TURKEY: GOT REQUESTS MEETINGS ON MULTILATERAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 001927

SIPDIS

EEB FOR C BOYDEN GRAY

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/06/2018
TAGS: EFIN ENRG TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY: GOT REQUESTS MEETINGS ON MULTILATERAL
ENERGY FINANCING MECHANISM

REF: A. ISTANBUL 553

B. ANKARA 1901

Classified By: DCM Doug Silliman for reasons 1.4 b,d


1. (U) This is an action request. See para 3 below.


2. (C) During a November 6 meeting with DCM and Economic
Counselor, Turkish G-20 Summit Sherpa Selim Kuneralp asked
about a proposed meeting between PM Erdogan and the Vice
President on the margins of the G-20 Financial Summit, as a
follow up to the visit of DOE U/S Kupfer (reftel A).
Kuneralp expressed the interest of other G-20 delegation
members, particularly Treasury Minister Simsek, in meeting
with USG officials on the margins of the G-20 Summit to
discuss establishment of the multilateral energy
financing mechanism that was proposed by the Kupfer
delegation. We informed Kuneralp about the upcoming visits
of Special Envoy for Eurasian Energy C. Boyden Gray and US
EBRD Executive Director Ken Peel in early December, and
expressed our continued interest in working with Turkey to
meet its energy needs.


3. (C) Action requested: EMBASSY strongly recommends that
senior USG officials meet with Treasury Minister Simsek in
Washington November 14-16 to discuss USG efforts to develop a
multilateral financing mechanism in support of our energy
sector development plan. The GOT is receptive to our
proposals on energy alternatives, and we are seeing forward
movement now in Turkish discussions with Azerbaijan and
with the EU on the Nabucco project (reftel B). We should not
miss this opportunity to move our Caspian energy agenda
forward. The visit of USED Peel in early December will offer
another opportunity to continue this discussion with Simsek
and other GOT officials.

Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey

WILSON