VZCZCXRO2899
RR RUEHDA
DE RUEHAK #1629/01 0861419
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 271419Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4328
INFO RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0169
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 0567
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001629 
 
SIPDIS 
 
TREASURY FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - CPLANTIER 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EFIN ECON PBIO TU
SUBJECT: IMF CRITICISM OF TURKEY COINCIDES WITH PRESIDENT 
SEZER'S VETO OF CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR NOMINATION 
 
REF: A) ANKARA 1528; B) ANKARA 1409 
 
1.(SBU) SUMMARY: TURKISH MARKETS SUFFERED A DOUBLE DOSE OF 
BAD NEWS OVER THE WEEKEND. ALTHOUGH PM ERDOGAN AND MINISTER 
BABACAN MADE REASSURING STATEMENTS ABOUT A NEW NOMINATION 
AND POLICY CONTINUITY, PRESIDENT SEZER'S VETO OF THE 
GOVERNMENT'S NOMINEE TO BE GOVERNOR OF THE CENTRAL BANK 
PROLONGED MARKET WORRIES ABOUT WHO WILL BECOME GOVERNOR AND 
HOW INDEPENDENT HE WILL BE.  SEPARATELY, IMF MANAGING 
DIRECTOR RATO PUBLICLY CRITICIZED TURKEY'S RECENT VAT RATE 
CUT AND CIVIL SERVICE SALARY HIKE AS VIOLATIONS OF TURKEY'S 
IMF AGREEMENT. THE IMF RESREP TOLD US THE FUND WAS ALSO 
CONCERNED ABOUT OTHER FISCAL MEASURES UNDER CONSIDERATION. 
ALTHOUGH THE MARKET SELL-OFF WAS RELATIVELY MILD, THE 
CONTINUING CONFUSION OVER THE CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR AND 
INCREASING PROBLEMS WITH THE IMF ARE ERODING THE GOT'S 
CREDIBILITY ON ECONOMIC POLICY.  END SUMMARY. 
 
------------------------ 
SEZER VETOES GOT NOMINEE 
------------------------ 
 
¶2. (SBU) ON SATURDAY, MARCH 25, THE GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED 
THAT PRESIDENT SEZER HAD REJECTED A PROPOSED DECREE NAMING 
ADNAN BUYUKDENIZ TO BE CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR AND MEHMET 
SIMSEK AND BIROL AYDEMIR TO BE VICE-GOVERNORS.  NEITHER THE 
PRESIDENCY NOR THE PRIME MINISTRY DISCLOSED THE PRESIDENT'S 
REASONING, BUT THE PRESS SPECULATED THAT THE PRESIDENT'S 
REJECTION WAS DUE TO "INAPPROPRIATENESS" OF THE NOMINATIONS. 
IN BUYUKDENIZ' CASE, PRESS AND ANALYSTS ARE SPECULATING 
SEZER REJECTED THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF AL-BARAKA TURK 
BECAUSE A) HIS WIFE WEARS A HEAD SCARF, AND B) THE CEO OF AN 
INTEREST-FREE ISLAMIC BANK IS POORLY PLACED TO DIRECT 
INTEREST RATE POLICY. 
 
¶3. (SBU) THE VICE-GOVERNOR NOMINATIONS MAY HAVE BEEN 
REJECTED FOR TECHNICAL REASONS: DEUTSCHE BANK ANALYST TEVFIK 
AKSOY WROTE THAT THE NOMINATIONS NEED TO BE SIGNED BY BOTH 
THE GOVERNMENT AND THE CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR PRIOR TO 
SUBMISSION TO THE PRESIDENT, RAISING THE POSSIBILITY THEY 
WOULD BE RENOMINATED ONCE THE GOVERNORSHIP QUESTION IS 
RESOLVED.  SIMSEK, A FORMER U.S. EMBASSY FSN, IS NOW AN 
ANALYST FOR MERRILL LYNCH IN LONDON AND IS MARRIED TO AN 
AMERICAN.  THOUGH HE HAS ENJOYED GOOD RELATIONS WITH THE 
CURRENT GOVERNMENT, HE IS NON-POLITICAL AND HIS NOMINATION 
IS LIKELY TO BE WELL-RECEIVED BY MARKETS.  AYDEMIR, 
CURRENTLY A STATE PLANNING ORGANIZATION (SPO) DEPUTY UNDER 
SECRETARY WHO STUDIED ECONOMICS IN THE U.S., IS CLOSE TO THE 
 
SIPDIS 
AKP GOVERNMENT, HAVING HELPED PREPARE THE AKP'S ECONOMIC 
PROGRAM BEFORE THE NOVEMBER 2002 ELECTIONS.  AYDEMIR, IN 
MULTIPLE MEETINGS WITH US, COMES ACROSS AS BOTH A SERIOUS 
ECONOMIC TECHNOCRAT AND AN AK PARTISAN, WHO SOMETIMES SHARES 
SPO'S FRUSTRATIONS WITH IMF STRICTURES. 
 
¶4. (SBU) THE DISORDERLY PROCESS OF SELECTING A REPLACEMENT 
FOR OUTGOING GOVERNOR SERDENGECTI CONTINUES TO ELICIT 
CRITICISM FROM THE PRESS, MARKET ANALYSTS, OPPOSITION 
POLITICIANS AND THE BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENT.  FOR EXAMPLE, 
OMER SABANCI, CHAIRMAN OF THE INFLUENTIAL TURKISH 
INDUSTRIALISTS ASSOCIAION (TUSIAD) OPENLY QUESTIONED THE 
IDEA OF REPLACING A SUCCESSFUL GOVERNOR LIKE SERDENGECTI. 
 
----------------------------------- 
ERDOGAN AND BABACAN TRY TO REASSURE 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) FOLLOWING THE ANNOUNCEMENT, PRIME MINISTER ERDOGAN 
SAID THE GOVERNMENT WOULD MAKE ANOTHER NOMINATION. 
SPECULATION HAS INCREASED THE THE GOT WILL NOW NOMINATE 
UNDER SECRETARY IBRAHIM CANAKCI WHO, IS ONE OF THE FEW 
POTENTIAL CANDIDATES WHO NOT ONLY CLOSE TO THE AKP 
GOVERNMENT BUT IS ALSO RESPECTED BY THE MARKETS AND WHOSE 
WIFE DOES NOT WEAR A HEADSCARF.  ERDOGAN'S ANNOUNCEMENT THAT 
THE GOVERNMENT WOULD GO FORWARD WITH ANOTHER NOMINATION IS 
SOMEWHAT REASSURING TO MARKETS. OTHERWISE, THEY MIGHT FEAR A 
SCENARIO IN WHICH THE GOT WOULD REACT TO SEZER'S VETO BY 
LEAVING ACTING GOVERNOR ERDEM BASCI IN PLACE.  THE WEAKNESS 
OF HIS STATUS AS ACTING GOVERNOR WOULD HARDLY ENHANCE 
CENTRAL BANK INDEPENDENCE AND CREDIBILITY. 
 
¶6. (SBU) ON SUNDAY, MINISTER BABACAN, WHO HAS BEEN KEEPING A 
LOWER PUBLIC PROFILE IN RECENT WEEKS, MADE REASSURING 
REMARKS ABOUT THE CONTINUITY OF POLICY.  TAKING THE SAME 
LINE HIS DEPUTY, TREASURY UNDER SECRETARY CANAKCI HAD TAKEN 
 
ANKARA 00001629  002 OF 003 
 
 
WITH US PRIVATELY, BABACAN SAID THE REFORMS ARE 
INSTITUTIONALIZED AND NO LONGER DEPEND ON ONE INDIVIDUAL. 
BABACAN STROVE TO PUT RECENT EVENTS IN CONTEXT AND 
EMPHASIZED THE GOT COMMITMENT TO THE REFORM PROGRAM, 
INCLUDING CENTRAL BANK INDEPENDENCE, INFLATION TARGETING AND 
THE FLOATING EXCHANGE RATE REGIME.  COMMENT: THERE IS SOME 
TRUTH TO THE BABACAN/CANAKCI LINE: THE SUCCESS OF THE POST- 
2001 DISINFLATION PROGRAM CREATES PRESSURE ON THE CENTRAL 
BANK TO CONTINUE.  MOREOVER, THE INTRODUCTION OF FORMAL 
INFLATION-TARGETING THIS YEAR MAKES IT HARDER FOR THE BANK 
TO CHANGE POLICIES.  ON THE OTHER HAND, BABACAN AND CANAKCI, 
IN THEIR DESIRE TO PAINT A POSITIVE PICTURE (REF B) ARE 
SERIOUSLY UNDERSTATING THE IMPORTANCE OF A STRONG, 
INDEPENDENT CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR WHO CAN RESIST POLITICAL 
PRESSURES TO LOWER THE EXCHANGE RATE. END COMMENT. 
 
------------- 
IMF CRITICISM 
------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) ON FRIDAY, AFTER THE MARKETS CLOSED, IN AN 
UNRELATED DEVELOPMENT, IMF MANAGING DIRECTOR RODRIGO RATO 
MADE RARE PUBLIC COMMENTS CRITICAL OF TURKEY.  RATO, IN 
ACAPULCO, SAID TURKEY NEEDED TO KEEP A STRONG PRIMARY 
SURPLUS TO BRING DOWN ITS HIGH PUBLIC DEBT BURDEN, AND THAT 
LOWERING TAX RATES AND BOOSTING CIVIL SERVICE SALARIES WAS 
NOT THE PATH TO REDUCING PUBLIC DEBT. RATO, LIKE THE 
ANONYMOUS IMF OFFICIAL QUOTED BY REUTERS EARLIER IN THE 
WEEK, SAID THE RECENT MEASURES WERE DEVIATIONS FROM TURKEY'S 
IMF PROGRAM. RATO MAY HAVE FELT THE NEED TO MAKE THIS POINT 
PUBLICLY, SINCE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER ABDULLATIF SENER HAD 
ANGRILY REJECTED THE IMF OFFICIAL'S CLAIM THAT THE MEASURES 
WERE DEVIATIONS FROM THE PROGRAM.  SENER SAID IT WAS THE 
GOVERNMENT'S PROGRAM, NOT THE IMF'S, AND INSISTED ON THE 
NEED FOR A "SOCIAL PILLAR" TO THE PROGRAM. 
 
¶8. (SBU) EARLIER ON FRIDAY, BEFORE RATO'S COMMENTS, THE IMF 
RESREP HAD EXPRESSED CONCERNS TO US ABOUT A SERIES OF FISCAL 
MEASURES EITHER PASSED (VAT RATE CUT FOR TEXTILES AND CIVIL 
SERVICE BONUSES) OR UNDER CONSIDERATION THAT UNDERMINE THE 
PROGRAM'S FISCAL STRATEGY.  WHEREAS A CENTRAL PILLAR OF THE 
STRATEGY IS TO REDUCE LOOPHOLES AND EXEMPTIONS IN ORDER TO 
PERMIT GRADUAL LOWERING OF TURKEY'S TAX RATES, THE GOT SEEMS 
TO BE PRONE TO RETURNING TO ITS FORMER PENCHANT FOR MEASURES 
THAT WILL MAKE IT HARDER TO REDUCE RATES AND STILL MAINTAIN 
FISCAL BALANCES.  THOUGH THE GOT MAY STILL RESIST THESE 
MOVES, THE RESREP WAS CONCERNED THAT PARLIAMENT MAY RESPOND 
SYMPATHETICALLY TO THE TURKISH INDUSTRIALISTS ASSOCIATION'S 
(TUSIAD) URGING TO SLOW DOWN THE PHASEOUT OF THE INVESTMENT 
ALLOWANCE UNDER THE CORPORATE INCOME TAX(CIT).  THE GOT- 
PROPOSED, IMF-BLESSED VERSION OF THE CIT RATE REDUCTION WAS 
DEEMED AFFORDABLE ONLY BECAUSE IT PHASED OUT THE ALLOWANCE 
FOR CAPITAL INVESTMENTS, WHICH SKEWED THE TAX CODE IN FAVOR 
OF CAPITAL-INTENSIVE, RATHER THAN LABOR-INTENSIVE 
INVESTMENTS. 
 
¶9. (SBU) THE RESREP WAS ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT PARLIAMENTARY 
MOVES TO ALLOW DEDUCTIBILITY OF INTEREST ON MORTGAGE LOANS 
IN THE NEW MORTGAGE LAW UNDER CONSIDERATION. IMF STAFF 
BELIEVE INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE SUGGESTS THE DEDUCTIBILITY 
OF MORTGAGE INTEREST IS NOT BEST PRACTICE.  IN TURKEY'S CASE 
WOULD IT WOULD EAT INTO TAX REVENUES BY PROVIDING A NEW 
DEDUCTION WITHOUT ANY DIRECT POSITIVE EFFECT ON REVENUES. 
CAPITAL MARKETS BOARD CHAIRMAN CANSIZLAR ARGUED THE OPPOSITE 
CASE TO US, ASSERTING THAT THERE WOULD BE NO REVENUE LOSS 
BECAUSE OF THE BROADER POSITIVE EFFECT ON ECONOMIC GROWTH 
OVER THE MEDIUM TERM. 
 
--------------- 
NERVOUS MARKETS 
--------------- 
 
¶10. (SBU) EVEN BEFORE THE RATO COMMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF 
SEZER'S VETO, THERE WAS A SELL-OFF IN TURKISH FINANCIAL 
MARKETS FRIDAY, WITH THE ISTANBUL STOCK EXCHANGE DECLINING 
2.82% AND THE LIRA DOWN FROM 1.3387 PER DOLLAR TO 1.3473 
AT THE CLOSE, ALTHOUGH THE YIELD ON THE BENCHMARK GOVERNMENT 
BOND REMAIN UNCHANGED.  ON SATURDAY, WHEN SEZER'S VETO WAS 
ANNOUNCED, IT EMERGED THAT HE HAD INFORMED THE PRIME 
MINISTRY ON THURSDAY, MARCH 23, RAISING SUSPICIONS THAT SOME 
OF THE SELLING ON FRIDAY COULD HAVE BEEN SPARKED BY INSIDER 
KNOWLEDGE OF THE SEZER VETO. 
 
¶11. (SBU) ON MONDAY, EQUITY MARKETS CONTINUED TO FALL, WITH 
 
ANKARA 00001629  003 OF 003 
 
 
THE IMKB 100 INDEX CLOSING DOWN 1.30%.  THE LIRA, HOWEVER, 
APPRECIATED SLIGHTLY TO 1.3451 PER DOLLAR.  GIVEN THE 
WEEKEND'S NEWS, EMRAH EKSI OF THE CENTRAL BANK MARKETS 
DEPARTMENT CONSIDERED THE MARKETS' REACTION TO BE MILD, AND 
ATTRIBUTED SOME OF THE SELLING TO OTHER NEWS, SUCH AS 
TELECOM ITALIA'S ANNOUNCEMENT IT WOULD WITHDRAW FROM A CELL 
PHONE JOINT VENTURE IN TURKEY. 
 
------- 
OUTLOOK 
------- 
 
¶12. (SBU) DESPITE BABACAN'S ATTEMPT TO PUT A POSITIVE SPIN 
ON DEVELOPMENTS, RECENT EVENTS HAVE UNDERMINED BOTH THE 
GOVERNMENT'S CREDIBILITY ON ECONOMIC POLICY AND THAT OF THE 
CENTRAL BANK.  ALTHOUGH THE SOCIAL SECURITY LEGISLATION IS 
FINALLY BEING DELIBERATED IN THE PLAN AND BUDGET COMMITTEE, 
UNLESS PARLIAMENT PASSES IT THIS WEEK, THE RESREP DOUBTED 
THE IMF WOULD SEND A MISSION UNTIL AFTER THE IMF/WORLD BANK 
SPRING MEETINGS, I.E. BEFORE MAY.  ONCE A MISSION COMES, HE 
SAID THE FUND WILL BE IN THE DIFFICULT POSITION OF DECIDING 
WHETHER TO ALLOW WAIVERS FOR THE VAT RATE CUT AND THE CIVIL 
SERVICE BONUSES. 
 
MCELDOWNEY