PRESIDENT SEZER'S SPEECH AT OPENING OF PARLIAMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 006208

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/02/2008
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PINS TU IZ
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT SEZER'S SPEECH AT OPENING OF PARLIAMENT
OPPOSES U.S. ON IRAQ AND REPROVES AK GOVERNMENT


(U) Classified by Ambassador Eric Edelman; reasons: 1.5 (b,d).



1. () Summary: In reiterating his opposition to Turkish
troops for Iraq and in displaying a partisan preference for
left-of-center opposition CHP over the AK government,
President Sezer demonstrated again that he is part of the
problem, not the solution. End summary.



2. (C) Admonishing Turkey to achieve EU membership, continue
economic growth, and strengthen the Turkish military,
President Sezer used his 90-minute speech inaugurating the
new session of Parliament Oct. 1 to try to circumscribe
innovation both in domestic and foreign policy. He rendered
his remarks all the more tedious by frequent hortatory
references to the "Great Leader" Ataturk. He rendered them
all the more partisan in favor of opposition CHP by
repeatedly reproving the AK government for a perceived
veering away from Kemalist principles, a gambit which
provoked CHP applause at various points during the speech.
In sum, Sezer laid out a restrictive, legalist view running
counter to U.S. interests in both Turkey's domestic and
foreign policy arenas.


--------------
Foreign Policy
--------------



3. (C) Sezer led off the foreign policy section of his speech
by emphasizing the importance of the "mature strategic
partnership" with the U.S. However, his characterization of
relations with us, while formally positive, was ritualistic
and static. In contrast he portrayed relations with Russia
as dynamic and promising. He praised the positive trends in
Turco-Greek relations and expressed pleasure at the way
relations with Iran have developed since Khatami assumed the
presidency (Sezer made no mention of Iran's drive for nuclear
weapons and delivery systems). On Cyprus he promoted Denktas
and his approach (no mention of the Annan Plan). On Armenia,
while expressing hope for normalization, he put the onus on
Yerevan.



4. (U) The difference between Sezer's vision and that of the
U.S. -- and GOT (para 5) -- was starkest on Iraq. In a
carbon copy of his pre-March 1 opposition to Turkish military
participation, Sezer tried once again to deter Parliamentary
approval. He did so by pedantically and at length
re-asserting that the operative principle of Article 92 of
the Turkish constitution, which gives sole power to the
Parliament to authorize Turkish military operations abroad or
stationing of foreign troops in Turkey, is based on
"international legitimacy". He did not define "international
legitimacy". Sezer also tried to interpret Article 92
ultra-narrowly to state that only the Parliament can
authorize dispatch of troops rather than allowing Parliament
to grant the government broad authority to choose when and
how to do so; DefMin Gonul complained about this point to UK
Ambassador after the speech.



5. (C) Justice Minister and GOT spokesman Cicek told the
Ambassador later Oct. 1 that he disagrees with Sezer's overly
legalistic approach to international legitimacy. In
Ambassador's presence Erdogan told Brent Scowcroft Sept. 29
that the AK parliamentary group would meet this week to
prepare the ground for eventual approval of a broad
resolution; DefMin Gonul confirmed to UK Ambassador that the
meeting has taken place.


--------------
Domestic Policy
--------------



6. (U) Sezer avoided giving credit to the AK government for
its passage of landmark political reform packages which have
brought Turkey close to fulfilling EU Copenhagen criteria.
Throughout his speech Sezer sought to warn the AK government
that in his view it is straying from "unchangeable" Kemalist
principles such as "secularism". At one point, by recalling
that the Supreme Court has the power to try cabinet members,
he tried to stretch his warning into a threat. He asserted
that an (undefined) current of radical religious
fundamentalism threatens to impose sharia law on Turkey.
While criticizing Turkish universities and the Higher
Education Council for failing to meet expectations, he made
it clear that he opposes the AK government's approach to
reform of both universities and secondary education.


--------------
Comment
--------------



7. (C) Once again Sezer demonstrated his deficient vision of
Turkey's domestic and foreign policy vistas. In response to
reporters' questions afterwards, P.M. Erdogan, who had sat
impassively throughout, dismissed the speech as "ripe and
plump" and, in reaction to a question how he assessed Sezer's
"warnings", disparaged Sezer's comments as merely personal
views. Regarding Iraq, we thought it significant that while
AK M.P.s sat in stony silence, even CHP, which is committed
to opposing any resolution on troops for a stabilization
force, refrained from applauding during Sezer's laborious
attempt to box the Parliament in.
EDELMAN