Cablegate: Turkey Response: President's Global Food Security

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PP RUEHDA
DE RUEHAK #0976 1431424
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 221424Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6368
INFO RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
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UNCLAS ANKARA 000976

DEPT FOR EEB/TPP/MTA - CVOLTMER
DEPT FOR EEB/TPP/ABT - GCLEMENTS & JBOBO
DEPT FOR EEB/TPP - MLURIE
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DEPT PASS USTR FOR MMOWREY

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD EAGR EAID ECON TBIO TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY RESPONSE: PRESIDENT'S GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY
INTITIATIVE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY

Ref: A) STATE 52628, B) STATE 53346

1. This report was coordinated with FAS Ankara.

2. We delivered reftel messages to Turkish Foreign Trade
Undersecretariat Deputy Director General for Multilateral Affairs,
Hasan Yalcin. He told us that Turkey too is concerned about rising
food prices. It has long supported a reduction of agricultural
subsidies during discussions at the WTO and asked us for information
on any specific new proposals the U.S. plans to submit in support of
the President's Global Food Security Initiative. Yalcin expressed
concern, however, that with global food prices already at a "crisis"
level, an abrupt end to agricultural subsidies could further
increase prices in the short term instead of leveling out the market
and providing relief. He said that any proposal would be carefully
considered by Turkey.

3. We provided Yalcin the information in ref B about agricultural
biotechnology and mentioned the EU's WTO requirements related to
this subject. Turkey is harmonizing its regulations with the EU and
has often sided with the EU on this issue. We will report septel
about our efforts to increase public awareness about the benefits of
agricultural biotechnology in Turkey.

WILSON

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