Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ANKARA522
2009-04-08 16:00:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:
TURKEY TO PLEDGE $100 MILLION AT PAKISTAN DONORS
VZCZCXRO2769 PP RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHAK #0522 0981600 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 081600Z APR 09 FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9341 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 1053 RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 0135 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 1008 RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI PRIORITY 0084 RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE PRIORITY 0017 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 3674 RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J-3/J-5// PRIORITY RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 000522
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/SE; SCA/PB MARY BETH GOODMAN AND TARA FOLEY
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/07/2019
TAGS: PREL EAID ECON EFIN IBRD IMF PK TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY TO PLEDGE $100 MILLION AT PAKISTAN DONORS
CONFERENCE; FM BABACAN TO ATTEND
REF: A. SECSTATE 32712
B. ANKARA 405
Classified By: POL Counselor Daniel O'Grady, reasons 1.4(b,d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 000522
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/SE; SCA/PB MARY BETH GOODMAN AND TARA FOLEY
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/07/2019
TAGS: PREL EAID ECON EFIN IBRD IMF PK TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY TO PLEDGE $100 MILLION AT PAKISTAN DONORS
CONFERENCE; FM BABACAN TO ATTEND
REF: A. SECSTATE 32712
B. ANKARA 405
Classified By: POL Counselor Daniel O'Grady, reasons 1.4(b,d).
1. (C) We delivered ref A follow-up points April 8 on the
Pakistan Donors Conference to MFA South Asia Department Head
Babur Girgin. Girgin confirmed that Foreign Minister Ali
Babacan does plan to attend the conference. Accompanying him
will be MFA Deputy U/S for South Asia and Middle East Feridun
Sinirlioglu, South Asia and Iran DDG Babur Hizlan and DDG for
Bilateral Economic Affairs Hilmi Dedeoglu. Girgin said
Turkey intends to pledge $100 million to Pakistan: $10
million as a direct cash grant, with the rest going to
projects focused particularly on education and health.
Girgin explained that the specific nature of the projects
remains to be determined. Turkey considers education to be
the number one priority in Pakistan -- a core solution to
poverty and extremism. Turkey also considers health and
infrastructure development as high priorities. Turkey may
also seek to leverage the trilateral "Ankara Process" in its
contribution through, for example, focusing some its pledge
on development in the border region with Afghanistan.
2. (C) Turkey's political ties with Pakistan are deep, but
Pakistan is not a traditional recipient of Turkish
development assistance, which is concentrated on Afghanistan
and Central Asia. Turkey, however, responded immediately and
generously to the devastating earthquake that struck Pakistan
in 2005, providing $126 million worth of emergency relief --
$6 million in direct cash assistance. Girgin said Turkish
aid to Pakistan has been and will be administered with a
sensitivity to Pakistan's desire to distinguish itself from
other nearby aid recipients, namely Afghanistan.
3. (C) The Japanese delivered their points separately to MFA
on April 7. Japanese Embassy DCM Jun Yoshida and Political
Counselor Keisuke Yamanaka told us later that day that Tokyo
is pleased that FM Babacan will attend the conference and
satisfied with the Turkish pledge -- a considerable figure,
he agreed, given Turkey's relative level of economic
development and the worsening domestic economy. Post has not
yet been able to coordinate with the Pakistani Embassy, as
key officers were in Istanbul for the Alliance of
Civilizations meeting. The Japanese Embassy agreed that a
joint demarche with Pakistan to the Turks would probably be
unwelcome by both the Turks and the Pakistanis, given their
special relationship. We will seek an opportunity, however,
to consult with the Pakistani Embassy on the Turkish pledge
and its possible components.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey
Jeffrey
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/SE; SCA/PB MARY BETH GOODMAN AND TARA FOLEY
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/07/2019
TAGS: PREL EAID ECON EFIN IBRD IMF PK TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY TO PLEDGE $100 MILLION AT PAKISTAN DONORS
CONFERENCE; FM BABACAN TO ATTEND
REF: A. SECSTATE 32712
B. ANKARA 405
Classified By: POL Counselor Daniel O'Grady, reasons 1.4(b,d).
1. (C) We delivered ref A follow-up points April 8 on the
Pakistan Donors Conference to MFA South Asia Department Head
Babur Girgin. Girgin confirmed that Foreign Minister Ali
Babacan does plan to attend the conference. Accompanying him
will be MFA Deputy U/S for South Asia and Middle East Feridun
Sinirlioglu, South Asia and Iran DDG Babur Hizlan and DDG for
Bilateral Economic Affairs Hilmi Dedeoglu. Girgin said
Turkey intends to pledge $100 million to Pakistan: $10
million as a direct cash grant, with the rest going to
projects focused particularly on education and health.
Girgin explained that the specific nature of the projects
remains to be determined. Turkey considers education to be
the number one priority in Pakistan -- a core solution to
poverty and extremism. Turkey also considers health and
infrastructure development as high priorities. Turkey may
also seek to leverage the trilateral "Ankara Process" in its
contribution through, for example, focusing some its pledge
on development in the border region with Afghanistan.
2. (C) Turkey's political ties with Pakistan are deep, but
Pakistan is not a traditional recipient of Turkish
development assistance, which is concentrated on Afghanistan
and Central Asia. Turkey, however, responded immediately and
generously to the devastating earthquake that struck Pakistan
in 2005, providing $126 million worth of emergency relief --
$6 million in direct cash assistance. Girgin said Turkish
aid to Pakistan has been and will be administered with a
sensitivity to Pakistan's desire to distinguish itself from
other nearby aid recipients, namely Afghanistan.
3. (C) The Japanese delivered their points separately to MFA
on April 7. Japanese Embassy DCM Jun Yoshida and Political
Counselor Keisuke Yamanaka told us later that day that Tokyo
is pleased that FM Babacan will attend the conference and
satisfied with the Turkish pledge -- a considerable figure,
he agreed, given Turkey's relative level of economic
development and the worsening domestic economy. Post has not
yet been able to coordinate with the Pakistani Embassy, as
key officers were in Istanbul for the Alliance of
Civilizations meeting. The Japanese Embassy agreed that a
joint demarche with Pakistan to the Turks would probably be
unwelcome by both the Turks and the Pakistanis, given their
special relationship. We will seek an opportunity, however,
to consult with the Pakistani Embassy on the Turkish pledge
and its possible components.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey
Jeffrey