TURKISH PM ENCOURAGES WOMEN POLS AT ISTANBUL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISTANBUL 000130

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: TURKISH PM ENCOURAGES WOMEN POLS AT ISTANBUL
ALLIANCE OF CIVILIZATIONS MEETING


Classified By: Consul General Deborah Jones, E.O. 12958, reasons 1.4 (b

) and (d).


1. (SBU) Summary: Prime Minister Erdogan pushed forcefully
for an increased role for women in public life in Turkey at
the January 28 opening of a conference organized within the
Alliance of Civilizations initiative. He acknowledged that
social mores and traditions have inhibited such participation
in the past, and called for an end to such gender
discrimination. Other speakers more generally addressed
"Islam's inner dialogue," with some casting doubt on the
West's sincerity in its approach to intersocietal dialogue,
accusing it of trying to mold all other civilizations in its
image. End Summary.

Warriors in the Battle
--------------


2. (SBU) The Alliance of Civilizations initiative, launched
by Spain and Turkey under United Nations auspices, began its
efforts to bridge cultural and religious divides last fall.
This follow-up Istanbul event brought together a diverse
group to discuss the role of women in forging an alliance
among civilizations. Women from the governing Justice and
Development Party (AKP) comprised much of the audience, but
one fairly typical aisle seated a Turkish Jewish
businesswoman, a female preacher, an international attendee
and a male NGO leader. Pious participants attended in
sufficient numbers to warrant that a side room at the ritzy
event locale be designated a prayer room for the day.


3. (U) PM Erdogan told participants at the opening session
they were the warriors in the battle against the "clash of
civilizations" concept. He lauded the Alliance initiative,
saying that the partnership and understanding it promotes are
based on shared values that no one society can claim as its
own. Turkey has tied its fate to that of the European Union,
he added, praising the EU for accepting Turkey's "thesis"
that by accepting Turkey, it will be the headquarters of the
Alliance of Civilizations, rather than a Christian club.

4.4 Percent Is Not Enough
--------------


4. (U) In his remarks, the Prime Minister strongly
supported an increased role for women in political life in
Turkey. Expressing dissatisfaction with the current level of
representation of women in parliament (just over four
percent),he implicitly conceded that AKP had not done enough
in this regard on its founding in 2002, and said it must do
better in the next elections. Underlining that legal
obstacles to women's participation in politics were few in
Turkey, he acknowledged that social mores continued to
obstruct progress in this area. Those who tell a woman her
place is in the home are working against Turkey's development
and democratization, the PM stated, and society must fight to
help women "raise their voices." Discrimination based on
gender is at least as dangerous as racism, and it's wrong, he
said.


5. (SBU) State Minister Aydin, who oversees the GOT's
Directorate of Religious Affairs, amplified on the Prime
Minister's comments, arguing that Turks are surrounded by
"psychological walls" that cloud their perceptions about
women. He asserted that Turks' prejudices make them assume
they know how a women would and should act in a given
situation -- and this must change. If we measure the level
of our civility by the way we deal with women, we have to do
better, he said, and attune our values as the world expects
us to do. (Note: These comments took on added significance
in light of several recent incidents. The previous day, an
overflow crowd at an Ankara mosque resulted in women being
forced to pray on the ground outside in the cold, as men had
taken over the area inside reserved for women. Not only
Diyanet officials, but the mosque's imam as well, publicly
expressed regret about this incident. The second was the
front page revelation the previous week that one of the Prime
Minister's senior advisors' wives prayed uncovered alongside
men at an Istanbul mosque (septel). End note.)

Former Iranian VP: Islam's Inner Dialogue Important
-------------- --------------


6. (U) One session later in the day focused on the role of
women in "ensuring international peace and security."
Professor Massoumeh Ebtekar, Former Iranian Vice President,
contended that the West too often views itself as superior,
while seeing other civilizations as relics of the past. She
suggested, however, that there is an important "inner
dialogue within Islam" underway in the world. One school of
narrow populism uses a fear of western dominion and a loss of
morality as its organizing principles, whereas another more
liberal strand glorifies the West, seeing modernity as
savior. Many interpretations of Islam are visible today, she
said, while the media orchestrates Islamophobia by focusing
on terrorists.

Are Women Really Any Better at Building Alliances?
-------------- --------------


7. (SBU) Several panelists took the opportunity to lash out
at the West, including the U.S., for what they perceived to
be insincerity and attitudes of superiority in its approach
to non-Western cultures. One Turkish author claimed that
Turks were despised by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and
Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik, and accused the
West of wanting women to lose their identities and be molded
into versions of Sharon Stone. A Pakistani who started out
by saying that she would neither romanticize her culture, nor
vilify the West, excoriated the United States for its bombing
within her country's territory and failure to apologize for
doing so. She also criticized President Musharraf for
"undemocratic" behavior and his role in the war on terrorism.
An Israeli (and Jewish) lawyer who defends Palestinians said
that being a woman is not enough of a credential for being a
peacebuilder, as the world had suffered from the policies of
Golda Meir, Margaret Thatcher and Condoleezza Rice.


8. (C) Comment: The AK Party's performance in promoting
women in politics has been dismal to date, and the Prime
Minister's public and strong remarks were a welcome
contribution to public discourse on this issue. The tone of
many of the other speakers in this Alliance of Civilizations
event, however, was anything but conciliatory. However, the
extreme rhetoric may help deflect criticism that Turkey's
contributions to BMENAI simply promote U.S. views. Press
coverage of the event was constructive; rather than flagging
panelists' anti-western rhetoric, coverage focused almost
exclusively the Prime Minister's remarks, as well as on a
fashion show sponsored by his headscarved wife, Emine, that
featured unveiled models on the runway. End comment.
JONES