US embassy cable - 05ANKARA6077

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 006077 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PLEASE PASS USGS (MFOOSE, ESAFAK), USAID FOR OFDA 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O.12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV, EAID, TU 
SUBJECT:  TURKEY'S DISASTER MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE: HAS IT 
IMPROVED SINCE 1999? 
 
Ref: ANKARA 497 
 
1. (SBU) Summary: After the devastating 1999 Marmara 
earthquake that occurred in Turkey, the World Bank required 
the 2000 establishment of a Turkish Emergency Management 
Agency to coordinate all disaster relief efforts.  In 
addition, the GOT investigated charges of fraud and abuse of 
office in the Turkish Red Crescent Society's administration 
during this period and replaced its leadership after several 
of the administrators were indicted.  Although Turkey's 
disaster preparation has visibly improved since 1999, the 
question remains of how the relevant agencies will work 
together in another major disaster.  End summary. 
 
POST 1999 CHANGES 
----------------- 
 
2. (U) Close to 96 percent of Turkey's landmass lies in an 
earthquake zone, and 66 percent rests on active fault lines. 
Annually, damage from earthquakes corresponds to seven 
percent of GDP and reduces its development rate by one 
percent.  In August 1999, Turkey suffered a devastating 7.4 
magnitude earthquake, resulting in the death of 17,000, the 
destruction of 285,000 homes in Turkey's most populated and 
developed Marmara region (near Istanbul), and more than 20 
billion dollars worth of damage. In the aftermath of the 
earthquake it became apparent that the GOT lacked an 
acceptable emergency action plan and that the disaster 
management system was poorly equipped to handle such events. 
 
3. (U) The World Bank's Marmara Earthquake Emergency 
Reconstruction Project (MEER, 2000-2004) required the 
establishment of the Turkish Emergency Management Agency 
(TEMA) in June 2000 as a comprehensive emergency management 
structure for the coordination and integration of disaster- 
related activities. Under the GOT's current disaster plan, 
however, several GOT agencies share responsibility in 
response and recovery. When a disaster occurs, the governor 
bears local responsibility and serves as chairman of the 
local crisis center. Depending on the size of the emergency, 
the governor may turn to TEMA for help. Whatever the size of 
a disaster, TEMA is responsible for coordinating all 
assistance.  In addition, when a disaster is considered 
nationwide, the Prime Minister may order the establishment 
of a national crisis coordination council comprised of the 
relevant agencies and ministries and directed by TEMA. 
 
4. (SBU) Current TEMA Director General Hasan Ipek expressed 
concern to econoff and Scientific Affairs Specialist that, 
due to political infighting, his agency has not been given 
the authority to fully realize its 2000 mandate.  However, 
although the GOT has yet to pass the emergency management 
legislation needed to provide full authority to TEMA 
(reftel), Ipek stated that his agency has been actively 
working to restructure the local response networks, 70 
percent of which is complete.  In addition, according to 
Ipek, TEMA administers drills at least once a year to test 
the GOT's response capabilities. 
 
GOT DISASTER RESPONSE STRUCTURE 
------------------------------- 
 
5. (U) TEMA holds responsibility for the establishment of 
and coordination between the local crisis management centers 
and the government ministries, for overseeing the 
preparation of mitigation and recovery plans by related 
institutions, for coordinating the use of all land, marine 
and air vehicles belonging to public and private bodies in 
case of a disaster, and for coordinating the transfer of aid 
materials. TEMA manages the coordination according to the 
requests received from local administrations in the disaster 
area and maintains a 24-hour functioning crisis call center. 
The TEMA President reports to the Undersecretary of the 
Prime Ministry, where responsibility for disaster 
supervision currently falls to the Vice Prime Minister. 
TEMA's purview includes natural and manmade occurrences, 
large refugee movements, terrorism, economic crises, 
epidemic illnesses and nuclear events. 
 
6. (U) The GOT Ministry of Public Works and Resettlements 
(MPWR) provides financial disaster assistance. When an event 
occurs, the Ministry may make an initial allocation to the 
local governor for immediate health and emergency needs in 
the disaster area. After the situation is clarified (usually 
within 7-10 days), funds are then allocated from the central 
governmental budget. The MPWR's Disaster Affairs Directorate 
General is responsible for mitigation, for minimizing the 
results of a disaster and for reconstruction. 
 
7. (U) The Turkish Armed Forces assist in search and rescue 
activities. In addition the National Security Council, 
comprised of Turkish military and civilian officials, is 
working to develop cooperation between the military and 
civil authorities in the pre-disaster period. MFA also has a 
crisis management center that works with TEMA closely during 
a disaster. MFA is the facilitator for international relief 
efforts, and the Turkish Red Crescent Society (TRCS) 
organizes the transportation and distribution of the relief 
materials such as tents, blankets, clothes, and food. The 
Ministry of Interior's Civil Defense Directorate General 
provides security and coordination of search and rescue 
activities during the emergency periods. 
 
NEW LEADERSHIP AT THE TRCS 
-------------------------- 
 
8. (SBU) Ozlem Demirel Cook, Disaster Education Officer at 
the American Red Cross (ARC) office in Turkey, criticized 
TEMA as an unsystematic organization lacking sufficient 
staffing and authority to achieve its mandate.  She added 
that the ARC is also not satisfied with the administrative 
capacity of the TRCS, which theoretically could assist 
750,000 victims of a disaster. 
 
9. (SBU) Cook recounted the scandal surrounding TRCS's 
administration during the 1999 earthquake and mentioned that 
inspectors from the Prime Ministry and the Ministry of 
Interior prepared 202 inspection reports on this subject, 
half of which became the basis for court cases. ARC ended 
most of its projects with TRCS after fourteen 
administrators, including former chairman Ertan Gonen, faced 
charges of irregularities in public tenders and abuse of 
office. Current chairman Talat Yilmaz and the new board were 
appointed by the government and were elected as the new 
administration by the TRCS General Convention after these 
allegations came to light. However, the International 
Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) 
has not yet recognized Yilmaz because it considers him a 
political appointee. 
 
10. (SBU) TRCS opened an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) 
in Ankara after the 1999 earthquake. The EOC was designed by 
using the American Red Cross Disaster Operations Center 
(DOC) in Falls Church, Virginia as a prototype, and it is 
the coordination center for TRCS nation-wide emergency 
planning, preparedness and response activities.  With its 
newly established regional logistics centers, tent-making 
factory, updated logistics maps, uninterrupted communication 
systems and blood donation medical centers, the EOC is 
equipped to provide effective support in case of a 
nationwide disaster. Recently, the GOT Ministry of Health 
transferred blood collection responsibilities to TRCS.  As 
with TEMA, the EOC conducts regular disaster preparedness 
drills. 
 
BUT HOW DO THEY WORK TOGETHER? 
------------------------------ 
 
11. (SBU) Comment:  While both the GOT and TRCS have made 
visible improvements in Turkey's disaster response 
capabilities, the question still remains of how everyone 
will work together in a crisis.  With other GOT ministries 
unwilling to relinquish control of some of the 
responsibilities (and budget) related to disaster 
management, TEMA must at times work on faith that the 
resources will be available and the chain of command in 
place to respond quickly during a major disaster.  End 
comment. 
 
MCELDOWNEY