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DE RUEHIT #1049/01 3451045
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 111045Z DEC 07
FM AMCONSUL ISTANBUL
TO RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7738
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA PRIORITY 2326

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ISTANBUL 001049 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
USDOC FOR 6000/ITA/OEE/RATHKE 
USDOC FOR 3140/CLINE/GUERRO/ANDERSON 
USDOC FOR 3133/FCS/EUROPE/BREIDENSTINE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EINV ETRD SENV PGOV TU
SUBJECT: THE AKP BRINGS WATER TO ISTANBUL 
 
REF: ANKARA 685 
 
ISTANBUL 00001049  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY 
 
¶1. (U)  Prime Minister Erdogan presided over the official 
opening of the Melen Project, a massive endeavor to provide 
residents of  Istanbul with sufficient water.   This project 
diverts water from the Melen River and pipes it about 150 km 
westward to Istanbul.  The ceremony celebrated the completion 
of the first phase; however two additional phases will be 
needed to meet the city's water needs in the coming decades. 
The project provides an opportunity for U.S. firms, 
noticeably absent from major water projects in Istanbul. 
Justice and Development Party (AKP) officials will likely 
highlight this project as a success story in the lead up to 
local elections, roughly 15 months away. 
 
-------------------- 
Erdogan Turns on the Tap 
-------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) Prime Minister Erdogan proudly boasted that Istanbul 
does not face the threat of a water shortage at the official 
opening ceremony for the Melen water project.  At the 
ceremony launching the first phase of the Melen Project in 
Istanbul on December 2 the Prime Minister credited himself 
for initiating this project.  According to Erdogan, the city 
only had a 60-day reserve of water when he became Mayor of 
Istanbul in 1994; however due to efforts begun while he was 
in office this problem is now solved. 
 
-------------------- 
The Melen Project 
-------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) The Melen Project redirects water from the Melen River 
located in Duzce province, roughly halfway between Istanbul 
and Ankara.  A network of about 150 km of pipes carries the 
water to the Asian side of Istanbul, refilling reservoirs 
that are being depleted by current usage.  To get the water 
to the more populous European side, a 5,551 meter long pipe 
will be laid under the Bosphorus.  The recently completed 
first phase will supply 268 million cubic meters of water per 
year, and by the end of third phase about 1180 million cubic 
meters will be provided to Istanbul annually, enough to meet 
the city's expected water needs until 2040.   The city of 
Istanbul and the central government jointly administer this 
project, sharing the USD 2 billion price tag. 
 
¶4. (U) Extracting water from the Melen River is creating new 
pressures for water treatment to meet EU water quality 
standards.  Press reports note over 90 percent of the 
factories on the Melen River do not have adequate water 
treatment facilities.  The State Water Works Administration 
(DSI) has given firms up to four months to install new waste 
water facilities or face stiff fines.  Furthermore Professor 
Saatci, an advisor to the Istanbul Water Administration told 
Poloff growth of illegal squatter settlements are also 
complicating treatment efforts and. stressed the need to 
begin  work immediately on the second phase of Melen to avoid 
potential future water shortages. 
 
-------------------- 
Opportunity for American Firms 
-------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Saatci noted U.S. firms were noticeably absent from 
Istanbul water projects. French, German, Italian, and 
Japanese firms have dominated the manufacturing and services 
market for this field in Istanbul, reducing the pool of 
vendors for the municipality to choose from.  Saatci 
indicated he was eager to use U.S. products; in early 
December he plans to travel to New York with Mevlut Vural, 
the General Director of the Istanbul Water Authority, to 
research potential American products.  Saatci mentioned that 
he was impressed with American technology, and that U.S. 
firms, particularly water treatment equipment manufacturers, 
are missing an opportunity to do business in Turkey. 
 
-------------------- 
Comment 
-------------------- 
 
(SBU) Even before the completion of the first phase of the 
Melen Project, Istanbul was able to escape the water 
rationing that Ankara citizens suffered last summer (reftel). 
 
ISTANBUL 00001049  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 The Melen Project will help ensure that the city has 
sufficient quantities of water for years to come. 
Successfully supplying Turkey's largest city with water will 
surely be highlighted by Justice and Development (AKP) 
officials in the run-up to the March 2009 local elections. 
End Comment. 
 
WIENER