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Viewing cable 08ADANA36, TURKEY: MERSIN PUSHING FORWARD TO PROSPERITY, WINS EU'S

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08ADANA36 2008-10-06 06:10 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Consulate Adana
VZCZCXRO8887
RR RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
DE RUEHDA #0036 2800610
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 060610Z OCT 08
FM AMCONSUL ADANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4670
INFO RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1213
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 1027
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 0004
RUEHMIL/AMCONSUL MILAN 0002
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 0004
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 1275
UNCLAS ADANA 000036 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON ECIN PREL TU ZM
SUBJECT: TURKEY:  MERSIN PUSHING FORWARD TO PROSPERITY, WINS EU'S 
REGION OF KNOWLEDGE" PROJECT 
 
1.  (U)  SUMMARY:  The Eastern Mediterranean port of Mersin has 
become Turkey's first city to win funding under the EU's "Region 
of Knowledge" (ROK) project, focusing on innovation in 
agriculture and food processing.  The project brings together 12 
entities (government, private sector and NGOs) from Mersin, 
Murcia (Spain) and Emilia-Romagna (Italy).  Mersin's success 
stems from energetic and outward-looking civic leadership that 
sees increased trade and closer European integration as 
essential for its economic growth.   END SUMMARY 
 
Tapping into the EU's Regional Funds 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
2. (U)  Poloff met with Mersin's Secretary General for Special 
Provincial Administration Ahmet Zahterogullari, who said he had 
applied to the EU in March 2008 under the EU's seventh 
framework, which seeks to advance European integration  by 
strengthening scientific and technological infrastructure, 
providing support for industrial competition, and encouraging 
cooperation among participating countries. 
 
3.  (U)  Zahterogullari is hopeful the project, which aims to 
establish a platform of agricultural "clusters" to develop 
long-term research and innovation strategies, will ultimately 
deliver much-needed economic growth and prosperity for Mersin 
province, the primary income source for which is agriculture and 
food processing.  Teaming up with Spain, Italy, regional 
authorities, private companies, and local chambers of commerce, 
Mersin will undertake joint studies, and conduct exhaustive 
sector analyses to identify strengths and weakness in the Mersin 
market.  With all parts working together, the result should be: 
a)  Local and regional authorities formulate new policies; b) 
research institutes develop joint technologies that companies 
need to have a larger share in international food and 
agricultural market; c) Chambers of Commerce will direct 
participating companies to come together; and d) companies will 
join their forces to have a larger share in international food 
and agricultural market.  Zahterogullari hopes to duplicate - 
and improve upon - an existing agricultural business model 
established between a French company and a village in the 
Silifke region west of Mersin.  In this partnership, the French 
provide the tomato seeds, cultivating know-how, expertise on 
European product standards, and export-import assistance, and 
the farmers provide the rest.  He describes it as a pure win-win 
relationship. 
 
4.  (U)  The Mersin Chamber's ROK project builds on its 2006 
strategic plan (also prepared with EU support) that identified 
agriculture, tourism, and logistics as the province's main areas 
of potential.  It also helps to have an important "godfather," 
in this case Foreign Trade Minister Kursad Tuzmen, who 
represents Mersin and is vocal in raising its national - and 
international - profile. 
 
Comment 
------------- 
 
5. (U)  COMMENT:  Mersin is benefitting from what many other 
provinces lack: a cadre of dynamic leaders in local government, 
and the NGO and business sectors who are resourceful in seeking 
EU assistance.  Mersin Chamber of Commerce representatives told 
us they have six employees working solely on EU-related projects 
and estimated that EU projects support a few dozen others in 
offices such as the provincial education directorate.  Mersin 
stands to reap many benefits from the ROK project, beyond the 
distinction of having been chosen as Turkey's first participant. 
 Establishing educational and commercial linkages with European 
partners could help Mersin gain additional market footholds. 
Such projects could also serve as one way for European and 
Turkish regions to help reverse the negative momentum in 
EU-Turkish relations and create constituencies outside of 
Brussels and Ankara for this partnership.  END COMMENT 
 
GREEN