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