VZCZCXYZ0003
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAK #5839 2790951
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 060951Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9265
INFO RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 0481
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6604
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 1429

UNCLAS ANKARA 005839 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AIDAC 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR CRS, NEA 
USAID/A AND USAID/ANE/MEA - DAVID MCCLOUD 
USAID FOR LEBANON RESPONSE MANAGEMENT TEAM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID LE TU
SUBJECT: TURKISH CONTRIBUTION TO LEBANON RECONSTRUCTION 
 
REF: BEIRUT 3233 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  Turkish MFA Lebanon Assistance Coordinator Koray 
Targay explained October 5 that Turkey planned to provide its 
$10 million Stockholm pledge in the form of 50 pre-fabricated 
schools that would be set-up in southern Lebanon.  He 
coordinated this with Council for Development and 
Reconstruction (CDR) officials in Beirut during the week of 
September 25.  CDR officials will identify the specific sites 
for the schools, and Turkish companies will complete the 
construction, although they may require help from CDR in 
laying the foundations.  Targay said that the GOT had 35 of 
the 50 units on hand in Istanbul.  These will be trucked to 
Lebanon and could be set-up and ready for use within one 
month.  He explained that these are substantial structures 
with an expected life of at least 20 years. Everything needed 
for a school, including air conditioning and "up to the 
chalk," is included. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Targay was skeptical about the planned Beirut 
donors conference.  He said that he detected no political 
will in Beirut to undertake the serious economic reforms that 
would be required to absorb large amounts of new assistance. 
He recalled that the $4.4 billion pledged at the Paris II 
conference in 2002 was still untapped.  Nonetheless, he said 
Turkey was prepared to make a pledge of up to $20 million, 
bringing the total Turkish government contribution to $30 
million.  He said Turkish NGOs, including the Turkish Red 
Crescent, had provided about $15 million of humanitarian and 
medical assistance (dialysis machines), but that these 
programs were winding down.  Turkish forces contributed to 
UNIFIL will also assist in road-building and will open a 
medical clinic once they are established in the south. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  The schoolhouse donation was complicated by a 
promise made in a phone call between PM Erdogan and PM 
Siniora that Turkey would send 750 emergency housing units to 
Lebanon.  On further investigation, Turkish officials had 
found that not only were only 424 such units on hand (left 
over from the 1999 earthquakes), but that they were in very 
bad shape.  Furthermore, these are 20-foot shipping 
containers that are not appropriate to the needs of large 
rural families.  He is trying to convince the Prime 
Minister's staff that the school buildings are a more useful 
contribution than the shipping containers.  Targay said his 
assessment is also that building permanent housing is more 
appropriate than using temporary structures. 
 
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON