US embassy cable - 05ANKARA5299

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TURKEY'S RESPONSE TO ENERGY SUPPLY DISRUPTION

Identifier: 05ANKARA5299
Wikileaks: View 05ANKARA5299 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Ankara
Created: 2005-09-12 11:11:00
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Tags: EPET ENRG ECON TU
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

121111Z Sep 05
UNCLAS ANKARA 005299 
 
SIPDIS 
 
USDOC FOR 4212/ITA/MAC/CPD/CRUSNAK 
DOE FOR CHARLES WASHINGTON 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EPET, ENRG, ECON, TU 
SUBJECT:  TURKEY'S RESPONSE TO ENERGY SUPPLY DISRUPTION 
 
REF: STATE 163206 
 
Sensitive But Unclassified.  Please Handle Accordingly. 
 
1.  (SBU) SUMMARY: Turkey confirmed its participation in the 
IEA coordinated emergency response stock release related to 
the Katrina energy supply disruption.  Turkey released 
refined products from state refiner TUPRAS.  End Summary. 
 
2.  (SBU) In a September 2 meeting with Econ Counselor, GOT 
MFA DDG Energy Mithat Rende said he had just spoken with IEA 
Director Claude Mandil to inform him of Turkey's approval of 
the recommended oil stock release in response to energy 
supply disruptions from Hurricane Katrina.  The IEA 
announced a coordinated release of oil and refined product 
stocks in an equivalent amount of 2 million bpd for 30 days 
(Reftel).  MFA subsequently confirmed to EnergyOff that 
Turkey had commenced its share of the release on September 8 
in an amount of 28,650 bpd of gasoline and diesel by ordered 
release from state refiner TUPRAS. 
 
3.  (SBU) Rende pointed out that high domestic gasoline 
prices (currently almost $8 per gallon) had reduced consumer 
demand by 7.6 %.  Moreover, he emphasized that the GOT had 
implemented full pass-through of oil price costs to refined 
product prices. 
 
4.  (SBU) In response to a question from Econ Counselor, 
Mithat said that oil supplies and prices were not a topic of 
discussion between the GOT and Saudi Arabia or other major 
OPEC producers. 
 
5.  (SBU) Comment: A 51 % share of state refiner TUPRAS will 
be put up for auction on September 12, garnering significant 
domestic and foreign interest (however we are not aware of 
U.S. companies).  While this prospective privatization 
clearly augurs well for Turkey's investment environment, 
ironically it will make it a little harder to impose 
national stock release, when it is potentially no longer a 
state company. 
 
McEldowney 

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