VZCZCXRO3838
RR RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHPB
DE RUEHAK #2708/01 1341204
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 141204Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5556
INFO RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
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RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002708 
 
SIPDIS 
 
G STAFF FOR JED MELINE 
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 
TREASURY FOR PLANTIER 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:N/A 
TAGS: TBIO AMED EAID CASC SENV EFIN EAGR TU KFLU
SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA: TURKEY AND THE WORLD BANK 
 
REF: STATE 67574 
 
ANKARA 341 AND PREVIOUS 
 
ANKARA 00002708  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY: Coming on the heels of the WHO/FAO hosted Avian 
Influenza (AI) conference in Ankara (supported by USAID), 
The World Bank gained Executive Board approval on April 24 
for a $34.4 million loan to Turkey (out of a $54 million 
package) that will support Turkey's AI readiness and 
capacity and provide a model for the region.  A recent 
conference call at the Ankara World Bank office targeted 
next steps for the USAID $1 million grant portion, which is 
focused on restructuring the backyard poultry industry, 
primarily in the east.  End Summary. 
 
---------- 
Background 
---------- 
 
¶2.  Turkey has been broadly recognized for delivering a 
robust and transparent response to its AI outbreaks.  Turkey 
experienced its first outbreak of AI in October 2005 in 
western Turkey and took prompt containment measures 
impacting a number of poultry farms.  There were no human 
cases at that time.  In January 2006 a much more widespread 
outbreak occurred, starting initially in northeastern 
Turkey, and eventually affecting backyard poultry in 58 of 
Turkey's 81 provinces.  The GOT took comprehensive control 
measures, ultimately culling over 2.3 million birds over the 
next few months.  Turkey experienced the first human cases 
of AI outside of East Asia, eventually detecting 21 cases 
(12 confirmed by an outside lab) and 4 deaths, mostly 
children who had close contact with infected animals.  The 
sequential AI outbreaks had a devastating economic effect on 
the commercial poultry industry, although the second and 
larger outbreak generally affected only backyard husbandry. 
 
------------------------------- 
World Bank - USAID Contribution 
------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  On April 24 the World Bank Executive Board approved a 
$34.4 million loan as part of a $54 million package for 
assisting Turkey in controlling and responding to the threat 
posed by Avian Influenza (AI) and preparing for a possible 
human influenza pandemic.  The package is crafted to support 
 
ANKARA 00002708  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
prevention, preparedness and planning, and response and 
containment.  Roughly 60% of the funding will be focused on 
animal health and 40% on human health, with a significant 
shared element for public awareness and coordination, and 
supporting a National Zoonotic Committee.  The GOT convinced 
the World Bank that Turkey did not need a centralized 
coordinating body at the Prime Ministry, citing effective 
coordination during the outbreaks between the Ministries of 
Health and Agriculture.  Following drafting and signing of 
the associated loan agreement expected May 15, the agreement 
will be published in the Official Gazette.  The EC is 
providing $10 million in grants from its accession funds and 
there is almost $10 million in local contribution from the 
GOT. 
 
¶4.  USAID is contributing a $1 million grant to the AI 
support package; this will be administrated through the 
World Bank.  This portion is focused on safe reintroduction 
of poultry after culling and restructuring of backyard 
poultry practices to augment bio-security.  About one-fourth 
of the facility will be dedicated to an associated 
communication strategy.  In a May 8 video-conference call 
USAID official Nathan Blanchette repeated praise to GOT 
officials on Turkey's strong and transparent response to AI, 
citing Turkey's potential as model in the region as the main 
reason for USAID's support to Turkey.  USAID supported a 
recent WHO-FAO organized regional technical conference on AI 
held in Ankara (Ref A). 
 
----------------------------------- 
Challenges with the Health Ministry 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  World Bank local official Ibrahim Akcayoglu described 
the bank's challenges in bringing the World Bank facility to 
fruition.  With the first outbreak in October, there was 
interest in Turkey in an animal and human focused package, 
but there was deep resistance from the State Planning Office 
and initially from the Ministries, particularly the Ministry 
of Health (MOH), which at that time asserted that Turkey had 
sufficient resources.  After the much more serious January 
outbreaks, the Ministry of Agriculture (MARA) supported a 
World Bank package, but MOH developed an extravagant wish 
list, including a high tech laboratory.  The GOT Treasury 
served as a middle ground "reality check", scaling back the 
 
ANKARA 00002708  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
scope, and the contribution of grant portions from the EC 
and USAID were important in gaining broad support for the WB 
facility.  Although MOH and MARA cooperated to respond to 
the January outbreaks, coordination has been perceived as 
GOT's greatest challenge, and the WB insisted that its 
package be a comprehensive package. 
 
¶6.  The May 8 conference call highlighted the challenges of 
coordination between and within the MOH, MARA, and outside 
agencies.  UNICEF had worked closely with the MOH Primary 
Health Directorate and the Child Inter-sectoral Board in 
developing a "Strategic Communications Framework and Plan 
for the Prevention and Control of AI in Turkey"; however, 
MOH and MARA officials participating in the call complained 
that they had not been consulted in this formulation.  In 
the conference call, USAID and WB officials smoothed the 
differences and developed an action plan for incorporating 
broader consultation for field surveys and communication 
planning, developing an operation manual and pilot areas for 
action, and inventorying existing relevant platforms.  USAID 
reminded participants that a portion of its grant should be 
focused on communication efforts directly linked to backyard 
poultry restructuring and reintroduction. 
 
¶7.  Comment: At the regional conference, the Minister of 
Agriculture declared the AI outbreak in Turkey as "over". 
As noted before, Turkey has shown a strong, transparent, and 
cooperative response, but in fact there are new animal 
outbreaks occurring, although at a much slower pace, and 
NOT/NOT affecting humans.  The GOT continues to cull birds 
in affected areas.  Public awareness remains a critical 
issue, as the GOT MARA is much quieter about its AI 
activities, perhaps seeking to mitigate economic damage to 
the commercial poultry sector. 
 
Wilson