NORTHWEST TURKEY'S TEKIRDAG IN CAMPAIGN MOOD

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ISTANBUL 000631 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL TU SUBJECT: NORTHWEST TURKEY'S TEKIRDAG IN CAMPAIGN MOOD ¶1. (SBU) Summary. We visited Tekirdag located just up the Marmara seacoast northwest of Istanbul a few days after the press splashed claims of U.S. support to the PKK by three masked persons said to be PKK defectors across newspapers and television sets. The pleasant town, known for excellent kofte and raki, sported all the competing party banners - sometimes artfully draped from buildings, across roads and down flag poles. The youthful Justice and Development Party (AKP) mayor related his accomplishments and other parties gave us their election sales pitches - and asked about U.S. foreign policy - all except for the Republican Peoples Party representative who cancelled his meeting with us, perhaps in reaction to the news reports. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) Tekirdag is pleasant seacoast town on the way to somewhere else. The area of some 650,000 inhabitants continues to welcome a burgeoning number of Anatolian transplants drawn by its growing industrial base, thriving agriculture and seaside location. The town famous for Turkey,s national drink, raki, and really delicious kofte (mildly seasoned hamburger grilled on a stick) boasts nearby energy depots and some 1200 factories most associated with the textile industry. Despite the industrial base, acting governor Erdogan Ozdemir boasts that "blue flags" signifying environmentally safe beaches have flown for the last two years. Sunflower oil is the premier agricultural product, followed by wheat, olives and grapes. ¶3. (SBU) The Justice and Development Party (AKP) Mayor, Ahmet Aygun, pointed to a chart high above his desk listing his 30 or so campaign promises. All but five were checked complete. The town swimming pool, a highway by-pass around the town and a railroad spur to the main north-south line connecting to the Istanbul airport and a new port facility projected to be the 5th largest in Europe were underway, but not complete - demonstrating once again, he claimed, that AKP means to deliver on its promises. Asked the motivation for his hard work, Aygun paused and said it was because of religion - he wanted to have a positive ledger with the Almighty at the end of his life. He said his wife and daughter wish he would quit politics. ¶4. (SBU) Visits to party chairmen were memorable for one or another reason. At Genc (GP) - "Youth Party" - headquarters for example, we were welcomed by five aging men - all but one of whom had passed from the salt and pepper stage to the salt stage of hair color. Their presentation consisted of a dispirited rendering of GP campaign promises. ¶5. (SBU) At Democrat Party (DP) headquarters, 25 or so local board members listened as chairman Mehmet Ali Vidinel rehearsed DP's heritage from the 1950s through the 1980s and up to the moment. He said True Path Party (DYP) would have had a parliamentarian from Tekirdag in parliament after 2002 had DYP passed the 10% barrage nationwide. We took the opportunity to respond to questions of the assembled. Questions quickly fastened on the big U.S.-related story of the week, "confessions" of three PKK defectors claiming eyewitness stories of U.S. personnel delivering heavy weapons to PKK militants on Kandil mountain in northern Iraq. ¶6. (SBU) National Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Yunus Meral directed a barrage of complaints and charges about USG interference in Turkey's affairs or accusations that the U.S. was doing too little to promote Turkey's interests in Europe and especially with respect to the PKK. We listened and 7 times in the course of the meeting, asked if the chairman had any questions he would like to ask. Finally, one of his colleagues spoke up and asked about the U.S. position on the importance of NATO as a continuing alliance and particularly, Turkey's role in it. We acknowledged that some, in the wake of the collapse of the Warsaw Pact, considered NATO's usefulness to be a thing of the past. The U.S. approach is different, actively identifying new and vital leadership roles for the alliance. Turkey's place has always been critical in NATO and is today as it has played a leading role in the effort to stabilize Afghanistan. ¶7. (SBU) Comment. We were disappointed when the chairman of the Republican People's Party (CHP) canceled our appointment the day after the PKK defector story broke. The issue - whether or not voiced - apparently topped almost everyone's mind the day of our visit. A traditional, warm Turkish parting at both DP and MHP made evident that sincere, respectful and direct public diplomacy still wins hearts and minds - or simply - counts in the heartland. End comment. ISTANBUL 00000631 002 OF 002 OUDKIRK