AKP: THE RIFTS WITHIN (A BREATH OF SCANDAL IN THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISTANBUL 000210

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/01/2016
TAGS: PGOV PINR PHUM TU
SUBJECT: AKP: THE RIFTS WITHIN (A BREATH OF SCANDAL IN THE
PM ADVISOR'S HOUSEHOLD)

REF: A. 03 ANKARA 3016

B. 04 ANKARA 348

C. 05 ANKARA 776

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


1. (C) Summary: Cuneyd Zapsu, independent businessman,
senior advisor to PM Erdogan and founding member of the
ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party),is no
stranger to controversy. This time, however, his wife Beyza
made the front pages, photographed praying in an Istanbul
mosque January 20 with a group of women, shoulder to shoulder
with men and conspicuously uncovered. This "scandalous"
behavior -- not only from the perspective of pious AK Party
members, but that of traditionalists as well -- dominated
print and television media for days, as well as Istanbul
society dinner conversation. So, too, did Cuneyd's
publicized anguish over having to choose between his wife and
his political ambitions. The fissures within Turkish society
at large and in the AK Party were apparent. Many applauded
Beyza's behavior as a breakthrough for women; others went so
far as to speculate that this was staged by the PM as a
"stalking horse" to test the limits of AK Party tolerance for
religious freedom. Still others -- neither AK Party
affiliated nor particularly pious, but nearly all men --
expressed concern that Beyza had publicly humiliated her
husband. Cuneyd Zapsu commented to the Ambassador February 1
that he was proud that PM Erdogan has stood by him. End
Summary.

Media Circus
--------------


2. (C) For days on end following the January 20 Friday
prayer episode, the Turkish media published a number of
highly speculative hypotheses. They noted that Beyza Zapsu
did not accompany the PM and her husband to Davos (she does
not travel with him, as a matter of practice),and cited the
close personal friendship Beyza and her husband enjoy with
the PM and his wife (the latter covered) whom they've
accompanied to Mecca on "umra" (the minor hajj). Some even
speculated that this was a political trial balloon on the
PM's part, testing the limits of AK Party members' tolerance
for religious plurality. Recalling that Beyza had attended
the American Board School in Uskudar, others speculated that
this was a manifestation of American influence, and even that
she was a secret Protestant missionary.

How Could She?
--------------


3. (C) Of equal interest were Cuneyd's reported remarks,
made in phone calls to various friends and eventually leaked
to the press, that he'd been put in the difficult position of
having to choose between his wife and his loyalty to the
Prime Minister. Despite its large population, Istanbul is a
village when it comes to the "chattering classes," many of
whom attended school together or have long-standing business
connections. Whereas most of our female contacts applauded
Beyza's courage and audacity and criticized her husband's
lack of public support, many men, including Western-educated,
non-practicing Muslims, expressed dismay at her lack of
consideration for her husband's position and reputation.
Male protesters stood guard in front of the mosque the
following Friday to prevent a recurrence. The women did not
return.

Why Did She Do it?
--------------


4. (C) Beyza Zapsu, one of our close contacts, is a
diminutive woman who speaks softly and who studiously has
avoided the limelight and involvement in her husband's
political activities. Her father, Nihat Boytuzun, is a
prominent Istanbul businessman/entrepreneur who is
notoriously secular and who remarked when asked about this
incident, "I don't know much about religion, but I do trust
my daughter to do the right thing." Whereas Cuneyd Zapsu's
mother is known to be extremely conservative and has always
covered, his spouse, Beyza, never covers and has described
herself as a longtime student of Sufi Islam. She has neither
sought to hide her beliefs and style of worship, nor to
politicize them. (Note: While visiting Konya, we attended
morning prayers at the mosque of Shams ed-Tabriz, the teacher
of Turkey's most famous Sufi poet Rumi, or Mevlana. Beyza
insisted on praying uncovered, together with the men in the
lower section of the mosque. End note.) Throughout the
controversy -- the endless talk shows, commentary by the

ISTANBUL 00000210 002 OF 002


Chairman of Turkey's Religious Affairs Directorate -- she has
remained tranquil and uninterested in speaking to the press.

Leave the Family Alone!
--------------


5. (C) The Prime Minister walked a fine line and found a
formula to support his advisor: "Leave the family alone," he
said. He blamed the media for invading the Zapsus' privacy,
implying this matter should be dealt with at home. His
message was supplemented by a reminder that such matters were
addressed in the Koran, and by the Diyanet (the GOT's
religious affairs directorate),but he was not drawn into
criticizing Beyza Zapsu publicly. One Hurriyet columnist
praised the PM after hearing he told Zapsu, "Don't worry,
don't be saddened." Reportedly, the PM was not as
light-handed in private. Zapsu noted to the Ambassador
February 1 how awkward he felt about the incident, which had
embarrassed PM Erdogan on a matter important to his
constituency. Zapsu made clear that Erdogan had supported
him out of loyalty, but was not happy about the matter.

Who's Behind it and Why?
--------------


6. (C) Why Beyza Zapsu's prayer habits surfaced now is not
entirely clear; this is not the first time she has celebrated
Friday services uncovered, alongside men. One nasty element
to the story is that photographers who snapped the January 20
photos reportedly blackmailed the young daughter of a woman
who also prays with this group. According to this account,
the daughter worked as a model prior to renewing her faith in
Islam and the reporters threatened to print pictures of her,
scantily clad, if she refused to identify Beyza in the mosque
that Friday.

What's the Real Issue?
--------------


7. (C) Comment: The various reactions to Beyza Zapsu's
uncovered prayers alongside the men underscore the many
cultural and religious 'tugs' inherent in Turkey's conflicted
cultural and political identities. Whereas many women
supported her right to pray as she wished, and indeed
applauded her independence in this regard, the reaction of
many men -- including those having neither AK Party
affiliation nor manifesting any particular religious bent --
suggests that the real debate is as much about women
rejecting a subordinate role to their husbands as anything
else. A final note: while Cuneyd Zapsu may have agonized
over his wife's behavior in this case, he appears to have
raised his three daughters to be as strong and independent as
Beyza, and reportedly gives them the leeway to do as they
please. End comment.
JONES