PRO-KURDISH PARTY: A FRESH APPROACH TO GAINING

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISTANBUL 000531

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/2017
TAGS: PGOV TU
SUBJECT: PRO-KURDISH PARTY: A FRESH APPROACH TO GAINING
POLITICAL TRACTION

REF: A. ADANA 078


B. ANKARA 1449

C. 06 ISTANBUL 2013

Classified By: Consul General Deborah K. Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).


1. (C) Summary. The Kurdish nationalist Democratic Society
Party (DTP) is running one "independent" candidate from each
of Istanbul's three electoral districts; the party claims
each is likely to attract enough support to gain seats in
parliament. Nationwide, 40% of the party's candidates are
women, 12 of whom have a good chance of winning seats.
Though disappointed with what they view as efforts to
suppress voter turnout, leaders say they will contest the
election in a constructive manner. DTP claims that a
resolution of the "Kurdish problem" would have economic,
social and political benefits for all Turks. As observers in
the Socialist Internationale (SI),they think their natural
ally should be SI member the Republican Peoples Party (CHP),
but nothing could be further from reality. Once in
parliament, DTP plans to back the Justice and Development
Party's (AKP's) attempts to establish political stability
after the elections. End summary.


2. (C) On June 13 we met Dogan Erbas, who recently resigned
as chairman of DTP's Istanbul branch to run as an independent
in the July parliamentary elections. He rehearsed general
DTP strategy and the number of seats DTP expects to have in
the new parliament in comments that tracked closely with
those given to Consulate Adana (Ref A). He expects
DTP-backed candidates to do well in the July 22 parliamentary
elections, despite legislative measures -- such as the ten
percent threshold and efforts to prohibit or complicate
independent candidacies -- that he described as intended to
restrict Kurdish political participation. The party is
backing one candidate in each of Istanbul's three electoral
districts, a move that will likely ensure each of them a seat
in the next parliamentary session. Forty percent of DTP's
candidates nationwide are women, 12 of whom have a high
chance of winning, he said.

DIRTY TRICKS?
--------------


3. (C) Erbas enumerated several "disappointments" in the
campaign season thus far: muftis had visited villages in the
southeast in the company of the district governor or deputy
governor indicating persons whom villagers should not support
in the upcoming election. Special security zones announced
the week of June 10 to combat terrorism in the southeast
would make campaigning more difficult in those areas. Erbas
also viewed the military's June 7 Internet posting urging the
Turkish nation to display a "mass resistance against
terrorism" as a departure from neutrality in the elections
meant to stir mass rallies inspired by a nationalist edge
(Ref B). Istanbul NGOs were already planning a mass
gathering for June 23. He recounted an incident in
Adapazari, an industrial town 100 miles east of Istanbul, in
early June when a crowd accosted two road construction
workers, one of whom sported a T-shirt with a photo of
dissident Kurdish singer Ahmet Kaya. The two natives of the
southeast needed police protection from a "huge mob that
gathered," according to the June 6 Turkish Daily News.
(Note: Erbas told us the T-shirt featured an American theme.
End note.)

TRYING TO JOIN THE MAINSTREAM?
--------------


4. (C) Erbas claimed the party constantly sought dialogue
with the government, even holding meetings in the capital in
March, hoping to snag an appointment or two. They were
frustrated. Nevertheless, he claimed, the party is committed
to the democratic process and refrains from aggravating the
situation, including by contesting - not boycotting - the
July 22 vote. DTP strives to take a holistic approach to
their problems. The party seeks human rights for Kurds and
all minorities. Philosophically, DTP views this push for
rights as an effort on behalf of all Turks. He noted DTP has
not self-identified itself as an ethnic party. They argue a
solution to the Kurdish problem would save public
expenditures by lowering military budgets, improving the
ability to fight unemployment and addressing the problem of
mass urbanization; villagers would stay in peaceful areas
instead of moving to the city. A solution to the Kurdish
problem would also address Turkey's main international

ISTANBUL 00000531 002 OF 002


headache, Northern Iraq, he argued.


5. (C) Erbas said the left-of-center DTP, holding observer
status in the Socialist Internationale, should get along well
with the Republican Peoples Party (CHP),an SI member.
However, nothing could be further from the truth. DTP stood
for "freedom-based secularism" but unfortunately, Turkey's
secular base was not so democracy-centered and routinely
attached to its "natural (now often nationalist-leaning base."


6. (C) A confident DTP has considered possible parliamentary
alliances (though it is unlikely other parties would want to
enter into a formal relationship with the DTP due to its PKK
associations). The party had been encouraged by Democrat
Party leader Mehmet Agar's October 2006 statement on bringing
employment to those in the mountains but he had recently
begun to change his tune. Erbas wondered if Agar considered
it a danger to himself to talk peace, Erbas wondered. CHP is
out of the question, while arch-conservative Nationalist
Movement Party (MHP) is unthinkable as an alliance party.
But Justice and Development (AKP) is another matter. DTP,
"along with western democrats," had been pleasantly surprised
by AKP's positive use of democratic solutions, according to
Erbas. He noted that PM Tayyip Erdogan sometimes appeared to
vacillate, perhaps in an attempt to reach a balance of power.
Nevertheless, AKP presented the best possibility for
political cooperation and DTP's representatives in the new
assembly anticipate helping AKP "maintain political stability
in Turkey," including with respect to the upcoming
presidential election and other challenges.


7. (C) Comment. One of imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah
Ocalan's lawyers, Dogan Erbas is no stranger to Kurdish
objectives and politics -- and conflicts. His arguments
mirror those we've heard from other politically active Kurds
in Istanbul (Ref C). At this point, incremental improvements
in human rights and economic opportunity seem to be their
goal. End comment.
JONES