TALKING TO TURKS: WORDS AND PHRASES TO AVOID

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 005496

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR R, PA AND EUR/PPD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/21/2025
TAGS: PA PGOV PINS PREL TU KISL
SUBJECT: TALKING TO TURKS: WORDS AND PHRASES TO AVOID

REF: A. ANKARA 4857

B. ANKARA 2030

C. ANKARA 1774

Classified By: CDA Nancy E. McEldowney, Reasons 1.4 (b,d)


1. (C) Summary: Some words and phrases Westerners commonly
use to describe Turkish society and Turkish politics cause
unintended controversy here. Turks are still debating
fundamental aspects their politics, history, society, and
religion, and by using certain words or phases Western
commentators appear to be taking sides in ongoing internal
debates. We recommend that visitors be aware of the
sensitivity of these phrases and avoid using them when
talking about Turkey with Turks or the press. They are
"Turkey is a model" or "a Muslim country", "moderate Islam",
"minority" and "secular". End Summary.

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TURKEY ISN,T A "MODEL" OR A "MUSLIM COUNTRY"
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2. (C) Many Turks object vigorously to their country being
called a "model" for other countries because many Turks
themselves object to various aspects of their constitutional
and political system. When Western commentators praise
Turkey as a "model" or "example," many Turks interpret this
as an endorsement of the status-quo and opposition to
democratization, liberalization, demilitarization and other
reforms (e.g., strengthening the rule of law, addressing the
Kurdish issue, or increasing religious freedom (for Muslims
and non-Muslims)) in Turkey.


3. (C) Many secular Turks also object to their country being
called a "Muslim country" because they interpret this
statement as an attack on the secular system or a suggestion
that the secular system should be replaced with "moderate
Islam."

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MODERATE ISLAM
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4. (C) Turks of all persuasions view the phrase "moderate
Islam" with great hostility. Although some Turks understand
that the American phrase "moderate Islam" is intended as an
endorsement of non-violent and tolerant strains of Islam,
many Turks, particularly the Western-oriented elite, believe
that "moderate Islam" is a code for a supposed USG attempt to
undermine the Turkish secular system and replace it with an
undemocratic, but pro-American, "moderate" Islamic
government. A number of politicians and scholars, moreover,
believe that "moderate Islam" is part of a long-term U.S.
foreign policy objective of creating a "green belt" of
pro-American Islamic states surrounding Russia. A leading
Turkish foreign policy textbook claims that the U.S. has been
pursuing this policy since the 1950s.


5. (C) Pious Turks object to the phrase "moderate Islam" for
different reasons. First, they believe the phrase suggests
that Islam is inherently violent, intemperate, and in need of
reform. Secondly, the phrase is seen as an American
invention and, therefore, as part of an unwanted, foreign,
and un-Islamic attempt to influence the development of their
religion. We do best by avoiding the phrase altogether.

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MINORITY
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6. (C) Turkish historians, intellectuals, and politicians
have repeatedly championed the notion that "minority" only
refers to "non-Muslim minorities" and cannot refer to
non-Turkish Muslim groups living in Turkey. The Turkish
position is rooted in their interpretation of the 1923
Lausanne Treaty which, among other objectives, attempted to
protect the rights of "non-Muslim minorities" in Turkey.


7. (C) Many Turks believe that European powers conspired for
over 200 years to break up the Ottoman Empire. The Turkish
perception is that European powers used claims of "minority
rights" to intervene in struggles between the central Ottoman
authorities and regional separatist groups. These
interventions often resulted in the independence of former
Ottoman territories, e.g. Greece, Rumania, Serbia, and
Bulgaria.


8. (C) When Western commentators refer to Alevis, Kurds, or
other groups as "minorities," Turks interpret these
statements as political threats, not as apolitical
demographic statements. Many Turks believe that anyone who
claims these groups are "minorities" is pursuing a policy
designed to dismember the country by encouraging factionalism
and secessionist impulses.

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SECULAR AND SECULARISM
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9. (C) The English word "secularism" is often translated into
Turkish as "laiklik," but this can be very misleading. The
hallmarks of the American "secular" political system are the
separation of church and state and freedom of religion. The
hallmarks of the Turkish secular system, in contrast, are
state control of religion and a limited sphere of religious
freedom (ref A). In Turkey, the state appoints all the
Islamic officials (imams),monitors their activities, and
pays their salaries. State funds are used to construct
mosques, but the state spends no money on Alevi (heterodox
Muslims) Cem houses, synagogues, or churches. All Muslim
school age students are required to take classes in the
Hanafi-Sunni tradition of Islam, regardless of their personal
sectarian beliefs. Non-Muslim students are not required to
take these courses, but alternative courses are not offered
by the state. Private religious classes are illegal and
proselytizing by non-Muslims, while not illegal, is viewed
with great suspicion. Pious girls and women are officially
not allowed to wear headscarves in schools and universities,
or in state workplaces. As a result, when a foreigner
praises "secularism" in Turkey, there is a risk that Turkish
listeners will interpret his or her comments as an
endorsement of state control of religion in Turkey.


10. (C) Comment: The U.S. government has promoted Turkish
democratization and the anchoring of Turkey in Europe for
nearly sixty years. U.S. officials must perform the delicate
balancing act of promoting democracy in Turkey and promoting
Turkey,s efforts to join the European Union without
appearing to take sides in internal Turkish debates. We must
avoid the unintentional use of controversial words and
phrases that suggest the U.S. is taking sides on issues where
the USG is actually neutral. End Comment.
MCELDOWNEY