NEW TURKISH CYPRIOT ENVIRONMENT "MINISTER" FACES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 NICOSIA 001952 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/17/2016 TAGS: PGOV PREL SENV ECON TU CY SUBJECT: NEW TURKISH CYPRIOT ENVIRONMENT "MINISTER" FACES UPHILL TASK REF: NICOSIA 1691 Classified By: Ambassador Ronald L. Schlicher for reasons 1.4 (b, d). ¶1. (SBU) October's cabinet reshuffle in the "TRNC" has led to the creation of a new Environment "Ministry." The new "minister," political novice Asim Vehbi, faces an uphill struggle against the Turkish Cypriots' traditionally cavalier attitude towards environmental protection. Decision-makers in the north have consistently favored economic development over ecological concerns (especially when their own financial or political interests have been at stake),and frequently run roughshod over what few, anemic environmental regulations the "TRNC" has in place. However, a growing sense that ecotourism could play a more important and profitable role in the north's economy -- combined with a public feeling that development has begun to run amok -- has fueled calls for stricter and more effective environmental regulation. As the new "ministry" attempts to finesse the balance between development and conservation, the "minister" must also contend with internal bureaucratic struggles and the growing pains of his newly-formed Freedom Party (OP). END SUMMARY. Growing Pains At The New "Ministry" -------------- ¶2. (SBU) The Turkish Cypriot "Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources" was brought into existence by "Parliament" in October 2006, in the wake of a controversial cabinet reshuffle (reftel). Initial public expectations for the "ministry's" success and effectiveness have been limited. "PM" Ferdi Soyer's choice of political newcomer Asim Vehbi to head the new "ministry" was widely viewed as a political move designed to oust the DP of Serdar Denktash in favor of Vehbi's fledging (and presumably more pliant) Freedom and Reform Party (OP) -- rather than evidence of a real commitment to environmental protection. Vehbi, who has spent the majority of his career overseeing recruitment efforts at the north's Girne American University, had no prior expertise on environmental matters. ¶3. (C) Furthermore, the new "ministry" lacks a coherent bureaucratic structure. It is cobbled together from several departments that used to fall under other "cabinet" members, and has been tasked to handle issues ranging from environmental protection to management of the north's antiquities and historical sites. In a meeting with Embassy officers, Vehbi predicted that sorting out this bureaucratic mess would be difficult. For the moment, his "ministry" even lacked a single physical home, although he hoped he could soon gather his physically scattered subordinates into a single place, and that this would facilitate internal coordination. Vehbi also complained that the "TRNC's" rigid, centralized hiring system gave him very little leeway in selecting his own staff, although he had managed to hire a handful of specialized aides. Subsequent press reporting indicated that the longtime "Director" of antiquities resigned after Vehbi's decision to use a building that the antiquities department had renovated for use as a museum in northern Nicosia as the "ministry's" new offices. Usually uninspired and silent, the "director's" rather public resignation implied a heavyhanded and directed -- but possibly practical -- approach by Vehbi to his office space problem. ¶4. (C) Vehbi's bureaucratic problems will not be over, however, even once his "ministry" is up and running. He acknowledged to us that the "TRNC's" environmental legislation is weak and lacks clarity. Several "ministries," including Interior, Economy and Tourism, Planning and Transportation, and now Environment all play a role in granting permission for construction of new hotels, for example. Vehbi acknowledged that these interagency players rarely coordinate their activities, and that the "TRNC" lacks an overall plan to balance the demands of development with the need for conservation and sustainability. ¶5. (C) In such cases where there is legislation designed to assess or mitigate the environmental impact of development, Vehbi freely acknowledges it is usually unenforced. Although developers are required to submit an impact report for new projects, these reports are frequently not filed until after the project is completed, if at all. Vehbi recounted a telling anecdote: a developer had recently invited him to discuss the pending approval of the impact report for a new hotel project -- and the meeting took place inside the restaurant of the just-completed hotel. Cleaning Up the Mess -------------- NICOSIA 00001952 002.2 OF 003 ¶6. (SBU) Even if the creation of the Environment "Ministry" was primarily motivated by politics, most observers agree that that "TRNC" faces real environmental threats, and that Vehbi's team has significant work to do. The northern part of Cyprus, which was until recently an underdeveloped economic and tourism backwater, is now faced with unprecedented environmental challenges. To name a few: -- Overdevelopment and Population Growth. Since 2003, there has been a massive construction boom in the north, consisting primarily of vacation homes for British holiday-makers, as well as hotels, casinos, and restaurants catering to the north's growing tourist traffic. Although there are indications that this construction boom has cooled in recent months, the sheer volume of new building has transformed the north's previously under-developed landscape. The attendant population growth (consisting of both holiday-makers and new immigrants from Turkey, many of whom work in construction) has strained water and energy resources, as well as sewage infrastructure, to the breaking point. -- Quarries. Vehbi has also identified quarrying, which began in the north in the 1960s, as a significant long-term threat to the "TRNC's" delicate, over-taxed water table. In a recent press interview, Vehbi noted that there was no significant regulatory control for quarrying. He threatened to deny the renewal of operating licenses to quarries that do not fulfill the limited legal obligations that do exist, and has also banned the export (including sales to the south) of some unprocessed stones, sand and gravel. Vehbi has admitted, however, that long-term solutions, including improvements in legislation and technology are far off. -- Cyprus Mining Corporation (CMC). Not a new problem, the defunct CMC copper mining operation in Lefke is an environmental disaster area. Turkish Cypriot authorities have been unable, so far, to properly diagnose the problem or begin to tackle it in earnest. USAID-funded bicommunal (the mine straddles the green line) assessments of site and soil conditions provide some basis for future remediation of the site, but work will be expensive and complicated by a host of legal and jurisdictional issues. (NOTE: the Lefke copper mine, which belonged to the U.S. Cyprus Mining Corporation, was forcibly expropriated by the Turkish Military in 1974, and subsequently "leased" to European mining interests, which conducted activities virtually without oversight or regulation. END NOTE.) But The Guy's Got Heart -------------- ¶7. (C) Despite these daunting tasks, Vehbi may have some wind at his back as he seeks to tackle these problems. First and foremost, Vehbi is enthusiastic about his job and appears to be honest, or at least enthusiastic. Corruption, rent-seeking, and patronage are SOP in the Turkish Cypriot community -- but because he has no history in politics and his new OP party has only just been founded, Vehbi does not (yet) appear to owe any favors to anyone. He and his party serve in "government" at the pleasure of the ruling CTP. But perhaps because Vehbi claims to harbor no personal political ambition (indeed, earlier this year, he applied for an open FSN position at the Embassy),he has been able to take some brave moves. In a recent meeting, "PM" Soyer's private secretary Erkut Sahali told us of his shock -- and admiration SIPDIS -- at Vehbi's decision to block a CTP-backed proposal in the "Council of Ministers" to expropriate land for the construction of a bypass road. Sahali freely admitted that Vehbi's move, apparently based solely on environmental concerns, was unprecedented in a system where the overriding goal is usually rewarding investors who support the ruling party. A leading Turkish Cypriot businessman for whom Vehbi previously worked described him as very passionate and capable, willing to stand up to the status quo. ¶8. (SBU) Furthermore, Vehbi may be helped by the public perception that overdevelopment, combined with corruption and nepotism, has gone too far. Civil society NGOs, so long focused mainly on politics and the Cyprus problem, have begun to ask hard questions about the environmental sustainability of Turkish Cypriot economic growth. Growing numbers of businessmen have begun to wonder whether ecotourism (taking advantage of the "TRNC's" remarkable beaches and mountains, its agricultural traditions, and historical sites) might offer better long-term opportunities than the usual model of large-scale hotel/villa construction. Vehbi has said he would support the development of ecotourism, and indeed his "ministry" has applied to send experts on short-term training programs to study the subject in the U.S. ¶9. (SBU) Training such as this, as well as in-country NICOSIA 00001952 003.2 OF 003 assistance programs sponsored by USAID and the European Union may also make it easier for the new "ministry" to make headway on environmental protection. CyPEG is devoting significant resources to sustainable tourism and resource efficiency in the Turkish Cypriot community, and the European Commission is planning ecologically-focused assessment projects at the former CMC site in Lefke and the Dikmen rubbish dump, an environmental disaster-area near north Nicosia. COMMENT: Striking the Balance -------------- ¶10. (C) Continued international support and encouragement will be needed if the cash-strapped Turkish Cypriots are to make real progress in protecting the north's environment -- a goal that, nominally at least, is shared by the Greek Cypriots as well. The real key, however, will be for the Turkish Cypriots themselves to capitalize on a growing sense that their environment is an asset to be protected, and that ecotourism is a potential profit center. Vehbi's biggest challenge will be to balance calls for stricter environmental protection with the desire to promote short-term economic growth. This will involve taking on bottom-line-minded investors (both local and Turkish),and their political supporters, who traditionally have given little thought to environment as a money-maker. ¶11. (C) Politics may complicate this, however. Although Vehbi himself has no political ambitions for the moment, the new OP party to which he owes his job has begun trying to attract supporters. The traditional Turkish Cypriot method for building a constituency is to dole out favors in exchange for loyalty/votes. OP,s desire to expand by favoritism may not blend with Vehbi,s role of environmental watchdog, especially if it means refusing contracts or development permits applied for by potential donors and party supporters. If the Turkish Cypriots can create a real and effective environmental protection infrastructure, it could go a long way in transforming their economy and convincing the outside world they are worthy members of the European family. If not, the "TRNC's" reputation as an unregulated, wild-west regime will persist. END COMMENT. SCHLICHER