URGING TURKS ON PAMUK TRIAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 007219 SIPDIS SIPDIS ANKARA PASS TO ADANA E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/10/2010 TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL TU SUBJECT: URGING TURKS ON PAMUK TRIAL Classified By: DCM Nancy McEldowney. Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) In advance of the December 16 start of the trial of novelist Orhan Pamuk for "insulting Turkishness," DCM met with MFA Deputy Under Secretary (and incoming ambassador to the United States) Nabi Sensoy to push hard for high-level GOT action to demonstrate their commitment to democracy and free speech. She noted that there were at least 5 other similar cases pending under Section 301 of the penal code that were also sure to attract widespread international attention and condemnation. A statement by a senior government leader of Turkey's commitment to democracy and freedom of speech could help defuse some of the controvery the trial is sure to provoke. But, she said, the GOT needed to go beyond words; it needed to state its intention to reform Section 301. ¶2. (C) While Sensoy agreed that the trial was a negative for Turkey ("we seem to go out of our way to hurt ourselves") and that Section 301 needed to be fixed, he said there was no way that a senior politician could make such a statement before the trial. To do so would be portrayed in Turkey as interfering with the independence of the judiciary, an extremely sensitive topic for the AKP government. The DCM rejected the argument and pointed out that a statement would not have to address the specifics of the trial. Sensoy said he would discuss the subject with Minister Gul, but didn't hold out much hope. ¶3. (C) Following the presentation of his credentials on December 8, Ambassador will raise this issue with senior levels of the GOT. WILSON