MEETING WITH GENC PARTY ISTANBUL CHAIRMAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISTANBUL 000498 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/04/2017 TAGS: PGOV TU SUBJECT: MEETING WITH GENC PARTY ISTANBUL CHAIRMAN Classified By: Consul General Deborah K. Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) Summary. Soner Cokbilgin, the current Istanbul chairman of the Genc ("Young") Party, discussed Genc Party,s brief history, the July 22 parliamentary elections, and future goals with us on May 23 in Istanbul. Genc Party is a vehicle for the political aspirations of Cem Uzan, a controversial businessman whose family business, Rumeli Holdings, imploded during the 2001 financial crisis and was the subject of a DOJ asset freeze order related to a joint venture with Motorola. Genc Party won 7.25 percent of the vote in the 2002 parliamentary elections and 6 percent in the 2004 Istanbul municipal elections. Whether Genc will make it over the 10 percent threshold in the July 22 elections depends in large part on whether voters buy the party's inflated promises. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) Cokbilgin boasts real sector business experience, having worked for the Eczacibasi Group, Profilo, and Philip Morris. In 1998 he received an offer from the Uzan Group, led by Cem Uzan, to serve as general manager of Star newspaper. Uzan founded the Genc Party in 2002 and appointed Cokbilgin chairman of the party,s Istanbul branch about three months ago. ¶3. (SBU) Cokbilgin highlighted the serious national discussion currently taking place in Turkey about secularism and democracy. An anti-AKP bloc has emerged among voters, he said, and Cem Uzan and his party are well-positioned to compete with apparent front-runner AKP. ANTI-GENC ACTIONS -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Cokbilgin said that Uzan, who owned both Star TV and Star Newspaper before they were taken over and sold to repay debts associated with the 2001 failure of Uzan family-controlled Imar Bank, has extensive experience and contacts in the media. He complained that some media outlets unfairly oppose and attack the Genc Party. Genc Party leaders, including Cokbilgin, are barred them from leaving the country due to fraud and other pending charges stemming from the Imar Bank failure and losses incurred by Motorola and Nokia when they partnered with then Uzan-held cell phone operator Telsim. Cokbilgin claims the charges are unfounded and motivated Star's publication of a picture of Prime Minister Erdogan as a young man at the knee of a bearded Afghan identified as a "Taliban terrorist." (Note: the picture ran in Star in July 2003, long after Motorola filed racketeering charges against the Uzan family in 2002. Cokbilgin, "knowing what I did and did not do," says he is convinced Turkey,s court system will exonerate him because the court system is just. ¶5. (SBU) Cokbilgin said that because of anti-Uzan and anti-Genc Party campaigning in 2002-2003, the party performed poorly in the 2004 local elections. However, Cokbilgin claimed this "unfair treatment" has actually increased sympathy and support for the party and attributed its popularity to Genc Party Chairman Cem Uzan, who Cokbilgin labelled Turkey's most charismatic leader. He claimed the party has done nothing to cultivate its "anti-American" image, which he admitted is a draw for many Turks. 2007 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS -------------- ¶6. (SBU) The Genc Party sought alliances with other political parties, but prepared for the July elections on the assumption that no such alliance would be formed. Cokbilgin said the party is the most centrist in Turkey so it has broad appeal, adding that he was confident Genc would pass the 10 percent election threshold. A few months ago, polls indicated that the party had the support of just 1.5 percent of the electorate. That figure has since jumped to nearly 10 percent according to Cokbilgin and he claimed support will continue to increase as the election approaches. ¶7. (SBU) The Genc Party,s populism finds its targeted mark among Turkey,s lower classes. Genc began campaigning for the July elections earlier than most other parties and has been running continuous advertisements of party slogans, "Suppressed people will be empowered," and "Gasoline will be 1 YTL," during televised soccer matches for months. Cokbilgin claimed that 85 percent of Turks are aware of Genc Party positions. ISTANBUL 00000498 002 OF 002 ¶8. (SBU) Cokbilgin said that any party,s performance in Istanbul will strongly influence its performance nationwide. The Genc Party garnered 7.25 percent of votes in Istanbul in the 2002 parliamentary elections, even though it was formed just 70 days prior to the election. Their research currently indicates 13 percent support in Istanbul, though party leaders expect this number to increase in the final run-up to the elections. The Genc Party did not perform well in the Black Sea region in 2002 but is expected to do better there in 2007 since it has unrealistically promised to double the price of hazelnuts (from 4 to 8 YTL per kilogram),one of the region,s main crops. The party has also promised to lower the price of gasoline to 1 YTL per liter (from 3 YTL per liter) nationwide. FUTURE PROSPECTS -------------- ¶9. (SBU) If Genc Party candidates are elected, Cokbilgin predicted the party will do significantly better in the 2009 local elections. This would be an important step in the party,s long-term development. ¶10. (C) Comment. Many Genc Party promises seem disingenuous at best. Gasoline currently costs about 3 YTL per liter (roughly equivalent to $8.40 per gallon),with embedded taxes accounting for about 75 percent of that, Genc Party members have not explained how they will make up this lost revenue, or fund subsidized hazelnut prices. Some voters, finding few palatable alternatives in Turkey's polarized election, may be willing to suspend their disbelief and buy Cem Uzan's promises. End comment. ¶11. (SBU) Bio notes. Cem Uzan was born in 1961 in Istanbul. He graduated from German High School in Istanbul and studied Business Administration at Pepperdine University in the United States. He speaks German and English. Married twice with four children, two from the first marriage and two from the second. ¶12. (SBU) His father, Kemal Uzan, immigrated to Turkey from Sarajevo and opened a construction company in 1956. He later founded horizontal business conglomerate Rumeli Holding, with interests from energy to telecommunications. Growth took off in the 1980s, many crediting Uzan's relationship with the then-PM Turgut Ozal. ¶13. (SBU) The Uzans opened the first private TV channel in the 1990s, with Ozal's son Ahmet as a partner; private TV was illegal at the time. Additional media investments, including Star newspaper, gave rise to one of Turkey's first media conglomerates. The group expanded into the energy sector with two hydro-electricity plants. The Uzan family was also one of two groups that purchased the first GSM licenses; Telsim became the only competitor to Turkcell. Imarbank and the smaller Adabank also became family enterprises. ¶14. (SBU) Banking sector watch-dog SDIF, citing fraud, took over Imarbank. All Rumeli Holding assets were seized by the fund. Losses were reportedly over 10 billion dollars. Most assets were liquidated and GSM operator Telsim was sold to Vodafone. Motorola sued the Uzans in US courts for default on materials for the GSM network. Losses totaled 2 billion dollars, later settled between the SDIF and Motorola during Telsim's sale to Vodaone. Cem Uzan's father, Kemal, and brother, Hakan, are still at large. Prosecutors also have an ongoing case against Cem Uzan himself. ¶15. (SBU) Cem Uzan founded his party only months before the 2002 general elections, and although he was the only publicly-known figure in the party, he managed to get 7.25 percent of the votes in the elections. End bio notes. JONES