US embassy cable - 04ANKARA801

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000801 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR EB/TPP/ABT/BTT DEBORA MALAC, JACK BOBO 
USDA FOR FAS/OA.BIG PAUL SPENCER 
USDA FOR FAS/ICD SEAN CARMEDY 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD, EAGR, KPAO, TU 
SUBJECT:  Biotechnology Outreach in Turkey 
 
 
Ref:  State 15050 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY.  TURKEY IS CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF 
DEVELOPING REGULATIONS ON BIOTECHNOLOGY THAT COULD HAVE 
WIDE REPERCUSSIONS ON U.S. TRADE.  MOREOVER, AS A 
FUTURE CANDIDATE FOR EU MEMBERSHIP, TURKEY'S ACCEPTANCE 
OF A LIBERAL POLICY ON THE USE OF BIOTECHNOLOGY MIGHT 
ALSO INFLUENCE EU POLICIES.  POST, THEREFORE, BELIEVES 
THAT AN ACTIVE OUTREACH PROGRAM ON BIOTECHNOLOGY WOULD 
BE MOST USEFUL IN TURKEY.  END SUMMARY. 
 
 
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CURRENT SITUATION 
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2.  THE CURRENT TURKISH GOVERNMENT HAS IDENTIFIED THE 
DEVELOPMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY LEGISLATION AS A PRIORITY. 
REGULATIONS THAT PARALLEL EU DIRECTIVES HAVE BEEN 
DRAFTED, HOWEVER NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN TO IMPLEMENT 
THEM.  THERE ARE NO BIOTECH REGULATIONS THAT AFFECT 
TRADE IN TURKEY WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE CARTAGENA 
BIOSAFETY PROTOCOL THAT THE TURKISH PARLIAMENT RATIFIED 
IN 2003.  THERE IS HOWEVER, A PROHIBITION ON PLANTING 
ANY BIOENGINEERED CROPS.  THERE IS CONCERN THAT A SMALL 
NUMBER OF INFLUENTIAL OFFICIALS ARE SPREADING 
MISINFORMATION ABOUT THE SAFETY OF FOOD AND 
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS DEVELOPED USING BIOTECHNOLOGY 
THAT WILL ULTIMATELY HAVE A NEGATIVE EFFECT ON CONSUMER 
PERCEPTION AND FUTURE LEGISLATION.  ANNUALLY, THE 
UNITED STATES EXPORTS APPROXIMATELY USD 250 MILLION OF 
CORN AND SOYBEAN PRODUCTS FOR FEED, UP TO USD 100 
MILLION OF CORN AND SOYBEAN OIL AND USD 200 - USD 300 
MILLION OF COTTON TO TURKEY.  THUS FAR, THERE ARE NO 
PROHIBITIVE LABELING REQUIREMENTS FOR PRODUCTS 
CONTAINING GENETICALLY MODIFIED INGREDIENTS. 
 
 
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OVERWHELMING RESPONSE 
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3.  POST HAS UTILIZED SEVERAL PROGRAMS TO CONDUCT 
BIOTECHNOLOGY OUTREACH ACTIVITIES OVER THE PAST YEAR. 
IN SEPTEMBER, FAS/ANAKARA RECRUITED SEVERAL PRO-BIOTECH 
EU SPEAKERS TO DISCUSS CURRENT POLICIES AND LEGISLATION 
IN BIOTECHNOLOGY IN ANKARA.  ALTHOUGH ONLY 250 PEOPLE 
WERE INVITED TO ATTEND THE ALL-DAY SEMINAR, MORE THAN 
400 PEOPLE REQUESTED INVITATIONS.  ATTENDEES WERE 
PRIMARILY REGULATORS, UNIVERSITY RESEARCHERS AND 
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.  THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE 
REQUESTED TRAINING AND ADDITIONAL SEMINARS ON THE 
ISSUE.  TWO TURKISH REGULATORS HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED AND 
WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN THE INTERNATIONAL VISITORS 
PROGRAM THIS YEAR ON BIOTECHNOLOGY.  THE MINISTRY OF 
AGRICULTURE RECENTLY SENT A LIST OF 10 REGULATORS FOR 
TRAINING IN THE UNITED STATES ON FEDERAL REGULATIONS. 
 
 
4.  Many officials from the ministries of Agriculture and 
Health are privately supportive of biotechnology and the 
potential benefits the technology may hold for Turkish 
producers.  However, many others - in key positions - are 
quite skeptical and misinformed and as a result are 
spreading misinformation about the safety of biotechnology 
to their colleagues and superiors.  For example, after 
hearing a sound science-based presentation on the safety of 
bio-engineered foods from another scientist, a Turkish 
biologist responded that she would still never eat `those 
foods'.  A general lack of information prevails. 
 
 
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PROPOSALS FOR TURKEY 
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5.  POST BELIEVES THAT A SPEAKER PROGRAM IN TURKEY 
WOULD BE MOST BENEFICIAL AND OUR FIRST PRIORITY.  POST 
HAS A NUMBER OF CONTACTS IN DIFFERENT CITIES THAT WOULD 
BENEFIT AND APPRECIATE INFORMATION ON THE BENEFITS OF 
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND THE U.S. REGULATORY APPROACH TO THIS 
ISSUE.  FAS/ANKARA HAS HAD OFFERS FROM RESEARCH 
INSTITUTES AND UNIVERSITIES TO HELP HOST SUCH EVENTS IN 
ANKARA AND IZMIR.  THE SPEAKER PROGRAM WOULD ALSO ALLOW 
US TO REACH A GREATER NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS. 
 
 
6.  OUR SECOND PRIORITY WOULD BE TO HOST A GROUP OF 
REGULATORS/RESEARCHERS IN THE UNITED STATES EITHER IN A 
WORKSHOP OR TO MEET U.S. COUNTERPARTS ON THIS ISSUE. 
POST ALREADY HAS A LIST OF 10 PEOPLE SUBMITTED BY THE 
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE FOR THE COCHRAN FELLOWSHIP 
PROGRAM.  HOWEVER, INSUFFICIENT FUNDS WILL NOT ALLOW 
ALL OF THESE CANDIDATES TO PARTICIPATE. ADDITIONAL 
OFFICIALS FROM THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH WOULD ALSO 
BENEFIT FROM THIS TRAINING AND ESTABLISHING CONTACTS IN 
THE UNITED STATES. THESE CONTACTS COULD BE MOST 
BENEFICIAL IN HELPING TURKISH OFFICIALS RESPOND TO 
FUTURE QUESTIONS. 
 
 
EDELMAN