US embassy cable - 03ANKARA2572

UNCLAS ANKARA 002572 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EB/IFD/ODF, SA/RA, SA/PAB, EUR/SE 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, PREL, EFIN, AF, TU 
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON TURKEY'S COMMITMENT TO AFGHANISTAN 
RECONSTRUCTION 
 
 
REF: ANKARA 356 
 
 
1. (U) Summary.  Amb. Ahmet Okcun, MFA Coordinator for 
Afghanistan Reconstruction, told us that per Afghan Minister 
of Trade, Turkey is Afghanistan's largest source of foreign 
investment with 30 companies and over $200 million invested. 
GOT's commitment remains modest at $3 million.  End Summary. 
 
 
2. (U) Amb. Okcun reiterated to Econ Officer (4/18) GOT's 
commitment to "keeping its promise" on Afghanistan 
Reconstruction. Turkey has committed $3 million (Ref A). 
Okcun divided Turkey's more robust private sector efforts 
into three categories: 
 
 
-- Contractors: At least half of the 30 Turkish companies 
registered in Afghanistan to work as contractors or 
"partners" have opened offices there. 
 
 
-- Investments:  The Afghan Minister of Trade told Okcun that 
Turkey tops the list of foreign investors in Afghanistan, 
with investments exceeding $100 million in construction and 
$115 million in other investments.  Okcun has not received a 
requested itemized accounting of these investments, many of 
which are linked to U.S. companies. 
 
 
-- Trade:  Okcun says that Turkey has agreements with 
Afghanistan's northern neighbors as a trade line for bringing 
products into Afghanistan.  Despite the relative costliness 
of Turkish products, they sell well, he says. 
 
 
3.  (SBU) Following-up on the High Level Strategic Forum in 
Brussels in March, Okcun was very highly impressed with the 
size and level of the U.S. delegation but was greatly 
disappointed that the meeting raised so few new contributions 
and involved so few Minister-level participants.  He 
expressed specific concern that the world's attention would 
shift to Iraq and abandon both Turkey and Afghanistan in 
their reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. 
 
 
4.  (U) Comment: In addition to responsibilities for Afghan 
Reconstruction, Amb. Okcun will assume interagency GOT 
coordination of Iraq Reconstruction. 
 
 
PEARSON