Sauces/Fanta Beverage Base Classification;

UNCLAS ANKARA 003061 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EB/TPP/MTA/MST CUSTOMS FOR RCHOVANEC ROME FOR CUSTOMS ATTACHE SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETRD ECON TU SUBJECT: Sauces/Fanta Beverage Base Classification; Turkey Request Support for Candidacy at WCO Ref: (A) State 111099 (B) State 111059 ¶1. (U) Econoff presented U.S. positions on classification of sauces and of Fanta beverage base (reftels) to Ercan Saka, General Director, EU and Foreign Relations Department, Turkish Customs Undersecretariat, on May 6. Saka responded that Turkish Customs would take these demarches into account in formulating Turkey's position on these issues. However, he stated that the EU Customs Union gave Turkey very little flexibility to deviate from U.S. positions. ¶2. (SBU) Saka told Econoff that Turkey had put forward the candidacy of Edip Aktas, currently a senior advisor at the Customs U/S, for top position at the World Customs Organization, competing against candidates from France (seeking a second term) and the Netherlands. Noting that he had raised Aktas' candidacy with U.S. Customs in the past, Saka asked for USG support in the WCO election. Embassy will fax Aktas' biographical information to EB/TPP/MTA/MST. Pearson