COPENHAGEN ACCORD: TURKEY SAYS IT CANNOT TAKE ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 000223

OES FOR DREW NELSON AND RACHEL KASTENBERG

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/10/2020
TAGS: KGH SENV ENRG TU
SUBJECT: COPENHAGEN ACCORD: TURKEY SAYS IT CANNOT TAKE ON
APPENDIX 1 OBLIGATIONS

REF: A. SECSTATE 11182

B. ANKARA 89

Classified By: Economic Counselor Dale Eppler for reasons 1.4 b,d


1. (C) Summary and action request: We delivered reftel A
points to MFA Deputy Director General for Energy, Water and
Environment Murat Yavuz Ates on February 9. Ates said Turkey
is still unsure if it will associate with the Copenhagen
Accord because it is a developing country for energy and
industry purposes but, as an OECD country, was put on Annex 1
of the Framework Convention. It reads the Copenhagen Accord
as requiring all Framework Annex 1 countries to take on
Appendix 1 obligations, which Turkey is unable to do.
Appendix 1 obligations would require Turkey to reduce its
emissions to 1.1 tons per capita, which Ates argued would
require Turkey to stop growing economically. Ates asked how
the USG would react to Turkey associating itself with
Copenhagen as an Appendix 2 country, even though it was an
Annex 1 country under the Framework Convention. Ates also
asked if any other Annex 1 country has associated with
Copenhagen Accord as an Appendix 2 country. Post requests
responses to these two questions. End summary.


2. (C) Ates said the GOT is essentially still where it was in
January on the Copenhagen Accords (see reftel B). Its
primary goal at Copenhagen was to obtain recognition of
Turkey's "unique" status - a longtime OECD country that is a
developing country for industry and energy purposes. Ates
said Turkey has no historical carbon debt, and its per capita
carbon emissions are very low - 5 tons per capita versus an
OECD average of 15. Turkey's problems began with the 1992
Framework Convention, when it was placed on Annexes 1 and 2
with other OECD countries. Turkey realized this was a
mistake and succeeded at the 2001 Marrakesh conference in
getting off of Annex 2. It remained on Annex 1, but the
Marrakesh conference recognized Turkey's "special
circumstances."


3. (C) Ates said the Turkish delegation met in Cophenhagen
with Connie Hedgaard, who understood the GOT position and
helped incorporate the GOT position into a draft paper that
the GOT expected to be the basis for the Copenhagen Accord.
Instead, Ates said the final Accord text was negotiated by a
small group from which Turkey was excluded and its position
was "totally disregarded."


4. (C) As a Framework Annex 1 country, Turkey reads the
Copenhagen Accord as requiring it to take on Appendix 1
obligations. Ates said Turkey's carbon emissions were 2.2
tons per capita in the 1990's. Rapid population and economic
growth since then has increased it to the current 5 tons. The
Accord would require Turkey to cut its carbon emissions back
to a super-low 1.1 tons per capita. Ates said this would only
be possible by ending Turkey's economic growth or with very
substantial outside financing. The GOT reads the Accord as
excluding Appendix 1 countries like Turkey from having access
to the financing that will be made available to developing
countries.


5. (C) Ates asked how the USG would react if Turkey
associated with the Copenhagen Accord as an Appendix 2
country, even though it is a Framework Annex 1 country. He
also asked if any other Annex 1 country has associated as an
Appendix 2 country. Action requested: Post requests
responses to these two questions.
Jeffrey

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