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Dianne Wampler  11/15/2006 10:38:20 AM  From  DB/Inbox:  Dianne Wampler

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UNCLAS    SENSITIVE     ANKARA 06417

SIPDIS
CX:
    ACTION: FAS
    INFO:   AMB PMA POL DCM ECON

DISSEMINATION: FAS
CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: AGR: RGIFFORD
DRAFTED: AGR: CGUVEN
CLEARED: ECON:DYOUNG

VZCZCAYI675
PP RUEHC RUEHRC RUCPDOC RUEHIT RUEHDA RUEHVI
RUEHBS RUEHPH RUEAUSA RUEHGV RUEHTA RUEHZN
DE RUEHAK #6417/01 3181525
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 141525Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9935
INFO RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 1626
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 1334
RUEHVI/AMEMBASSY VIENNA 1609
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1509
RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ASTANA 0111
RUEHZN/EST COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 006417 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EUR/SE, EB/EPD, and EB/TPP/ABT 
DEPT PLEASE PASS USAID FOR NBLANCHETT 
USDA OSEC FOR TERPSTRA 
USDA FAS FOR FAA/DEVER, ITP/FLEMINGS 
USDOC FOR DEFALCO 
ISTANBUL FOR FAS VIENNA FOR APHIS 
BRUSSELS USEU FOR FAS, APHIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO AMED EAID CASC SENV EFIN EAGR KFLU TU
SUBJECT: USAID Grant Signing Ceremony and Summary of Avian Influenza 
Situation in Turkey 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: On November 7, the Ambassador participated 
in a signing ceremony for the $1 million U.S.AID grant to 
Turkey (through the World Bank) to support Turkey's efforts against 
Avian Influenza (AI).  Remarks by the Ambassador, the Minister of 
Agriculture Eker, and the Country Director of the World Bank, Andrew 
Vorkink, helped publicize the grant and the U.S. role in helping 
combat this disease world-wide. The event garnered substantial 
favorable press coverage. Turkey declared itself free of AI on 
August 15 and the Ministries of Health and of Agriculture have been 
coordinating with international organizations and industry groups on 
prevention and preparedness measures.  End Summary. 
 
------------------------------------- 
 
Ambassador Speaks at Signing Ceremony 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) On November 7, the Ambassador, Minister Eker and Mr. 
Vorkink all signed the $1 million U.S. AID grant to Turkey as 
witnesses in an official ceremony to mark the donation.  Mr. Vorkink 
had previously signed the agreement on September 12, 2006.  The 
USAID $1 million is divided between $250K for public awareness 
purposes and $750K for restructuring of backyard production. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Following a statement by the Minister, the Ambassador 
addressed the press. In his remarks, the Ambassador highlighted 
Turkey's excellent response to the AI outbreaks last January and 
cooperation with international partners.  He thanked the Turkish 
government for supporting the U.S. interagency delegation's visit 
following the crisis last January.  He highlighted the overall U.S. 
contribution to support Turkey in its efforts against AI, which 
includes this U.S. AID grant of $1 million and the $325,000 grant 
from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  He also 
stressed that these funds and the World Bank's efforts are part of a 
broader international partnership on avian and pandemic influenza 
that was proposed by President Bush earlier this year. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The other speakers thanked the U.S. for its contribution, 
and used the event to help publicize Turkey's efforts this year and 
its role as model for the region.  Minister Eker stated that the 
grant received from the U.S. is targeted for activities in public 
awareness and in restructuring of the poultry sector. He thanked the 
Ambassador and everyone else who worked on the issuance of the grant 
as well as the EU Commission and the World Bank delegation for their 
financial and moral support. 
 
-------------- 
Media Interest 
-------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) The event was well attended by wire service reporters, 
print 
journalists and broadcast media teams. The major Turkish wire 
service, 
Anatolia Agency, reported on the grant, as did several television 
news 
programs. Islamist-oriented daily "Yeni Safak" ran the story under 
the 
headline "$1 Million from the US for Bird Flu."  Coverage was 
straightforward and positive. 
 
----------------------------------------- 
Turkey's Preparations for Avian Influenza 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Avian influenza was first reported on October 7, 2005, with 
a single outbreak which was successfully controlled without any 
spread.  Following the initial outbreak, a second outbreak was 
confirmed in domestic poultry on December 25, 2005.  Since that 
date, Turkey had 230 confirmed AI cases in poultry, 30 of which 
occurred in wild birds.  The disease was observed in 53 of the 81 
provinces.  The total number of birds culled in Turkey is over 2.5 
million (a little over 900,000 in the quarantine zones and 1.6 
million outside the quarantine zones). There were also 12 confirmed 
human AI cases, of which 4 were deaths. 
 
¶7. (SBU) On August 15, Turkey declared itself free of highly 
pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in accordance with the OIE health 
code.  The last confirmed case of HPAI was reported in March 31, 
¶2006.  According to the GOT's report to the OIE, stamping out was 
carried out around all outbreaks, surveillance is ongoing (with 
negative results thus far), and vaccination has not been applied in 
any part of Turkey. 
 
¶8. (SBU) An interagency committee led by the Ministry of Agriculture 
(MARA) and consisting of representatives from the Ministry of Health 
(MOH), Education, and Environment, as well as international 
organizations such as the World Bank and Unicef, was established in 
late August to develop a coordinated communications strategy for 
Turkey.  Since then, the group has met several times and agreed on 
the direction of the campaign.  Last week the first brochures and 
posters were published and are now ready for distribution throughout 
the country.  The committee has enlisted the help of the national 
religious organization so that the imams in the villages can ensure 
that people in all parts of the country receive instruction on how 
to handle sick poultry.  With the clever slogan, "Protection is in 
your hands," the campaign emphasizes washing one's hands thoroughly 
and regularly. 
 
¶9. (SBU) BESD-BIR, the Turkish poultry association, has also played 
an active role in Turkey's preparations for another AI outbreak. 
The industry's strategy has been one of containment --training 
backyard producers in segregating the poultry from humans.  Using 
television ads, the organization has tried to educate producers to 
notify the authorities immediately of dead domestic or wild birds. 
Commercial producers are testing their flocks daily. 
 
¶10. (SBU) The MOH prepared and published the National Pandemic Plan, 
including an English version, in August.  (The Embassy received 
copies of the plan in both languages.)  Ankara is actively working 
with and training provincial health directorates on the plan, as 
well as preparing provincial versions of the plan. 
 
¶11. (SBU) According to the MOH's Primary Health Directorate Doctor 
Yldirim Beyazit, the MOH has stocked 330,000 boxes of Tamiflu and it 
is aiming to purchase 670,000 additional boxes as emergency stocks. 
The MOH is working closely with the MARA, which will continue as the 
lead agency, responsible for controlling the spread of AI in 
poultry. 
 
------------------------------------------ 
FAO's Activities 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶12. (SBU) FAO's focus has been to improve awareness of the disease 
and of prevention methods from farm to consumers. Since January, FAO 
has had on staff two experts with capacity to advise the Turkish 
government on surveillance, testing, epidemiology, and virology. The 
GOT has benefited from their expertise and needs to find funds to 
keep experts in Turkey.  Since FAO is not part of the donor program, 
rather is using global FAO funds, it is seeking designated funding 
for Turkey to continue this project.  FAO plans to organize training 
for trainers and support accreditation of Turkish labs. 
 
¶13. (SBU) FAO's veterinary consultant says that with 114,000 flocks 
in 40,000 villages, the focus needs to be on real time data 
gathering and analysis.  FAO's ultimate training goals for Turkey 
are: 1) better clinical diagnosis (training for veterinarians); 2) 
better testing (validation for laboratories); and developing 
legislation to give broader legal powers to control outbreaks. 
 
-------------------------- 
Turkey as a Regional Model 
-------------------------- 
 
¶14. (SBU) Turkey has been cited as a model for its decisive and 
transparent response to its AI outbreak.  There is wide interest in 
leveraging that experience regionally to other countries whose 
response was less praiseworthy.  WHO and FAO hosted a regional 
conference partially funded by USAID in Ankara last May.  Turkish 
officials and WHO admit that regional cooperation potential is still 
unmet.  Direct linkages and networks have not yet been established. 
In September, Minister Eker told Agcouns that Turkey is considering 
hosting an international conference with its neighboring countries 
sometime this year. 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
¶15. (SBU) Coordination between MOH and MARA (and to a lesser extent 
the Ministry of Environment) remains a big issue.  Each Ministry 
produced its own contingency plan, yet to be reconciled as one 
national plan, although it is happening to some degree at the 
provincial level.  The World Bank asked Emboffs to help identify 
expertise in crisis planning, perhaps a consultant in crisis 
communications.  Turkey has been cited as a regional model for its 
decisive and transparent response to its AI outbreak.