U.S. VISITS HELPS TURKISH FEMA REFORM TURKEY'S

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PLEASE PASS TO DHS AND FEMA:ROCHELLE LIPSITZ
DEPARTMENT FOR USAID/OFDA

E.O. 12958: N/A
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SUBJECT: U.S. VISITS HELPS TURKISH FEMA REFORM TURKEY'S
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM



1. Summary: Turkey's Emergency Management Agency (TEMA)
received the political endorsement of Deputy Prime Minister
Sahin and key ministers to broaden its authority to
coordinate Turkey's emergency management system. TEMA
Director General Hassan Ipek said his December visit to the
U.S. with Sahin was instrumental in convincing Sahin that
Turkey needed to bolster TEMA's authority. Ipek will likely
seek further assistance from FEMA as he implements reforms in
Turkey's system. End Summary.


2. Ipek said that Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin was
very appreciative to FEMA for arranging his December 1-3
visit to the U.S., adding that Sahin was impressed by the
resources and authority available to FEMA to respond to
crises in the U.S. Ipek said the briefings from FEMA and DHS
and the visits to FEMA facilities were the culmination of
Ipek's efforts to convince Sahin that Turkey needed to
restructure its system to be more like FEMA. On January 27,
Sahin chaired a meeting at which key ministers (Health,
Interior and Public Works) gave their political endorsement
for the restructuring of TEMA along the lines of its U.S.
counterpart. After the meeting, Sahin announced that the
government in three weeks would send Parliament a draft law
to bolster TEMA's authority and restructure Turkey's
emergency management system. Ipek said that the ministries
will be able to comment on the draft, and he worried that
"bureaucrats" could still seek to water down the ministers'
"political commitment" to strengthen TEMA.


3. Turkey's Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) was created
in 1999 after the deadly Izmit earthquake, but it has had
little direct authority over GOT bodies for management of
emergency situations. General Director Hassan Ipek explained
that TEMA was created in response to pressure from the IBRD,
but did not enjoy support from the government. It is an
office of the Prime Ministry and has responsibility to
coordinate the efforts of a number of Turkish government
agencies to respond to emergency situations. However, it has
never had adequate resources or authority to ensure that
Turkey is adequately prepared to respond to emergencies.


4. Comment: Ipek was encouraged by the political decision
to strengthen TEMA and emphasized the important role played
by FEMA in convincing Sahin; however, he recognized that his
agency lacked the expertise in the full range of emergency
management issues. He said that he hoped that FEMA would be
able to send some experts to help him implement his plans.
Whatever its source, such assistance would be key to creating
an effective coordination and standards-setting organization
for major crises. USGS experts estimate that that there is a
70% probability that Istanbul will be rocked by a serious
earthquake in the next 30 years, resulting in tens of
thousands dead. End Comment.
DEUTSCH