TURKISH ACADEMICS, STUDENTS COMMENT ON MIDDLE EAST

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ISTANBUL 000192

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KPAO TU
SUBJECT: TURKISH ACADEMICS, STUDENTS COMMENT ON MIDDLE EAST
POLICY, VIEWS OF AMERICA



1. (SBU) Summary. Media savvy academics and students
involved in democracy building expressed mixed views to a
visiting counter-terrorism team about America and its foreign
policy in meetings earlier this month. One academic fretted
over Turks, generally more negative opinion of the U.S. and
felt there was not time for democracy to be built in the
Middle East. Another, however, was certain the university
population of Turkey sided with the U.S. on the need for
democracy in the Middle East. Students told us that more
exposure to average U.S. citizens would counteract
misinformation and stereotypes of the U.S. held by many in
Turkey. End summary.

DEMOCRACY? THERE ISN,T TIME
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2. (SBU) Professor Ercan Citlioglu, president of the
Strategic Research Center at Bahcesehir University and
consultant to the Center for Eurasian Strategic Studies
(ASAM),is troubled by U.S. regional policy and the damage
done to the bilateral relations as a result of recriminations
in Turkey,s 2003 refusal to permit U.S. troops to open a
northern front in Iraq. There is not enough time, he added,
to develop democracy in the region, implying events would
become unmanageable before democracy effectively shaped
outcomes. In the broader Middle East, Citlioglu questioned
whether people even want democracy. A popular view is that
the U.S. pushes democracy as a vehicle to rule the area.
Democracy would be possible only when people trust the United
States; at the moment, negative suspicions abound. Trying to
prove his point, Citlioglu cited the triumph of extremist
Hamas in the Palestinian elections. Somewhat
contradictorily, he added that they won not because of their
political platform against U.S.-backed policy, but because of
the practical results of their social and economic policies.
He noted that the AK Party also came to power in Turkey on
economic-based issues.

HOPE THROUGH IMPROVED LIVES
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3. (SBU) Citlioglu said United States faces obstacles
including perceptions that ulterior motives feed the U.S.
push for democracy, and regional leaders' determination not
to divest themselves of power -- a problem growing in
intensity the farther east one travels into central Asia.
Still, Citlioglu said people in the region nevertheless
equated democracy with jobs and improving economic conditions
and from that standpoint, there was hope for popular
sentiment turning in democracy,s favor.

4. (SBU) Turning to concern over current U.S.-Turkish
relations, Citlioglu related a personal anecdote. Reputedly
close to members of the Turkish General Staff, he had been in
the company of a Turkish four-star general, still serving,
when news of the Suleymaniye incident came through. The
general had wept, he said. Citlioglu said that Turks would
not forget nor forgive this incident.

YOUR MESSAGE ISN,T GETTING THROUGH
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5. (SBU) Professor Deniz Ulke Aribogan, a sociologist at
Istanbul's Bilgi University, who appears on news programs to
provide expert commentary on terrorism, said that Turks see
America as combating only one kind of terrorism, but that
poverty and illness constitute another type of terrorism.
Years ago, people hated the Soviet Union, but now
conspiratorial rumors abound involving the United States, she
said, citing one to the effect that Al-Qaida was a CIA
creation to set the groundwork for U.S. intervention in the
Middle East. She lamented the transformation of America,s
image, and hoped for an improved "marketing" strategy.
Despite America's high negatives among the Turkish general
public, Aribogan assured us university students were
nonetheless with the United States in its drive to build
democracy.

A REALIST IMPULSE
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6. (SBU) Echoing Citlioglu, Aribogan favored an
authoritarian approach to governing in the Middle East.
Noting the U.S. had supported anti-democratic regimes for
years without apparent conflict, why now was the United
States pushing democracy? She asserted many intellectuals
were saying democracy was increasingly dangerous in the
world. Among Muslims, the faithful are certain their
understanding of Islam is correct and all others sinful.
Long ago, disagreements regarding the nature of the faith
were handled by the prince who enforced his interpretation of
Islam within his territory. The break-up of that system led
to the current chaos, and democracy only feeds the problem by
enabling those with clashing views to compete head-to-head in
a fierce battle. At a minimum, the United States as the
current prince/protector should use its authority in Iraq to
forbid obviously self-defeating actions such as the use of
ethnic names in political parties.

YOUNG ANATOLIAN LEADERS PUSHING DEMOCRATIC REFORM
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7. (SBU) We also met with members of the Young Anatolian
Leaders, a group of Turkish university students interested in
promoting civil society. The students' views ranged from
left to right, and from secular to religious. Their
enthusiasm in welcoming official Americans was evident.
Asked about their views of U.S. policy toward Iraq and the
region and about how they felt the United States could
improve how it is perceived in Turkey, the group responded
that they were already involved in promoting civil society in
Northern Iraq. Last spring, the group,s president had made
a trip to Kirkuk to make contact with peers there regarding a
proposal to open a student center. The plan is to offer
movies, live music and other offerings as a means for
bringing people together and to stimulate conversation and
dialogue. The Young Anatolians have a vision for sponsoring
similar projects in many countries of the region, including
Cyprus, Israel, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Greece.


8. (SBU) Students said the Turkish perception of Americans
in general and U.S. policy in particular was improving from a
low point one year ago. These students were not buying the
conspiracy theories about nor stereotypes of Americans. They
said they felt Turks had much in common with Americans and
wished for increased exchanges and visits by average
Americans to promote knowledge of American values and society
in Turkey, especially important and needed in Anatolia where
people had little sense of what an American is like other
than through often misleading media channels.


9. (SBU) Comment. While the academics expressed concern
over public perceptions and opinions of the United States,
they felt improving bilateral relations was in Turkey's
interest. That current of basic goodwill and an instinctive
appreciation for the U.S., reflected among the students we
met, should prove useful as both sides make efforts to
recover lost ground. End comment.
JONES