TURKEY KEEN TO SHIP MORE IN NORTHERN DISTRIBUTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000453

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2019
TAGS: PREL MASS AF TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY KEEN TO SHIP MORE IN NORTHERN DISTRIBUTION
NETWORK FOR AFGHANISTAN

Classified By: Pol-Mil Counselor A.F. Godfrey, reason 1.4 (b and d)


1. (C) Summary: Turkish officials and private shipping
company reps who participated in a March 9-10 regional
transportation conference sponsored by the U.S. European
Command told us that Turkey wants to and can do more as a
shipper and supplier for alternative northern supply lines to
Afghanistan. They stressed that Turkish truckers have the
capability to take on much more of the load and are already
moving non-military supplies efficiently. On-going
improvements at the main Turkey-Georgia border crossing will
make that crossing more efficient, but road transit through
Turkmenistan is currently so problematic it is almost
impossible, they said. Turkey hopes to become a source for
procurement of supplies and proposes a meeting for USG
procurement officials with commercial suppliers in Istanbul.
We believe that such a meeting would be useful and that
Turkish truckers have the networks and capability to shoulder
more of the load than they currently carry. End summary.


2. (U) At the EUCOM Transportation Partnership Conference
held Baku, Azerbaijan, U.S. European Command (EUCOM) along
with representatives from the U.S. Transportation Command
(TRANSCOM),Defense Logistics Agency (DLA),General Services
Administration (GSA),official delegations from Turkey,
Georgia, and Azerbaijan, and representatives from over 20
private shipping companies met to discuss regional sources of
supplies and northern land supply routes for Afghanistan.
The purpose of the conference was to discuss transport and
sourcing in the southern Caucasus region in order to
establish efficient alternative routes to ground lines of
communication through Pakistan. TRANSCOM briefed on two
primary northern routes currently in operation, one from
Latvia, through Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and a
second from Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
Turkish, Georgian, and Azeri delegations presented overviews
of their respective national transport infrastructures.
Turkish shipping companies stressed that their current
capabilities to carry non-military supplies overland from
Turkey to Afghanistan, and emphasized that they are already
doing so. Focus was on four classes of non-military goods
and supplies including: non-perishable foodstuff, office
related equipment and supplies, and construction material and
equipment, notably lumber. Shipment of military equipment
was not formally discussed at the conference.

TURKS KEEN TO SHIP MORE


3. (U) The official Turkish delegation was led by
Transportation Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Suat Aka and
included MFA Deputy Director General for Maritime and
Aviation Affairs Basat Ozturk; Colonel Tamer Ozmen, TGS J5
Americas Director; Mustafa Esen, Customs; Umut Demirci, EU
Expert at Transportation; and diplomats from the Turkish
Embassy in Baku. Turkish shipping firms participating
included: Adana Ekspres, Truva International, Asya
International, and Piril International.


4. (U) The Turkish presentation emphasized the size and
efficiency of Turkey's national transportation network,
comprised of a commercial fleet of over 2,500 cargo ships,
177 ports on over 8,000 km of coastline, an extensive
international-standard highway system, and Europe's second
largest (after Germany) and youngest fleet of commercial
trucks. Turkey's rail system is its weakest segment,
although completion of the Bosporus rail tunnel linking
Europe and Asia, and the Kars-Tbilisi-Baku rail line, both
anticipated by 2011, will make a new trans-Eurasian rail
route possible. Turkey has 67 commercial airports, four of
which the delegation identified for possible use for air
supply operations for Afghanistan: Corlu, near Istanbul; and
three airports in eastern Turkey: Sivas; Erzerum; and Sabiha
Gokcen. They proposed a seaport-airport connection option
using Tekirdag port, (100 kms west of Istanbul on western

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shore of the Sea of Marmara),approximately 50 kms from Corlu
civilian/military airport, which could be used for loading
cargo for onward flights to Afghanistan; and seaport-land
connection using the eastern Mediterranean ports of Mersin or
Iskenderun, which are linked to rail and road routes to the
Georgian border for the overland route.

THE ROAD EAST OF TURKEY


5. (C) The Turkish delegation flagged improvements currently
underway on both sides of the main border crossing with
Georgia at Hopa which they said will make commercial truck
crossings faster. Beyond physical improvements at the
crossing, Turkey hopes get Georgia to agree to a more
streamlined customs process akin to French-Swiss border
arrangements, they said, but does not expect this to be
accomplished in the short term. They told EUCOM J4 Logistics
Chief RADM Steve Romano privately that as a strong political
supporter of Georgia and Georgia's largest trading partner,
Turkey is not suggesting that the Georgian Black Sea port of
Poti be bypassed in favor of Turkish highways, but argued
that the overland route across Turkey has greater capacity to
move supplies and would thus be more efficient.


6. (C) On the route beyond Azerbaijan, Turkish officials
expressed concern about transiting Turkmenistan. West to
east road transit is currently so problematic for Turkish
truckers that it is nearly impossible, they told us. Their
route of choice from Baku is by ferry across the Caspian to
Kazakhstan. They underscored the need for more scheduled
Caspian Sea ferry service.


7. (U) While they were eager to meet with U.S. agencies to
discuss the two routes described above, Turkish shipping
company representatives suggested that the most efficient --
and the least expensive by far -- way to ship goods to
Afghanistan would be overland through Iran. They believed
that freight forwarding firms could source non-sensitive
consumer goods in Turkey and have them in Afghanistan
relatively quickly. They acknowledged, however, the
sensitivity of this route in the current environment.
SOURCING SUPPLIES IN TURKEY


8. (U) Turkish officials and shippers made a pitch for
sourcing supplies needed in Afghanistan in Turkey. They urged
that US procurement agencies examine the Turkish market and
proposed a conference be held in Istanbul to better aquatint
U.S. agencies with the availability and pricing of products
in Turkey.


9. (C) Comment: Turkish officials were prepared to hear
specific proposals for routes through Turkey, which they did
not get. They and their private sector colleagues clearly
want a bigger piece of the action of the northern
distribution network, in both sourcing and shipping. For
non-military supplies and equipment, Turkish trucking firms
have the experience and capability to shoulder more of the
load than they currently carry. The cumbersome Turkish
Defense Approval process is not required for commercial goods
and supplies sourced in or shipped through Turkey.

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

Jeffrey