VZCZCXRO0992
PP RUEHDA
DE RUEHAK #0976 1431424
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 221424Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6368
INFO RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1589
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 4247
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 2950

UNCLAS ANKARA 000976 
 
DEPT FOR EEB/TPP/MTA - CVOLTMER 
DEPT FOR EEB/TPP/ABT - GCLEMENTS & JBOBO 
DEPT FOR EEB/TPP - MLURIE 
USDA/FAS/OCRA/SEIDBAND 
USDA/FAS FOR CJACKSON AND MHOUSE 
DEPT PASS USTR FOR MMOWREY 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD EAGR EAID ECON TBIO TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY RESPONSE: PRESIDENT'S GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY 
INTITIATIVE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY 
 
Ref: A) STATE 52628, B) STATE 53346 
 
¶1.  This report was coordinated with FAS Ankara. 
 
¶2.  We delivered reftel messages to Turkish Foreign Trade 
Undersecretariat Deputy Director General for Multilateral Affairs, 
Hasan Yalcin.  He told us that Turkey too is concerned about rising 
food prices.  It has long supported a reduction of agricultural 
subsidies during discussions at the WTO and asked us for information 
on any specific new proposals the U.S. plans to submit in support of 
the President's Global Food Security Initiative.  Yalcin expressed 
concern, however, that with global food prices already at a "crisis" 
level, an abrupt end to agricultural subsidies could further 
increase prices in the short term instead of leveling out the market 
and providing relief.  He said that any proposal would be carefully 
considered by Turkey. 
 
¶3.  We provided Yalcin the information in ref B about agricultural 
biotechnology and mentioned the EU's WTO requirements related to 
this subject.  Turkey is harmonizing its regulations with the EU and 
has often sided with the EU on this issue.  We will report septel 
about our efforts to increase public awareness about the benefits of 
agricultural biotechnology in Turkey. 
 
 
WILSON