OLD AND NEW IDEAS AT THE ISTANBUL BRANCH OF CHP

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ISTANBUL 000354 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL TU SUBJECT: OLD AND NEW IDEAS AT THE ISTANBUL BRANCH OF CHP REF: ISTANBUL 79 ISTANBUL 00000354 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: In a recent meeting, the Istanbul head of Republican People's Party (CHP) Gursel Tekin criticized the Justice and Development Party (AKP),yet provided little substance to back up his comments. Tekin expects the closure case against AKP will result in early elections and the public will reward CHP at the ballot box. In a separate meeting, Istanbul CHP Deputy Chair for EU and Foreign Affairs Didem Engin encouraged greater communication between the CHP and the U.S. Engin blamed AKP for a drop in female participation in the workforce. She also criticized her party leaders for lacking new ideas with which to confront the AKP. End summary. -------------- - New Istanbul Chairman, Same Rhetoric -------------- - ¶2. (SBU) In a recent meeting, CHP Istanbul Chairman Gursel Tekin provided no fresh ideas regarding the party's future or how the party differs from AKP. Tekin, who became chairman in January, said AKP has a clear agenda to establish an Islamic Republic in Turkey, adding he is disappointed the U.S. fails to see the harm AKP is causing Turkey. While he is not adverse to meeting with us, Tekin said he has made little effort to reach out to the U.S. due to its perceived bias towards AKP. Despite his bitter complaints about AKP administration, Tekin could not point to any specific policies where CHP differs from AKP, merely claiming a CHP administration would "follow the tenets of Ataturk." ¶3. (SBU) Tekin was uncomfortable with the closure case against AKP, citing bitter memories of the CHP's ban after the 1980 coup. He stated, however, that AKP is a religious party and he understands why those who initiated the closure case want to see Erdogan and the AKP banned. He expects the Constitutional Court to close the party, with early national and local elections to follow. Tekin told us CHP,s Istanbul branch is recruiting "quality" candidates and targeting a number of vulnerable AKP district mayors, as well as Greater Istanbul Mayor Topbas. According to Tekin, AKP attempts to undermine democracy, such as their Istanbul redistricting scheme (reftel),are finally backfiring. -------------- New Blood at CHP -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Didem Engin, Istanbul CHP Deputy Chair for EU and Foreign Affairs, represents a fresh look for CHP. Engin, a successful businessperson who, at 30 years old, was the youngest CHP candidate in the 2007 national election, received a fair amount of media attention during the campaign. She, however, failed to enter parliament since she was listed 14 out of 21 on the party list in Istanbul's second district and only seven CHP candidates were elected. Instead, Engin was elected to her current position by the CHP Istanbul party congress. -------------- --- Greater Outreach to the US and the West -------------- --- ¶5. (SBU) Engin supports greater outreach to the U.S., attributing the current poor relationship either to lack of communication or miscommunication. She told us the CHP and U.S. can be positive partners but agreed with Tekin,s view that perceived U.S. support for AKP is a stumbling block for better relations. Engin cited the 2002 meeting between President Bush and Erdogan as clear evidence of U.S. attempts to influence the 2002 Turkish parliamentary election by providing international credibility to an opposition party leader. Engin asked if Michael Rubin's recent editorial criticizing PM Erdogan was a signal the U.S. was changing its policy towards AKP. Emphasizing that Rubin does not speak for the USG and the U.S. does not favor one party over another, PolOffs welcomed the opportunity to provide a clear line of communication with the CHP to avoid misperceptions. ¶6. (SBU) Engin was critical both of the media and of the prior lack of CHP outreach, which she claimed has caused many Turkish and international newspapers to erroneously report that CHP opposes EU membership. Engin emphasized that ISTANBUL 00000354 002.2 OF 002 CHP supports Turkey's accession and opposes any alternatives that fall short of full membership. As editor in chief, Engin helped CHP,s Istanbul branch start an English language newsletter intended to deliver CHP's messages to a wider and more international audience. The Istanbul branch reportedly held its first news conference with the international press June 7. -------------- Women in Politics -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Engin criticized AKP for exploiting women's issues, claiming that while AKP has a greater percentages of female parliamentary deputies than CHP, it uses women "only for show." The only women minister in the current government is responsible for women and children's issues, she noted, adding, if AKP were serious about women's issues, it would have appointed a woman to a more demanding position, such as foreign minister. Engin further claimed there are no women managers in the top two levels at most ministries. ¶8. (SBU) While acknowledging that most women who wear a headscarf do so freely, Engin charged AKP is promoting a culture that encourages young girls to chose a nonprofessional lifestyle. She pointed to PM Erdogan's urging women to have three children as typical of AKP's mindset. To further support her point, Engin referred to government statistics showing a drop in women participating in the workforce since 2002. -------------- Inside View of CHP -------------- ¶9. (SBU) Engin was critical of CHP leadership for not addressing the issues during the 2007 national campaign. CHP's strategy of simply criticizing the AKP was not sound, as it gave the perception that the CHP had no new ideas and left the public with a poor opinion of CHP leadership. Engin said she had little say about the content of her campaign speeches last summer, adding she avoided talking about domestic issues, focusing instead on EU and foreign policy. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶10. (SBU) Engin's election to a leadership position within CHP is a hopeful sign the party is willing to bring in new blood with new ideas. The Istanbul branch newsletter and recent outreach to the foreign press is assuredly Engin's work; embracing some of her initiatives may indicate the old guard is willing to play a better media game. However, the lack of new ideas from the Istanbul Party Chairman shows how far the party has to go to make substantial changes. Engin's complaints about AKP treating its women candidates as mere show-pieces may unfortunately apply equally well to CHP. WIENER