TURKISH VIEWS ON AI SAMPLE SHARING AND RETENTION OF VARIOLA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001292

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PINR TBIO AORC PREL KFLU TU
SUBJECT: TURKISH VIEWS ON AI SAMPLE SHARING AND RETENTION OF VARIOLA
VIRUS - C-TN7-00406


A) STATE 62185
B) ANKARA 1164
C) STATE 61739


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The Government of Turkey (GOT) strongly supports
viral sample sharing with the WHO in support of scientific research.
Turkey's response to last year's significant number of human AI
cases was perceived as robust and cooperative with international
partners and regional neighbors. However, the GOT is inclined to be
supportive of Indonesia's call for "equitable access" or priority
access to vaccines derived from their samples, based on existing WHO
policies and taking account of a country's size, means, and the
extent of its outbreak. Turkey supports the U.S. position on
safeguarding safe smallpox stocks, rather than destroying them. End
Summary.

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AI SAMPLE SHARING AND VACCINE ACCESS
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2. (SBU) We met with Doctor Yildirim Bayazit at the GOT Ministry of
Health to research Ref A and C questions. The following is tied to
lettered questions:


A. Virus Sample WHO. Sharing: The GOT readily shares flu virus
samples with the WHO, but supports restrictive agreements on further
sharing of viral samples by the WHO with commercial entities. The
GOT believes a country sharing virus samples is entitled to more
than WHO analysis of the virus and recommendations. They believe
samples should be shared with the WHO for scientific research
without restriction. In line with WHO circulars, there should be
permission from the supplying country if there will be any
commercial application. The GOT does not think the country should
be entitled to financial compensation, but believes these countries
should have priority in receiving medicine or vaccines developed
from these samples. The GOT finds preferential pricing useful.


B. Equitable Access: GOT officials believe there should be
"equitable access" to AI vaccines and means of production. In
deciding which countries will get the vaccines or means related to
AI treatment, relevant parties should take into account the size of
the country affected by an outbreak, the geographic spread of the
disease, and the country's capacity and resources to handle an
outbreak. A tiered pricing mechanism for developing countries is an
effective mechanism to improve access.


C. Regional Production: The GOT supports creation of regional
influenza production facilities, but does not believe it is
practically achievable, given financing difficulties. GOT officials
believe the private sector will not make these substantial
investments based only on the possibility of an outbreak. The GOT
perceives a direct relationship between growing pandemic influenza
vaccine supply and increasing supply and demand for seasonal
influenza vaccine, and is willing to help foster a market to augment
production capacity. Turkey purchases 2.5 million doses of
influenza vaccines annually. The Ministry of Health recently got
budget support for a program where the GOT compensates individuals
in "risk groups", like children, senior citizens or diabetics
patients, for flu vaccines. Health personnel in public hospitals
are also entitled to get free-of-charge flu vaccination.


D. Vaccine Development and Production: The GOT closely follows and
understands the influenza vaccine production process, and they
recognize the difference between vaccine production and development.
They acknowledge that vaccine development is necessary to test
efficacies of vaccines.


E. Industry Ownership: The pharmaceutical industry in Turkey is
privately owned.


F. Position Coordination: The GOT does not coordinate its position
with other specific governments and recognizes the WHO as the only
competent umbrella organization where to effectively interact with
others on these issues. The GOT does not belong to a block of
countries in the WHO, but is strongly sympathetic to the Indonesian
Government's position on viral sample sharing with companies based
on country's consent and on fair distribution and priority access to
AI vaccines, subject to WHO criteria.


G. Government Views and Indonesia: The Turkish Ministry of Health
(MOH) is aware and supportive of the Government of Indonesia's
position with regard to the sharing of AI samples by the WHO with
commercial entities. They believe the WHO went against (or
conveniently put aside) its own circular regarding the sharing of
samples, and shared Indonesia's AI samples with commercial entities
without receiving the Indonesian Government's permission. The
Turkish Health Minister, along with other countries' ministers,
received a working lunch invitation from the Indonesian Government
representative for during the WHA meeting. The Turkish Minister was
not able to participate in the luncheon, but the GOT has already

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prepared a position paper siding with Indonesia to the WHO. They
believe developing countries who share their viral samples with WHO
and who are still suffering from outbreaks should have better
priority access to AI vaccines.

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VARIOLA VIRUS
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3. (SBU) Bayazit repeated the GOT position in support of the U.S.
on safeguarding smallpox stocks, rather than destroying them (Ref
B). He stated that Turkey expressed this position at the World
Health Assembly.
Wilson