TURKEY ON NUCLEAR FUEL SUPPLY ASSURANCES;

S E C R E T ANKARA 004994 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/29/2016 TAGS: ENRG KNNP PARM TRGY TU SUBJECT: TURKEY ON NUCLEAR FUEL SUPPLY ASSURANCES; FRUSTRATION WITH DELAY IN RATIFICATION OF PEACEFUL USES TREATY REF: A. STATE 129965 ¶B. 05 ANKARA 7390 ¶C. 05 ANKARA 3789 ¶D. 05 ANKARA 2397 Classified By: Acting DCM Daniel Sreebny, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) An action request is contained in para 6. ¶2. (C) EXBS advisor discussed ref a points on nuclear fuel supply assurances with President Okay Cakiroglu of the Turkish Atomic Energy Authority (TAEK) on August 25. Cakiroglu accepted the paper and points, assuring us that his agency would consider this program when Turkey's nascent nuclear power plant development program requires fuel. Since Turkey is still in the process of developing plans and locations for its future nuclear power plants, Cakiroglu explained, it is too early for the GOT to commit to such a program. ¶3. (C) Cakiroglu expressed frustration with U.S. failure to date to ratify the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Power Agreement. He reiterated his past request (refs b-d) for information about the causes of the delay, noting that it had been nearly 18 months since the GOT had formally requested the status of U.S. ratification. He suggested the lack of a Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy Agreement with the U.S. could have a negative effect on Turkish participation in the nuclear fuel supply program. ¶4. (C) Cakiroglu noted that the U.S. failure to ratify the agreement came up during meetings between the Turkish Energy Minister Guler and U.S. Secretary of Energy Bodman in February 2006. Lack of a ratified agreement could affect Turkey's ability to cooperate on a number of peaceful nuclear cooperation issues, he warned. The development of a reliable and safe nuclear power program is a high priority for the GOT, he continued, and TAEK will focus its efforts on countries which can fully cooperate in achieving this goal. Cakiroglu again mentioned that Russia, France, South Korea, and Canada all are willing to work with Turkey to develop its nuclear program (ref b). ¶5. (S) Comment: At our urging, the GOT completed its ratification process for the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy Agreement on January 14, 2005 (ref C). Our decision not to send the treaty for ratification and our inability to provide any formal information to the GOT concerning the reasons for the delay is having the result we predicted in ref C: further cooperation is at risk and our access to TAEK officials has been affected. ¶6. (C) Action request: Post requests status of the ratification process for the Agreement for Cooperation between the Republic of Turkey and the United States of America concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy. We also request talking points for use in addressing the ratification delay with Turkish officials. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON