VZCZCXRO6412
OO RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHPB
DE RUEHAK #2113/01 1081201
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 181201Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4917
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC PRIORITY
INFO RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0598
RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 1864
RUEHKB/AMEMBASSY BAKU 1361
RUEHBM/AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST 0853
RUEHCH/AMEMBASSY CHISINAU 0381
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RUEHSI/AMEMBASSY TBILISI 3019
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RUEHYE/AMEMBASSY YEREVAN 1222
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RUEHMK/AMEMBASSY MANAMA 0176
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 5395
RUEHKV/AMEMBASSY KIEV 0701
RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 7102
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6569
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 6515
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RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
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 1464
RUEHAST/USOFFICE ASTANA 0087
RUEHZN/EST COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 002113 
 
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 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:N/A 
TAGS: TBIO AMED EAID CASC SENV EAGR KPAO TU
SUBJECT:  TURKISH AGR MINISTER ON AI AND WTO RICE CASE 
 
ANKARA 00002113  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  Summary. Turkish Minister of Agriculture and Rural 
Affairs Mehmet Eker, in a meeting with Ambassador April 17, 
reported that bird flu had been essentially eliminated in 
Turkey and thanked the United States for its financial 
support in dealing with AI.  Eker also reported that with 
the next few days, the Secretariat for Foreign Trade would 
issue instructions on Turkey's new rice import regime.  He 
expressed interest in the dropping of the US WTO rice case 
against Turkey.  Ambassador responded that the issue for 
Washington will be whether the issues that gave rise to the 
US complaint to the WTO have in fact been addressed.  End 
Summary. 
 
AI Regional Conference and Current AI Situation 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶2.  Eker commented that the recent WHO/FAO sponsored 
Regional Conference on Avian Influenza held April 12-13 in 
Ankara was extremely useful, particularly the participation 
of 6 countries neighboring Turkey including Armenia, 
Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Iraq and Syria.  He emphasized 
that Avian Influenza is a disease that does not respect 
borders.  The minister underscored that Turkey had been as 
transparent as possible during its outbreak and had made an 
effort to share information with its neighbors.  He also 
noted a willingness to help other countries in the region. 
 
¶3.  Eker provided an overview of the current AI situation in 
Turkey.  He reported that the poultry sector is recovering 
and that there have been no new cases.  The minister noted 
that consumption levels had reached 90 percent of normal 
levels, and poultry prices have buoyed to YTL 3.5/kilogram. 
To underscore this point, he said suppliers declined to bid 
for a recent Turkish military poultry tender because the 
price offered was too low.  (In separate conversations, 
poultry sector officials have claimed that consumption has 
only reached 60-70 percent of pre-AI crisis levels although 
consumption has steadily risen.  We also understand there 
are still sporadic reports of new AI cases in the bird 
population although none in any large commercial 
operations.) 
 
¶4.  Ambassador commended Eker for his and the government's 
work in responding to AI.  He noted that a video conference 
between the Ministry, the World Bank and USAID/Washington 
would be organized in the near future to discuss AID's USD 1 
million donation, as part of a large World Bank-coordinated 
 
ANKARA 00002113  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
package, to restock poultry in safe and hygiene ways that 
will ensure against a reintroduction of the AI.  Ambassador 
expressed interest in Turkey's regional role.  We 
appreciated its leadership role in helping organize the 
April 12-13 conference in Ankara.  Recalling his own prior 
work in Azerbaijan, Ambassador suggested that continued 
efforts by Turkey with the Azeris could be especially 
helpful given the difficulty the authorities there have had 
in coming to grips with AI.  Eker expressed interest in 
this, but did not respond substantively. 
 
WTO Rice Case 
------------- 
 
¶5.  Eker said that Turkey had lifted its Tariff Rate Quota 
for rice as of April 1 and that importers had been issued 
licenses since that date.  He stated that there was no 
official announcement about the TRQ, but that importers had 
been informed.  However, real next steps by Turkey would 
follow the receipt of a letter to MARA from the Foreign 
Trade Undersecretariat (FTU), expected in the next few days 
that would provide details on the new import regime that 
would comply with Turkey's WTO obligations.  The "domestic 
purchase" requirement would be abolished as part of this 
overall package that would be fully implemented by July 31. 
Eker declined to answer questions about whether the TRQ and 
domestic purchase requirement abolitions would be permanent, 
but pointed to the new system that FTU would be 
establishing.  Eker stated that his ministry was only 
responsible for health, quality and standards for food 
imports and that FTU was responsible for WTO compliance and 
the import regime.  Eker asked about the possible suspension 
of the US WTO case. 
 
¶6.  The Ambassador expressed the hope that both countries 
could resolve the WTO rice case.  He noted that USTR 
Ambassador Portman had expressed appreciation to Minister 
Tuzmen for Turkey's efforts, but had not replied to Tuzmen's 
suggestion that the US WTO case should be dropped. 
Ambassador emphasized to Eker that it is imperative for GOT 
to provide information on Turkey's new import regime that 
give Washington full assurance that the complaints that gave 
rise to the US case against Turkey have been completely 
addressed. 
 
Wilson