US embassy cable - 03ANKARA4553

UNCLAS ANKARA 004553 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
TREASURY FOR OASIA 
STATE FOR EB/TPP/MTA/IPC 
DEPT PASS USTR FOR KALVAREZ 
USDOC FOR ITA/MAC/DDEFALCO 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD, KIPR, TU 
SUBJECT:  Turkey Plans to Accede to WIPO Internet 
Treaties 
 
 
Ref:  State 174725 
 
 
1.  Econoff delivered reftel demarche urging accession 
to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) 
Copyright Treaty (WCT) and Performances and Phonograms 
Treaty (WPPT) to Oya Karakas, MFA Head of Department for 
Multilateral Economic Affairs, on July 18.  Karakas 
responded that Turkey intends to accede to both treaties 
after necessary domestic procedures are implemented, 
probably in the fall of 2003.  She stated that Turkey's 
2001 copyright law already implements the substance of 
the WCT and WPPT. 
 
 
2.  Karakas informed us that, through a bureaucratic 
oversight, Turkey had not completed procedures to accede 
to the 1961 Rome and 1971 Berne Conventions on 
intellectual property.  Along with the Internet 
treaties, implementing the Rome and Berne Conventions 
are part of Turkey's agenda for EU accession.  Karakas 
advised that MFA and the Culture Ministry are working 
toward accession to the Rome and Berne Conventions in 
the near future. 
Pearson