TURKEY'S NATIONALIST ACTION PARTY DEPUTIES: FRESH SOPHISTICATES COVER UP OLD-LINE BRUISERS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002014 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/03/2017 TAGS: PBIO PGOV PREL TU SUBJECT: TURKEY'S NATIONALIST ACTION PARTY DEPUTIES: FRESH SOPHISTICATES COVER UP OLD-LINE BRUISERS Classified By: A/POLITICAL COUNSELOR KELLY DEGNAN FOR REASONS 1.4(b),(d) ¶1. (C) Summary and Comment. The far-right Nationalist Action Party (MHP) is returning to parliament after five years on the sidelines, having carried 14.4 percent of the vote in Turkey's July 22 elections (septel). Since its coalition government with the Motherland Party (ANAP) and Democratic Left Party (DSP) failed in 2002, MHP has capitalized on rising nationalism stemming from terrorist PKK violence and bumps in Turkey's EU accession process. The party owes much of its success to its leader, Devlet Bahceli, who carefully selected a slew of urbane, intellectual candidates to compensate for the party,s more thuggish members. MHP MPs include former diplomats, long-time political activists, and several experienced former ministers, as well as a couple of murderers -- all of whom will potentially play important roles as the new parliament grapples with controversial reforms and new approaches to Turkey's Kurdish question. End Summary and Comment. Ministers and Intellectuals: ============================ ¶2. (C) AHMET DENIZ BOLUKBASI. Son of the famous nationalist politician Osman Bolukbasi, Ahmet Deniz Bolukbasi is a former ambassador turned politician. After a diplomatic career focused on Europe, he is a supporter, albeit a skeptical one, of Turkey's EU accession. He was an especially tough MFA negotiator during the talks leading up to the March 1, 2003 petition on Iraq. The public considers him one of the strongest defenders of Turkey,s interests, especially against the United States. He speaks fluent English. ¶3. (C) GUNDUZ AKTAN. Aktan, a former diplomat, editorialist, and advisor to the late PM Turgut Ozal, is a nationalist known for isolationism, hawkish views on Cyprus, and strong criticism of the EU accession process -- he does not believe Turkey should seek EU membership on Brussels' terms. He sees Turkey,s interests as more closely aligned with China and Russia. Described as intelligent and articulate, many expect him to be one of MHP,s most effective MPs, particularly on foreign policy issues such as the Armenian genocide resolution. He previously served as president of the think-tank ASAM and foreign policy advisor to Turkish Chamber of Commerce and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) Chairman Hisarciklioglu. Although he was a leftist advisor to former PM Ozal, his views have shifted; we can expect his foreign policy positions to be hard-line nationalistic. ¶4. (C) MERAL AKSENER. Affectionately labeled one of the "asenas" -- legendary female wolves that led the Turks west from Siberia -- Meral Aksener formerly headed the women's branch of the True Path Party (DYP) before joining MHP. As Interior Minister during the 1997 DYP-Refah Party coalition government under Tansu Ciller, she was accused of creating a secret domestic spy service, tapping reporters, phone lines, SIPDIS and terrorizing Kurdish businessmen to undermine the PKK,s finances. Many PKK-related disappearances occurred during her tenure, although no accusations were officially substantiated. Aksener abandoned DYP and joined MHP after allegedly attempting to join AKP when the party was founded. Considered highly intelligent, she is a former professor of sociology. ¶5. (C) SABAHATTIN CAKMAKOGLU. Nearly 80 years old, Sabahattin Cakmakoglu returns to parliament after a long career in the Interior Ministry, where he served as sub-governer, deputy governor and then governor of four regions. First elected in 1999 on the MHP ticket, he served as Defense Minister as well as Interior Minister, and remains on good terms with the military. He was quoted in early August as agreeing with TGS CHOD General Buyukanit that Turkey's president must be devoted not in rhetoric but "in essence" to the secular principles of the Republic. ¶6. (C) MITHAT MELEN originates from Van but serves as an MP from Antalya. He comes from a political family, his father having served in the senate and as Minister of Defense. He was previously involved in ANAP and has run for parliament ANKARA 00002014 002 OF 003 four times before 2007. He is also currently an economics professor at Istanbul University and emphasized to EmbOffs that he loves teaching. He is a frequent columnist, even writing for the English language publication, Turkey Daily News. He claims to have advised Bahceli to propose an MHP candidate for president so they would have grounds to attend the voting session and meet the 367 quorum requirement. ¶6. (C) TUNCA TOSKAY. A former academic elected with MHP in 1999, Tunca Toskay served as State Minister in the DSP-MHP-ANAP coalition. A good Embassy contact before the MHP defeat in 2002, Toskay returned to his hometown, Antalya, and taught at Antalya University after AKP came to power in ¶2002. The Loyalists: ============== ¶7. (C) KENAN TANRIKULU. Young and personally loyal to MHP leader Devlet Bahceli, Kenan Tanrikulu served as Minister of Industry from 1999 to 2002. He attended schools in Britain and the United States and is seen by some as a rising star within the party. The press has dubbed him Bahceli's "promising prince". Tanrikulu earned a PhD in economics from the University of Western Illinois. ¶8. (C) OKTAY VURAL. Also personally loyal to Bahceli, former Transportation Minister (1999-2002) Oktay Vural is now a deputy party leader. He is known for transcending intra-party feuds and will likely provide his boss with balanced council. He is pro-West but very skeptical of the EU. He was a member of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and chairman of the TGNA Industry, Trade, Energy, Natural Resources, Information and Technology Committee. Vural has been a useful Embassy contact. He is intelligent and speaks English, though he prefers not to. ¶9. (C) FARUK BAL. Bal entered Parliament in 1999 and headed the Interior Affairs Committee during the trial of former Kurdistan Worker,s Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan. He worked on good terms with the Embassy during this period and remains an important contact. Following MHP's 2002 defeat, Bal remained loyal to the party, serving as a vice chairman. The Aristocrats: ================ ¶10. (C) TUGRUL TURKES, son of the nationalist movement legend Alparslan Turkes and self-styled scion of the movement, served previously as deputy party leader. After his father's death in 1997, Turkes ran for election as head of MHP but lost to Bahceli, in part because the party rejected the notion of a dynasty. After heading the failed Aydinlik Turkiye Partisi, Turkes spent several years running his insurance business and only rejoined the MHP on Bahceli's invitation shortly before the July election. He took MHP's top slot in Ankara's first district. Although his nationalist heritage is indisputable, most MHP members consider his blue-blooded background and patrician manners a turnoff and a sharp contrast to their humbler backgrounds. Many nevertheless recognize that his presence and excellent English are good for MHP,s image. ¶11. (C) HAMIT HOMRIS. Referred to as "the groom" for gaining political popularity by marrying Alparslan Turkes's daughter, Hamit Homris has been a member of MHP for many years. MHP officials showed their confidence in his abilities and future by selecting him to run for the important post of Ankara mayor. The Thugs ========= ¶12. (C) OSMAN DURMUS, a lifelong radical, was accused of murdering a military doctor but escaped punishment under a 1974 amnesty. As Health Minister during the 2000 earthquake that claimed over 30,000 lives, Durmus gained notoriety for rejecting foreign aid in a series of nationalistic pronouncements -- most famously he refused to accept Greek ANKARA 00002014 003 OF 003 blood donations for fear of contamination. He also tried to force the US to return the blood samples of a Turk with cancer who sought treatment in the US, deeming it strategically inadvisable to allow foreigners to unlock the secrets of the Turkish genome. SIPDIS ¶13. (C) ATILLA KAYA formerly managed ultranationalist camps during the strive-ridden 1980s. He served ten years in prison for murdering a leftist construction engineer. After his release, Kaya served as an advisor to Bahceli and recently wo.#CQBQ;y% Society and served as president of the Syrian Bayir Bucak Turks Cultural and Solidarity Association. Embassy officials who have met him describe him as difficult and unpredictable, regularly disclosing private discussions to the press. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ MCELDOWNEY