US embassy cable - 05ANKARA497

UNCLAS ANKARA 000497 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PLEASE PASS TO DHS AND FEMA:ROCHELLE LIPSITZ 
DEPARTMENT FOR USAID/OFDA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, PGOV, PREL, SENV, TU 
SUBJECT: U.S. VISITS HELPS TURKISH FEMA REFORM TURKEY'S 
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM 
 
 
1.  Summary:  Turkey's Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) 
received the political endorsement of Deputy Prime Minister 
Sahin and key ministers to broaden its authority to 
coordinate Turkey's emergency management system.  TEMA 
Director General Hassan Ipek said his December visit to the 
U.S. with Sahin was instrumental in convincing Sahin that 
Turkey needed to bolster TEMA's authority.  Ipek will likely 
seek further assistance from FEMA as he implements reforms in 
Turkey's system.  End Summary. 
 
2.  Ipek said that Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin was 
very appreciative to FEMA for arranging his December 1-3 
visit to the U.S., adding that Sahin was impressed by the 
resources and authority available to FEMA to respond to 
crises in the U.S.  Ipek said the briefings from FEMA and DHS 
and the visits to FEMA facilities were the culmination of 
Ipek's efforts to convince Sahin that Turkey needed to 
restructure its system to be more like FEMA.  On January 27, 
Sahin chaired a meeting at which key ministers (Health, 
Interior and Public Works) gave their political endorsement 
for the restructuring of TEMA along the lines of its U.S. 
counterpart.  After the meeting, Sahin announced that the 
government in three weeks would send Parliament a draft law 
to bolster TEMA's authority and restructure Turkey's 
emergency management system.  Ipek said that the ministries 
will be able to comment on the draft, and he worried that 
"bureaucrats" could still seek to water down the ministers' 
"political commitment" to strengthen TEMA. 
 
3.  Turkey's Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) was created 
in 1999 after the deadly Izmit earthquake, but it has had 
little direct authority over GOT bodies for management of 
emergency situations.  General Director Hassan Ipek explained 
that TEMA was created in response to pressure from the IBRD, 
but did not enjoy support from the government.  It is an 
office of the Prime Ministry and has responsibility to 
coordinate the efforts of a number of Turkish government 
agencies to respond to emergency situations.  However, it has 
never had adequate resources or authority to ensure that 
Turkey is adequately prepared to respond to emergencies. 
 
4.  Comment:  Ipek was encouraged by the political decision 
to strengthen TEMA and emphasized the important role played 
by FEMA in convincing Sahin; however, he recognized that his 
agency lacked the expertise in the full range of emergency 
management issues.  He said that he hoped that FEMA would be 
able to send some experts to help him implement his plans. 
Whatever its source, such assistance would be key to creating 
an effective coordination and standards-setting organization 
for major crises.  USGS experts estimate that that there is a 
70% probability that Istanbul will be rocked by a serious 
earthquake in the next 30 years, resulting in tens of 
thousands dead.  End Comment. 
DEUTSCH