VZCZCXRO3715
RR RUEHAG RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKUK RUEHKW
RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHMOS RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHAK #2045 1041213
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 141213Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4820
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0313
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J-3/J-5//
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU//TCH//
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC

UNCLAS ANKARA 002045 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PTER PGOV PINS IR TU
SUBJECT: TURKISH-IRANIAN RELATIONS, BY THE NUMBERS 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) As the constroversy over the Iranian nuclear program 
continues and many in Turkey become increasingly anxious 
about next steps, we thought it useful to review the basic 
elements of Turkey's relations with this troublesome 
neighbor.  What follows is a snapshot overview of Turkey's 
interaction with Iran in a variety of fields. 
 
¶2. (U) Diplomatic Relations 
-- Turkey maintains an embassy in Tehran and consulates in 
Tabriz and Urumiye. 
-- Iran maintains an embassy in Ankara and consulates in 
Istanbul, Erzurum, and Trabzon. 
-- Turkey and Iran are both members of several multilateral 
organizations, including the UN, OIC, Economic Cooperation 
Organization (ECO), and Development Eight (D8). 
 
¶3. (U) Recent High Level Visits 
-- In March 2006 Iranian Parliamentary Foreign Policy, 
National Security, and Defense Affairs Committee Chair 
Aladdin Boroujerdi visited Turkey. 
-- In November 2005 Iranian FM Manouchehr Mottaki visited 
Turkey. 
-- In July 2004 PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Iran. 
-- In February 2004 President Ahmet Necdet Sezer visited Iran 
 
¶4. (U) Tourism 
-- In 2005, 960,000 Iranian tourists came to Turkey. 
-- In 2004, 630,000 Iranian tourists came to Turkey. 
 
¶5. (U) Border Crossings 
-- There are two road crossings, a major border gate at 
Gurbualak in Agri province and a second crossing at Esendere 
in Hakkari province. 
-- There is one railway crossing at Kapikoy in Van province. 
-- According to Turkish MFA officials, 70,000 trucks cross 
the border every year, connecting Turkey to Iran, Central 
Asia, and beyond. 
 
¶6. (U) Security Cooperation 
-- Ankara and Tehrn hold high level security meetings once 
ever six months. 
-- They also hold periodic meetigs between local security 
officials along the border. 
-- According to an April 6 media report, Iranian officials 
have turned more than 60 captured PKK militants over to 
Turkish authorities. 
 
¶7. (U) Trade 
-- In 2005, Turkish-Iranian trade amounted to $4.4 billion, 
or less than 3 percent of all of Turkey's imports and exports. 
-- About one-quarter of the trade is Turkish exports to Iran, 
mostly consumer goods and processed materials. 
-- About three-quarters of the trade is Turkish imports from 
Iran, mostly crude oil and natural gas. 
-- This total trade volume represents a four-fold increase 
since 1995 when the two countries only traded goods and 
services totalling about $1 billion. 
 
¶8. (U) Investment 
-- In 2003, Turkish firms invested $200 million in Iran. 
-- Figures for 2004 Turkish investment in Iran are not 
available. 
-- In 2005, Turkish firms invested $25 million in Iran. 
-- Figures on Iranian investment in Turkey are unavailable. 
 
¶9. (U) Energy 
-- Iran is Turkey,s largest supplier of crude oil and its 
second largest supplier of natural gas. 
-- In 2005, Turkey purchased 6 million tons of crude oil and 
4.3 billion cubic meters of gas from Iran. 
-- These imports represent roughly 24 percent of Turkey,s 
total crude oil and 16 percent of Turkey,s total natural gas 
purchases. 
 
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON