VZCZCXRO2735
RR RUEHDA
DE RUEHAK #0659 0811622
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 221622Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1429
INFO RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 2380
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 1782
RUEAFCC/FCC WASHDC

UNCLAS ANKARA 000659 
 
SIPDIS 
 
USDOC FOR 4212/ITA/MAC/CPD/CRUSNAK 
FCC FOR A THOMAS AND A WEINSCHENK 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECPS EINT EINV TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY TELECOM BOARD - VISIT TO FCC MAY 11 
 
REF: A) ANKARA 501 
 
B) ANKARA 49 
C) 06 ANKARA 6055 
 
¶1.  Turkish Telecom Board President Tayfun Acarer has informed the 
Embassy that he would like to visit the FCC on May 11 to have a 
meeting with the FCC Chairman to build a strong institutional 
relationship and learn from U.S. experience.  Embassy has long 
supported high-level interaction between the Turkish Board and the 
FCC and supports this request. 
 
¶2.  The Telecom Board organized the successful International 
Telecommunications Union Plenipotentiary in Antalya in November 2006 
and was able to have a meeting with FCC representatives on the 
margin.  The Turkish regulator is well intentioned, but is cautious 
and still developing its competence and independence with respect to 
the government and the privatized, but still dominant, Turk Telekom 
(reftels).  High level contact with our FCC would be helpful in 
giving advice and experience on licensing and regulating current 
technologies, as well as empowering the Turkish regulator as it 
establishes its footing.  The biggest challenges facing the Board 
are unbundling the local loop currently controlled by Turk Telekom 
and introducing new technologies like WiMax. 
 
McEldowney