VZCZCXRO2083
RR RUEHDA
DE RUEHAK #1019 1210709
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 010709Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1911
INFO RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 2609
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 1907
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1555
UNCLAS ANKARA 001019
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT PASS USTR FOR LISA ERRION, JENNIFER CHOE-GROVES
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD ECON KIPR TU
SUBJECT: SPECIAL 301: TURKEY DISAPPOINTED BUT FOLLOWING UP
REF: A. STATE 56771
B. ANKARA 1017
1. (SBU) Foreign Trade Undersecretariat (FTU) DDG for the
Americas Yuksel Akca and Department Head Atilla Bastirmaci
were disappointed, but not surprised, by reftel points about
the 2007 USTR Special 301 Report. They welcomed the idea of
a more structured dialogue or plan of action in the coming
year to assist with their removal from the Priority Watch
List in 2008.
2. (SBU) Subsequent to the April Trade and Investment
Framework Agreement (TIFA) Council meetings (ref B), FTU
officials began following up on some of the issues raised
during those meetings. Bastirmaci told us that they were
examining with the Turkish Ministry of Health (MOH) whether
or not a time limit for completion could be placed on the
remaining generic applications filed prior to January 1,
2005, for which the MOH has not yet made a decision. In
addition, they are examining whether or not changes can be
made to allow pharmaceutical marketing approval applications
to be published in Turkey's official gazette to better ensure
that patent rightholders have the information needed to
protect their patents if needed. They also agreed to ask the
Prime Ministry whether or not the PM would consider renewing
the 1998 decree outlawing the use of pirated software in
government offices and will coordinate with BSA on business
software pirating. We will continue to follow-up and welcome
the opportunity to work with Washington agencies to design
the referenced "Action Plan" as soon as possible.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/
WILSON