TURKISH CONTRIBUTION TO LEBANON RECONSTRUCTION

UNCLAS ANKARA 005839

SIPDIS

AIDAC
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

STATE FOR CRS, NEA
USAID/A AND USAID/ANE/MEA - DAVID MCCLOUD
USAID FOR LEBANON RESPONSE MANAGEMENT TEAM

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID LE TU
SUBJECT: TURKISH CONTRIBUTION TO LEBANON RECONSTRUCTION

REF: BEIRUT 3233


1. (SBU) Turkish MFA Lebanon Assistance Coordinator Koray
Targay explained October 5 that Turkey planned to provide its
$10 million Stockholm pledge in the form of 50 pre-fabricated
schools that would be set-up in southern Lebanon. He
coordinated this with Council for Development and
Reconstruction (CDR) officials in Beirut during the week of
September 25. CDR officials will identify the specific sites
for the schools, and Turkish companies will complete the
construction, although they may require help from CDR in
laying the foundations. Targay said that the GOT had 35 of
the 50 units on hand in Istanbul. These will be trucked to
Lebanon and could be set-up and ready for use within one
month. He explained that these are substantial structures
with an expected life of at least 20 years. Everything needed
for a school, including air conditioning and "up to the
chalk," is included.


2. (SBU) Targay was skeptical about the planned Beirut
donors conference. He said that he detected no political
will in Beirut to undertake the serious economic reforms that
would be required to absorb large amounts of new assistance.
He recalled that the $4.4 billion pledged at the Paris II
conference in 2002 was still untapped. Nonetheless, he said
Turkey was prepared to make a pledge of up to $20 million,
bringing the total Turkish government contribution to $30
million. He said Turkish NGOs, including the Turkish Red
Crescent, had provided about $15 million of humanitarian and
medical assistance (dialysis machines),but that these
programs were winding down. Turkish forces contributed to
UNIFIL will also assist in road-building and will open a
medical clinic once they are established in the south.


3. (SBU) The schoolhouse donation was complicated by a
promise made in a phone call between PM Erdogan and PM
Siniora that Turkey would send 750 emergency housing units to
Lebanon. On further investigation, Turkish officials had
found that not only were only 424 such units on hand (left
over from the 1999 earthquakes),but that they were in very
bad shape. Furthermore, these are 20-foot shipping
containers that are not appropriate to the needs of large
rural families. He is trying to convince the Prime
Minister's staff that the school buildings are a more useful
contribution than the shipping containers. Targay said his
assessment is also that building permanent housing is more
appropriate than using temporary structures.

Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/

WILSON