VZCZCXRO6912
RR RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD
DE RUEHAK #1292/01 1451428
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 251428Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2286
INFO RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1563
RUEHZN/EST COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001292 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PINR TBIO AORC PREL KFLU TU
SUBJECT: TURKISH VIEWS ON AI SAMPLE SHARING AND RETENTION OF VARIOLA 
VIRUS - C-TN7-00406 
 
 
A) STATE 62185 
B) ANKARA 1164 
C) STATE 61739 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY: The Government of Turkey (GOT) strongly supports 
viral sample sharing with the WHO in support of scientific research. 
 Turkey's response to last year's significant number of human AI 
cases was perceived as robust and cooperative with international 
partners and regional neighbors.  However, the GOT is inclined to be 
supportive of Indonesia's call for "equitable access" or priority 
access to vaccines derived from their samples, based on existing WHO 
policies and taking account of a country's size, means, and the 
extent of its outbreak.  Turkey supports the U.S. position on 
safeguarding safe smallpox stocks, rather than destroying them.  End 
Summary. 
 
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AI SAMPLE SHARING AND VACCINE ACCESS 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶2.  (SBU) We met with Doctor Yildirim Bayazit at the GOT Ministry of 
Health to research Ref A and C questions.  The following is tied to 
lettered questions: 
 
¶A. Virus Sample WHO.  Sharing: The GOT readily shares flu virus 
samples with the WHO, but supports restrictive agreements on further 
sharing of viral samples by the WHO with commercial entities.  The 
GOT believes a country sharing virus samples is entitled to more 
than WHO analysis of the virus and recommendations.  They believe 
samples should be shared with the WHO for scientific research 
without restriction.  In line with WHO circulars, there should be 
permission from the supplying country if there will be any 
commercial application.  The GOT does not think the country should 
be entitled to financial compensation, but believes these countries 
should have priority in receiving medicine or vaccines developed 
from these samples.  The GOT finds preferential pricing useful. 
 
¶B. Equitable Access: GOT officials believe there should be 
"equitable access" to AI vaccines and means of production.  In 
deciding which countries will get the vaccines or means related to 
AI treatment, relevant parties should take into account the size of 
the country affected by an outbreak, the geographic spread of the 
disease, and the country's capacity and resources to handle an 
outbreak.  A tiered pricing mechanism for developing countries is an 
effective mechanism to improve access. 
 
¶C. Regional Production: The GOT supports creation of regional 
influenza production facilities, but does not believe it is 
practically achievable, given financing difficulties.  GOT officials 
believe the private sector will not make these substantial 
investments based only on the possibility of an outbreak.  The GOT 
perceives a direct relationship between growing pandemic influenza 
vaccine supply and increasing supply and demand for seasonal 
influenza vaccine, and is willing to help foster a market to augment 
production capacity.  Turkey purchases 2.5 million doses of 
influenza vaccines annually.  The Ministry of Health recently got 
budget support for a program where the GOT compensates individuals 
in "risk groups", like children, senior citizens or diabetics 
patients, for flu vaccines.  Health personnel in public hospitals 
are also entitled to get free-of-charge flu vaccination. 
 
¶D. Vaccine Development and Production: The GOT closely follows and 
understands the influenza vaccine production process, and they 
recognize the difference between vaccine production and development. 
 They acknowledge that vaccine development is necessary to test 
efficacies of vaccines. 
 
¶E. Industry Ownership: The pharmaceutical industry in Turkey is 
privately owned. 
 
¶F. Position Coordination: The GOT does not coordinate its position 
with other specific governments and recognizes the WHO as the only 
competent umbrella organization where to effectively interact with 
others on these issues.  The GOT does not belong to a block of 
countries in the WHO, but is strongly sympathetic to the Indonesian 
Government's position on viral sample sharing with companies based 
on country's consent and on fair distribution and priority access to 
AI vaccines, subject to WHO criteria. 
 
¶G. Government Views and Indonesia:  The Turkish Ministry of Health 
(MOH) is aware and supportive of the Government of Indonesia's 
position with regard to the sharing of AI samples by the WHO with 
commercial entities.  They believe the WHO went against (or 
conveniently put aside) its own circular regarding the sharing of 
samples, and shared Indonesia's AI samples with commercial entities 
without receiving the Indonesian Government's permission.  The 
Turkish Health Minister, along with other countries' ministers, 
received a working lunch invitation from the Indonesian Government 
representative for during the WHA meeting.  The Turkish Minister was 
not able to participate in the luncheon, but the GOT has already 
 
ANKARA 00001292  002 OF 002 
 
 
prepared a position paper siding with Indonesia to the WHO.  They 
believe developing countries who share their viral samples with WHO 
and who are still suffering from outbreaks should have better 
priority access to AI vaccines. 
 
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VARIOLA VIRUS 
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¶3.  (SBU) Bayazit repeated the GOT position in support of the U.S. 
on safeguarding smallpox stocks, rather than destroying them (Ref 
B).  He stated that Turkey expressed this position at the World 
Health Assembly. 
Wilson