VZCZCXRO0196
RR RUEHAG RUEHDE RUEHDF RUEHDIR RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHAK #2055 3311158
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 261158Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8137
INFO RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1044
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0121
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS ANKARA 002055 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/PB MARY TOWNSWICK 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID ECON EFIN IBRD IMF PK TU AF
SUBJECT: TURKISH RESPONSE: POTENTIAL PAKISTAN DONORS 
CONFERENCE IN MID-DECEMBER 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 124618 
     ¶B. ANKARA 1972 
     ¶C. ANKARA 1917 
 
¶1.  (SBU) On November 26, we delivered reftel message to 
Babur Girgin, Department Head, Directorate of South Asia, at 
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  Girgin said Turkey is 
generally supportive of the concept of holding a Pakistan 
Donors, Conference, but has not determined the level of its 
participation or any specific amount of assistance it may 
pledge. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) At Girgin's request, we shared information on the 
status of legislation establishing proposed Reconstruction 
Opportunity Zones (ROZ) in remote areas of Afghanistan and 
Pakistan.  Girgin said the MFA has begun the Ankara Process, 
a project through which Turkey plans to provide assistance, 
intermediation, and technical capacity building to the 
governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan.  This project builds 
off of the GOT,s trilateral summit, initiated in April 2007, 
and includes components for security, political, press, and 
economic issues.  The MFA has finished its 
brainstorming process and is now broaching possible projects 
with the two governments. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Presidents Gul, Karzai, and Zardari are expected to 
come together in another summit December 5 in Istanbul, where 
the initiative will be discussed further.  On the economic 
front, Turkey envisions Organized Industrial Zones, similar 
to the ROZ plan.  These would provide employment for duty 
free manufactured goods for export.  In addition, the Turkish 
Union of Chambers and Industry (TOBB) plans to provide 
capacity building for chambers of commerce in the two 
countries and work on business development centers that would 
focus on microfinance.  Girgin emphasized that the GOT wants 
to work on these projects with "no duplication and lots of 
synergy" with the USG and other countries interested in 
assisting Pakistan and Afghanistan. 
 
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey 
 
SILLIMAN