US embassy cable - 03ANKARA4130

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 004130 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR R, ECA, IIP, EUR/PPD, EUR/SE, EUR/EX, IIP/G/, 
IIP/G/R, VIENNA FOR RPO 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KIRC 
SUBJECT: THREE AMERICAN CORNERS OPEN IN TURKEY 
 
 
1. SUMMARY:  In the past week, the U.S. Mission in Turkey 
has opened three uniquely Turkey-specific American corners 
in three of the most dynamic business cities of the country. 
The venues are the headquarters of Chambers of Commerce and 
Industry in those cities. We believe that the venues are on 
target, that the timing is significant given the current 
state of the bilateral relationship and that the media 
impact of opening all three during the same week will have a 
positive impact on attracting an audience. END SUMMARY. 
 
 
2. BACKGROUND: For several years, business leaders, 
academics and others have called for a more tangible 
American presence and more information about America in 
provincial capitals outside of our consular cities. 
Ambassador Pearson and Embassy/Consulate officers have 
sympathized with these requests, but there was no mechanism 
or funding for new initiatives.  We were aware of the 
successful Russian model of American Corners, but Turkey 
does not have the highly developed network of cultural 
palaces and libraries or the SEED, FSA or other funding that 
exists for ex-Communist countries. Our contacts were 
specifically requesting a U.S. Business Information Center 
and chamber of commerce and industry leaders in different 
cities had shown an interest in hosting them  (as they were 
already doing for well-funded/staffed EU offices).  In early 
FY01 the Public Affairs Section was able to set aside 
$10,000 from program funds with the intention of 
accumulating reference materials and a designated computer 
to give chamber staff access to Mission IRCs, FCS offices 
and the Consular Sections. Even to do this we had to get 
Turkish blessing through a Diplomatic Note exchange with the 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  That was completed in February 
of 2002.  We drew on the models presented by our Moscow 
colleagues at the Global PAO conference in April 2002 and 
the RPO Vienna presentations by IRO Eric Johnson.  We 
ordered materials and equipment for our experimental site at 
the Chamber of Industry in Gaziantep. The cost of the 
equipment, materials and travel of staff, ours and the 
chambers, for set-up and training grew to over $30,000.  In 
the course of the summer, the Department allocated  $55,000 
for our American Corner initiative.  But now we had learned 
how to do it "on the cheap" and we had good arguments for 
expanding the effort to other cities. Accordingly, instead 
of one center, we took the monies available and ordered two 
more sets of equipment and began looking for appropriate 
hosts. We settled on the bustling business cities of Bursa 
and Kayseri.END BACKGROUND 
 
 
3. WHY THERE?  The original impetus for centers for American 
information came from the business community and they were 
thinking of FCS outreach. Turkish libraries are not well 
developed or staffed and the universities have American 
Studies or EFL centers where the focus is strictly academic 
and access is limited by school holidays, short hours and 
student-only policies. Business chambers are well-known, 
have an eager constituency and we made availability to the 
public an obligation in the protocols that we have signed 
with them. The three cities are legendary for their 
aggressive businessmen.  The chambers compete with each 
other and that could be an additional boost to their support 
for their "corners".  Gaziantep is in the South East, served 
by the Consulate in Adana.  This is the section of Turkey 
that has suffered most from the long Kurdish insurgency, 
from the embargo on Iraq and from economic crises. Placing 
an office there demonstrated our commitment to helping this 
region. The local university has an active EFL department 
and is working towards a linkage with the State University 
of New York.  A "corner" there would have an audience. 
Kayseri natives are proud of their reputation as sharp 
traders. It is the hometown of the Foreign Minister, and has 
a university that is heavily supported by the business 
community - a concept we can support. Bursa is the fourth 
largest city in Turkey, a major business center and recently 
the site of our EFL Summer Institute. It is in the Istanbul 
Consular district and the presence of the corner will help 
to give the Consulate access to this lively community. The 
chamber there offered near-palatial space in a dramatic new 
building. 
 
 
4. WHY NOW?  Turkey has long been an important ally and this 
kinds of outreach was needed to get out of the Ankara- 
Istanbul "beltway" mentality. But during the past three 
years, with two economic crises and frequent political 
shakeups, the confidence of foreign investors and of Turks 
themselves has been shaken. While the US supported Turkey's 
efforts at EU accession and economic reform, the 
disagreement over involvement in the war with Iraq, 
particularly the March 1, 2002 vote not to permit the 
deployment of American troops on Turkish soil and the 
opening of a northern front, led to much anguish in both 
countries about the state of the relationship and whether 
the old friendship would survive. The Gaziantep "corner" was 
set up just as the build-up to the war in Iraq and the 
increasing public criticism of the US and demonstrations in 
front of our embassy and consulates (and McDonalds) 
increased. It made sense to hold off on a visible opening. 
But since Secretary Powell's April visit to Turkey and 
subsequent exchanges of visits, evidence of the intent to 
work together is coming back. Accordingly, we spread out, 
the DCM to Kayseri, the PAO to Gaziantep and the Consul 
General from Istanbul to Bursa. 
 
 
5. THE OPENINGS: On June 18, DCM Robert Deutsch cut the 
ribbon at the Chamber of Commerce in Kayseri after calling 
on the Deputy Governor of the province and Deputy Mayor of 
the city. National and local press were on hand for the 
ribbon cutting and caught the city's most powerful business 
leaders and the DCM interacting with the chamber staffer who 
would be the link to Mission commercial, consular and 
educational resource people. In Kayseri, Public Affairs, FCS 
and Consulate Adana staff were on hand to demonstrate how 
the "U.S. Information Office" could be used as the Governor, 
Mayor, Rector of the local university and asked questions 
and posed for the cameras. In Bursa, Istanbul Consul General 
David Arnett, with Public Affairs staff, paid official calls 
on the Governor, the Mayor, and at Uludag University. 
During the course of this official visit, on June 24, the CG 
and staff were joined by the Governor and senior chamber 
members in a well-publicized opening at chamber headquarters 
located in the Organized Industrial Zone.   Local papers 
front paged the event in highly favorable coverage as did 
Bursa TV stations. 
 
 
6. THE FUTURE: Now comes the test. We have passed through 
numerous complicated steps, set up venue-specific centers 
and trained bright chamber staffers in our IRCs, FCS offices 
and Fulbright offices in Istanbul and Ankara.  We have 
effectively drawn the attention of the local and national 
leadership and potential audiences to the institutions.  Now 
we have to make them work.  The Gaziantep staffer has 
developed a visitor recording template which can be used for 
contact management and the development of an outreach list. 
We are beginning to get questions from the attendees at the 
opening events. We will be sending out electronic flyers 
reminding invitees and chamber members of the contact 
numbers of their centers.  We have agreed that after the 
summer vacation period in Turkey, we will launch a "Doing 
Business with America" road show that will have our 
Commercial and Agricultural Offices, the Caspian Trade 
Initiative and the Mission's Econ section all involved in 
making the "corners" visibly useful tools.  Our English 
language and American studies contacts are already being 
informed that these centers are open to them and viable 
sites for research, seminars and meetings. 
 
 
PEARSON