Turkey Plans to Accede to WIPO Internet

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