LOCAL OFFICIALS, PUBLIC STAY ON MESSAGE IN EDIRNE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISTANBUL 001865 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2016 TAGS: ECON GR KPAO PGOV PHUM TU SUBJECT: LOCAL OFFICIALS, PUBLIC STAY ON MESSAGE IN EDIRNE Classified By: Consul General Deborah K. Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (SBU) Summary. Local officials, reporters and academics in Edirne sent a clear and consistent message during the Consul General's regional familiarization trip: concern about the PKK threat and U.S. cooperation in combating it is not reserved for Ankara and southeastern Turkey but extends to the outer reaches of the country's western border with Europe. We also witnessed first hand the hopes for EU accession and the benefits such a result would bring the region by the generally positive descriptions our hosts had of their future. Our willingness to answer challenging questions and hold frank discussions was well received, a positive sign for the potential of changing public anti-U.S. attitudes in Turkey. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) We met with local government and business leaders, reporters, academics and Baha'i community members among others in Edirne, a city of approximately 400,000 people, on 27 and 28 September during a trip to the western limit of the Istanbul consular district. The former capital of the Ottoman Empire is an opposition party strong-hold with Republican People's Party (CHP) candidates receiving 29 percent of the vote during the 2002 parliamentary elections compared to the ruling Truth and Justice Party's (AKP) nine percent, a fourth place showing behind the Youth (Genc) Party and secularist-conservative True Path Party (DYP). Nevertheless, Turkey's ten percent threshold requirement for party representation in parliament and the complicated formula used to allocate seats result in Edirne's four national assembly seats being divided equally between CHP and AKP. The mayor, CHP member Hamdi Sedefci, edged out his AKP competitor by some 500 votes in 2004. -------------- STEREOTYPICAL DIFFERENCES EVIDENT -------------- ¶3. (C) Governor Nusret Miroglu, a former governor of Diyarbakir and career bureaucrat with significant experience in the Ministry of Interior and a term as Deputy Director General of the Turkish National Police (TNP),was very well prepared for our meeting and presented his talking points in a professional, self-reflective and well-balanced manner. He acknowledged that Turkish-U.S. relations were not very good at the moment but, at the same time, expressed hope that the problems affecting this strategically important relationship can be overcome. He stated that speaking as a Turkish citizen, he believed the March 2003 vote was a mistake and that if he were in the United States' shoes he understood how it would be impossible not to be hurt by the result of that vote. Both the United States and Turkey, he added, had interests in Iraq and should have acted together. On the other hand, he believed the United States needs to be more careful and sensitive and that, in his opinion, "undeserved" anti-American, public sentiments, fed largely by people in the region trying to create a false image of the United States as being against Islam, could be turned around with the right policies. He concluded that finding a solution to the PKK problem was most important among these and that it would be an effective tool to improve relations. ¶4. (SBU) Addressing the question of his biggest local challenges, Miroglu listed flooding, unemployment, lack of tourism infrastructure and illegal border crossings. He specified that dependence on national-level relations added complexities to cleaning up sludge after flooding of the river along the Turkey-Greece border. If left to Greek and Turkish local authorities, he stated, the problem would be resolved quickly. Regarding unemployment, Miroglu noted that an organized industrial zone was established 30km north of Edirne but he needs industries to move there. He recognized Edirne's potential as a regional hub for tourism due to its position as a gateway to Europe and large number of historical sites but lamented the low quantity and quality of hotels in the region. Finally, with respect to illegal border crossings, Miroglu complained that the Government in Ankara was not providing enough support to quickly process and shelter the 1000 people arrested each month and the 500-600 people currently detained under very poor conditions. ¶5. (C) In stark contrast to the professional and candid approach displayed by Governor Miroglu, Mayor Sedefci appeared unprepared for our meeting and seemed to represent what CHP critics often describe as the sclerotic nature of his party. Though he has been mayor of Edirne for 12 of the ISTANBUL 00001865 002 OF 002 last 17 years, he lists municipal infrastructure problems as chief among his challenges and seconded Miroglu's comments about the lack of hotels and service staff to accommodate tourists. Indeed, we experienced first hand the poor quality of Edirne's roads when our vehicle was unable to transit a number of locations in the city. He also addressed the PKK issue in the framework of U.S.-Turkish relations and repeated an often heard claim in Turkey that if the United States wanted to it could stop the PKK problem. -------------- SOME SIGNS OF PROGRESS NOW AND IN THE FUTURE -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Despite these challenges, the mayor was positive about the future of his city--hilighting, for example, his focus to get the municipality to shift from coal to gas energy sources--a sentiment the Edirne Chamber of Commerce shared with us as well. President of the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors Umit Mihlayanlar expressed hope that the organized industrial zone and the Paris-Sophia-Istanbul light rail project would attract industries and investors to the region. He discussed the appeal of entering niche markets such as in organic foods and described an initiative the Chamber had undertaken to establish Edirne as a pilot city for EU accession. Beginning this year for instance, the Board has encouraged local companies to meet EU standards, particularly in relation to food security and associated markets such as the livestock industry. ¶7. (SBU) We also met with the rector of Trakya University, Professor Enver Duran, and members of his staff. After a relatively brief discussion about the University's key programs and exploring potential opportunities for U.S. Government assistance (they specifically requested funding for English teachers, books and support for visiting professors),we listened to staff concerns and addressed questions about USG policy on a number of issues including the PKK, Iraq, Iran and a theoretical map of a Middle East with borders defined by ethnicity that has captured headlines in Turkey and been falsely presented as officially sanctioned by the USG. ¶8. (SBU) Finally, as an example of progress on the religious freedom front, we received a tour of a Baha'i community garden (venerated by the Baha'i's as home to their prophet Baha'u'llah during his exile from Iran),which until recently was the subject of a property dispute with the Ministry of Education. In 2004, the Council of State overturned a previous decision to award the site to a neighboring school and secured the property for the Baha'i community. Suzan Merter, public relations coordinator and former Secretary General of the Turkish Baha'i community indicated the decision to overturn the ruling was primarily a result of EU and US pressure. The Baha'i community still faces problems with the Government of Turkey (GOT). Most significantly, it seeks recognition of the Baha'i faith as a religion. Community members are not able to identify themselves as Baha'i on their Turkish identification cards and by leaving the religious identification part of the card blank are considered by the GOT to be "without religion." ¶9. (SBU) Comment: While we received a consistent message from interlocutors throughout the trip, our response was also consistent--we understand the pain terrorism has caused Turkey, share a desire to find a resolution to the PKK problem and have taken a number of measures with that goal in mind; not least of which, is the recent appointment of former NATO SACEUR General Ralston as U.S. special envoy for countering the PKK threat. Miroglu's previous experiences as Governor of Diyarbakir and Deputy Director General of the TNP add weight to his opinion and bode well as a signal of the potential for improving U.S.-Turkish relations. At the same time, our experience discussing challenging issues with a wide variety of audiences indicates that USG policy is at the forefront of people's minds across the country but that a willingness to discuss these issues frankly while demonstrating a bit of empathy is vital to changing attitudes. End comment. OUDKIRK