzumcu and DDG Rende that also included A/S Fried.  Fried 
described the current focus on both Azerbaijan and Georgia as 
"huge".  Seldom, he said, had he seen the Europeans react 
with such alacrity as they had after the Russian gas cut-off 
to Ukraine.  Suddenly they were serious about diversification 
of energy supplies.  He noted that EB A/S Tony Wayne would 
give the definitive USG policy statement at a March 17 NATO 
energy meeting.  Fried and Mann had told President Aliyev 
that, while the U.S. was offering no final endorsements, we 
supported the notion of at least exploring Trans Caspian gas, 
 
ANKARA 00001478  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
whether from Turkmenistan or Kazakhastan.  Such gas would run 
through Azerbaijan and Georgia and, if there is an N-K 
settlement, perhaps through Armenia as well.  The Russians 
are not happy, but were embarrassed at the reaction to the 
gas cut-off.  They still stand to earn plenty.  What is 
needed is competition, not the monopoly that Gazprom 
currently enjoys.  Nazarbayev may not be a democrat, for 
example, but he can add up the difference between $10 (from 
Gazprom) and $110 (from the free market) per BTU.  Aliyev is 
very aware of the issue.  We hope, Fried said, that Shah 
Deniz moves ahead. 
 
¶7.  (C) On BTC, Fried and Mann said the Azeris and others had 
expressed serious concerns about apparent BOTAS-related 
construction delays in Turkey.  Tuygan, who seemed surprised, 
explained that the oil had come as far as Erzurum and the 
first tanker would be filled by late May.  Turkey, too, was 
interested in energy diversification, and wanted to serve as 
a transit hub for oil and gas.  Of course the Caspian region 
was very important, but there were possibilities for Egyptian 
gas as well.  On Caspian gas, we ought to work together, and 
everyone should have a chance to compete.  MFA, Tuygan noted, 
had just appointed Ambassador Mithat Balkan as its energy 
coordinator.  Fried agreed on the need for competition - a 
Gazprom monopoly means a lack of investment.  Without Gazprom 
reform, fueled by competition, there will be insufficient 
investment in the Siberians fields. 
 
--------------- 
EMBASSY COMMENT 
--------------- 
 
¶8.  (C) It seems reasonable for BTC not to accept BOTAS, 
position that all the delays and over-runs are due to &scope 
changes8 by BTC and therefore not attributable to BOTAS, 
mismanagement of the fixed price contract and choice of 
inexperienced sub-contractors.  However, the Consortium to 
date has loaned money to BOTAS to expedite completion.  There 
is a danger that Turkey could play this face-off in a 
ham-handed way and continue to force a game of chicken that 
could lead to arbitration.  But, BTC is a western company 
coalition (which also includes state oil company TPAO).  The 
consequences of lost transit fees ($10 million per month) and 
arbitration could be grave from a financial and investment 
perspective. 
 
¶9.  (C) BTC's problems with BOTAS come in the context of 
various reports that BOTAS' financial and management capacity 
is under more and more strain.  The company has no clear 
leadership or support from senior government officials, and 
has limped along for the past x years under a series of 
ineffectual acting directors.  The company is under threat 
from a variety of allegations and investigations into 
corruption and mismanagement in tendering and project 
implementation.   This contributes to an environment where 
there is reluctance to sign a signature or make important 
decisions at BOTAS, as well as at the Ministry, which is a 
key impediment for BTC gaining a timely response to its 
reasonable offer.  Longer term, weak capacity at BOTAS is an 
impediment to Turkey's grand plans for regional gas transit 
to Europe. 
 
¶10.  (U) Steve Mann cleared this cable. 
 
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON