US embassy cable - 03ANKARA2165

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 002165 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR E, EB/CBED, EB/ESC, EUR/SE 
STATE PASS NSC FOR QUANRUD AND BRYZA 
USDOC FOR 4212/ITA/MAC/OEURA/CPD/DDEFALCO 
USDOE FOR PUMPHREY/ROSSI 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/02/2013 
TAGS: ENRG, ECON, EPET, AJ, GG, TU 
SUBJECT: BOTAS GENERAL MANAGER BILDACI DISCHARGED 
 
 
REF: A) ANKARA 1967 B) ANKARA 1448 
 
 
Classified by Acting Econ Couns Robert Silverman, Reason 1.5 
(b,d) 
 
 
1. (U) The Ministry of Energy has officially dismissed Gokhan 
Bildaci from his position as Chairman and General Manager of 
BOTAS, the state pipeline company.  This move has been 
expected since the AK government took over in November 2002. 
Bildaci told econoff he learned about his dismissal when he 
saw it published in the Official Gazette today, April 3.  He 
is expected to depart from his office today.  No successor 
has been named. 
 
 
2. (C) BP,s local BTC Co Managing Director Yashar Latifov 
(strictly protect) told econoff that the timing of Bildaci,s 
departure was bad, given that the project is moving into the 
construction phase and that operational problems have not yet 
been resolved (reftels).  However, he said, BP has long 
expected Bildaci,s removal, and therefore has done some 
contingency planning.  One option, Latifov said, was for 
Bildaci to replace BOTAS,s BTC subsidiary company's current 
Managing Director, who BP believes is incompetent.  Latifov 
indicated that BP was looking at the legal ways in which this 
switch might happen.  Another BP exec told econoff that, in 
effect, BP likely will handle management of BTC construction 
during this transition phase. 
 
 
3. (C) Comment:  Neither of the BP execs with whom we spoke 
were panicked about this development.  Although BP execs 
clearly respect and trust Bildaci, and strongly preferred 
that he stay on, they have been planning for his removal.  In 
our view, this is another blip that may have some temporary 
impact on BTC construction, but should not significantly 
delay the project. 
PEARSON