Cablegate: Turks Will Attend Bonn Afghan Reconstruction

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS ANKARA 008695

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPARTMENT FOR EB/IFD/ODF, SA/RA, EUR/SE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID ECON EFIN PREL AF TU
SUBJECT: TURKS WILL ATTEND BONN AFGHAN RECONSTRUCTION
CONFERENCE

REF: A. SECSTATE 239799
B. ANKARA 8150

1. (U) Turkey will be represented at the Bonn-Petersberg
conference on Afghanistan Reconstruction by Ambassador
Aydemir Erman, the MFA Deputy U/S and Coordinator for
Afghanistan, and Ambassador Okcun, the MFA Coordinator for
Afghanistan Reconstruction. Embassy provided Ref A talking
points on 11/25 and met with Ambassador Okcun on 11/26.

2. (U) Okcun advised that Turkey's completed reconstruction
projects now total $2.8 million, up from $1.8 million
reported in Ref B. The GOT has also received commitments of
$1.5 million for next year and has set aside another $4.5
million for possible future use.

3. (U) Turkey intends to focus its reconstruction efforts in
four areas: Healthcare, Training, Agriculture and
soon-to-start Gender Issues projects, such as those that
address women and children's issues. Completed projects
breakdown as follows:

-- $ 314,000 for medicine, medical supplies and equipment,
cash assistance to hospitals;
-- $ 1,760,000 for training of doctors, diplomats, water
experts, teachers;
-- $ 200,000 for infrastructure (telephone network
installation);
-- $ 23,800 for babyfood;
-- $ 608,936 cash to Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund
(ARTF) and early support to the Afghanistan Interim Authority
Fund (AIAF).

-- Other projects in agriculture and health are underway and
not calculated above. Citing a statistic that more than
50,000 families in Kabul depend for their survival on the
income of children, Okcun said that Turkey's first Gender
Issues project would be to establish a multi-purpose
community center for vocational training. Four hundred (400)
sewing machines and 75 small printing presses are squirreled
away for vocational training for women at that as yet
unconstructed center.

4. (SBU) Okcun noted that the U.S. is constructing a
healthcare facility in Menkucek (ph) and advised that Turkey
is more than willing to train Afghan medical professionals to
staff it or to assist USG in anyway.

5. (U) Minimize considered.
DEUTSCH

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