TURKEY: PARLIAMENT PLAUGED BY POLARIZATION AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001767 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/09/2018 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL OSCE TU SUBJECT: TURKEY: PARLIAMENT PLAUGED BY POLARIZATION AND PARTISAN PRESSURE DURING FALL TERM REF: A. ANKARA 1667 ¶B. ANKARA 1723 Classified By: POL Counselor Daniel O'Grady, reasons 1.4 (b,d) ¶1. (C) Summary and comment: A climate of polarization fueled by allegations of corruption against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is expected to distract Parliament during the fall term that officially began October 1. The situation will likely be inflamed further by wrangling over the appropriate response to PKK terrorist attacks and the global economic crisis. Parliament's lackluster short-term draft agenda reveals that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP),seeking to shore up support in the lead up to March 2009 local elections, is likely to focus on populist measures to the detriment of controversial EU-related reforms, such as amending the Political Parties Law and pushing ahead on a new civilian-drafted Constitution. Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and opposition Nationalist Action Party (MHP),seeing indications in several recent polls that AKP's popularity is declining, can be expected to ratchet up the pressure at every opportunity. The politically astute, but at-times stubborn, PM Erdogan -- never one to shy away from a political fight and already focused on winning big in March 2009 by making inroads in non-traditional AKP strongholds such as Izmir, Trabzon, and Diyarbakir -- will try to motivate his troops for rough waters ahead. End summary and comment. -------------- Parliament to Avoid Controversial Issues -------------- ¶2. (C) Legislative Deputy Director Seref Iba, a long-time non-party professional staff member at Parliament, told us that polarization, political bickering, and outside events will distract Parliament from tackling key constitutional and EU-related reforms during the Fall term. Iba said opposition parties, having finally identified allegations of corruption as a way to chip into AKP's public support, will continue to demand Parliament open investigatory commissions on Deniz Feneri and other corruption charges. Efforts to counter PKK terrorism too will likely occupy much political discussion in the coming months. Opposition parties are pushing AKP to establish a buffer zone in northern Iraq as a way to counter PKK incursions and will paint AKP as weak on terror if PKK attacks continue. Iba said AKP will dedicate a great deal of time and energy to the issue as a result. He also expects debate on the global economic crisis and the GOT's response will erode Parliament's time. Though Turkey has thus far been relatively insulated, he told us that the GOT would need to devote greater attention to the issue soon. ¶3. (SBU) Iba noted Parliament's draft agenda for the next three weeks is focused on working on relatively low-profile and uncontroversial legislation, including: - World Water Forum Law; - Preservation of Geographic Signs Law; - Commerce Law; - Free Trade Zones Law and Customs Law; - Law Protecting Cultural and Natural Assets; - Electronic Communications Law; and - Title Deed Law. ¶4. (C) Iba highlighted the absence of controversial issues from the GOT's Third National Program, including enacting a Political Ethics Law, amending the Court of Audits Law to make military expenditures more transparent, and amending the Political Parties Law and Elections Law. With March 2009 local elections on the horizon, AKP is pursuing populist measures and avoiding controversy, according to Iba. CHP's recent refusal to participate in Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan's proposed non-partisan parliamentary committees to work on constitutional changes epitomized the opposition's continuing obstinacy. The release of the Constitutional Court's detailed verdicts on the AKP closure case and the headscarf case, expected out in late October, would only increase tension, he thought. -------------- EU Disappointed by Pace of Reforms ANKARA 00001767 002 OF 002 -------------- ¶5. (C) European Commission Political Chief Serap Ocak told us that following the Constitutional Court's July decision not to close AKP, the EC had hoped AKP would take concrete steps to ease distrust of the party. "PM Erdogan could have made positive overtures by restarting the languishing reform process, replacing his more conservative ministers, and appointing a State Minister for EU harmonization," Ocak said. Instead, Erdogan had "failed to deliver on all fronts," losing an important opportunity to create a less polarized political environment in which the GOT could progress on critical legislation. Terrorist attacks, bickering over corruption harges, and the economic crisis now make it exceedingly difficult to achieve consensus, Ocak said. The Constitutional Court's soon-to-be-released detailed verdicts would ratchet up tension even more. Ocak said the EU's annual progress report, due out November 5, will commend Turkey for amending Turkish Penal Code Article 301 (insulting "Turkishness") but highlight "the otherwise stalled status of political reforms." ¶6. (C) Ocak expects 2009 will also be marred by renewed tension on the headscarf issue. She noted that President Gul had recently appointed rectors to 16 newly-founded universities who are well-known to support allowing the headscarf on campuses. These new rectors are likely to push the envelope on allowing the headscarf into their universities, engendering a backlash from secular elements in the Higher Education Board (YOK) and the Inter-University Council, as well as political attacks from opposition parties, who believe AKP is trying to make an end-run around the Constitutional Court's headscarf ruling. These AKP opponents will try to use the Court's detailed verdict to paint AKP as Islamist, according to Ocak. -------------- Polls Suggest AKP Support Declining -------------- ¶7. (C) Nationwide support for AKP is declining, according to an October 4-5 survey by A&G Polling Company. The survey of 1834 people in 27 provinces and 65 sub-provinces concluded that if national elections were held today, AKP would receive 41 percent of the vote (as opposed to the 48 percent AKP garnered in July 2007 elections). (Comment: A&G's totals include a proportional number of undecideds distributed to each of the parties, a practice which seems questionable. The actual number of respondents supporting AKP is significantly lower. End comment.) Speaking to reporters, A&G owner Adil Gur noted that several other polls taken one month ago had put AKP support at over 50 percent (ref A). Gur said the sharp decline in support was due to global financial turmoil, terrorist attacks, fighting between PM Erdogan and the media, and corruption allegations. Iba told us that the A&G Company is more reliable than other companies, such as SONAR, that had similarly concluded support for AKP is falling. ¶8. (C) Buttressing A&G's conclusions, Metropoll's President Ozer Sencar told us his company's soon-to-be released poll will also show a decline in AKP support. Though he could not give us specific numbers yet, Sencar said the poll will show a distinct contrast to Metropoll's September survey showing AKP support had climbed to 51 percent. He attributes the decline to allegations of corruption, economic uncertainty, and terrorist attacks. Sencar also noted that following the Constitutional Court's decision to not close AKP, the party no longer benefits substantially from the perception that it is a "victim." Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey WILSON