Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ISTANBUL58
2008-02-01 11:41:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Istanbul
Cable title:  

EDITOR CITES IMPROVED US-TURKEY RELATIONS;

Tags:  PGOV PREL IZ TU 
pdf how-to read a cable
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TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7838
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISTANBUL 000058 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/30/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL IZ TU
SUBJECT: EDITOR CITES IMPROVED US-TURKEY RELATIONS;
PREDICTS CRISIS OVER DOMESTIC ISLAMIC THREAT

REF: ANKARA 0171

Classified By: Consul General Sharon A. Wiener for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISTANBUL 000058

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/30/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL IZ TU
SUBJECT: EDITOR CITES IMPROVED US-TURKEY RELATIONS;
PREDICTS CRISIS OVER DOMESTIC ISLAMIC THREAT

REF: ANKARA 0171

Classified By: Consul General Sharon A. Wiener for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d)


1. (C) Summary and comment. Aksam daily newspaper
editor-in-chief Serdar Turgut expressed optimism regarding
improved U.S.-Turkish relations while lamenting a lack of
press freedom in Turkey during a January 24 meeting with the
Consul General. Turgut was particularly concerned for his
country's future, convinced the Justice and Development Party
(AKP) is paving the way to Islamic rule, something he
believed the military establishment could not accept but did
not yet know how to counter. Though Turgut is widely
considered to typify Aksam's sensationalist tendencies, his
opinions are not uncommon and are particularly relevant as
like-minded individuals prepare to face government attempts
to push through Constitutional amendments which would allow
headscarves in universities. End summary and comment.

US-Turkey Relations
--------------


2. (C) During a January 24 meeting with the Consul General,
mainstream Aksam daily newspaper editor-in-chief Serdar
Turgut discussed U.S.-Turkish relations, GOT efforts to
combat the PKK, lack of media freedom and the controversial
headscarf issue, among other subjects. Noting he had
accompanied PM Erdogan on his November 2007 trip to
Washington, Turgut beamed as he recounted the Prime
Minister's meeting with President Bush. "President Bush said
the PKK is the enemy of the United States...I saw his face,
he meant it," exclaimed Turgut. Pointing out that the
President's remark reflected long-standing USG policy, Consul
General concluded that prior anti-U.S. sentiment in Turkey
was likely governed by the (mis)perception of policy rather
than the policy itself. Turgut agreed, acknowledging he had
heard other officials state similar positions but that it
makes a difference when it comes directly from the President.


3. (C) Consul General expressed concern for the long term
effect of negative perceptions of the United States on young
people who had not witnessed the U.S.-Turkish relationship
weather numerous challenges as a result of a strong Cold War

strategic alliance. Turgut observed that for young Turks,
there were two stories about the United States: one cultural,
which they love; and one political, which is fed to them by
the Islamist press and has tended to be negative but is
improving. Turks make a distinction between USG policy and
the American people, whom they generally find to be "nice,"
added Turgut.


4. (C) Turgut lamented his parliament's March 1, 2003
failure to authorize a U.S. invasion of Iraq from the north,
believing the vote had cost Turkey significantly. Without
going into specifics, he speculated Turkey would eventually
"take control" in Iraq once the U.S. steps out. Turgut noted
he had written about this theory and had yet to hear an
argument against it. Consul General avoided the bait and
proffered that business opportunities will increase as Iraq
stabilizes.

2009 Local Elections key to PKK Problem
--------------


5. (C) Returning his attention to the terrorist PKK, Turgut
contended the problem will be solved in Turkey and not in
Iraq. "The government knows this," he elaborated. The 2009
local elections will be very important. The ruling AKP wants
to win cities like Diyarbakir, traditionally controlled by
PKK sympathizers. In this respect, Turgut observed, the AKP
and the military have a shared objective which could lead to
less friction between them if the military can get over its
fear of the party's trend toward "moderate Islam."

The GOT's Islamic Agenda and Press Restrictions
-------------- --


6. (C) In response to Consul General's observation that the
term "moderate Islam" can be controversial in Turkey, Turgut
stated he had first heard the term used by an American
official before the first Gulf War. Acknowledging he is not
"religious," the editor claimed he had never personally seen
an example of "moderate" Islam and did not believe in the
concept. In his view, the headscarf issue (reftel) is very
dangerous for Turkey and an indicator of the government's
plan to completely re-orient the country to Islam. Remarking
Iran had gone through an "identical" transition, Turgut

ISTANBUL 00000058 002 OF 002


argued the AKP would not respect the need to keep religion
separate from politics. As a result, many people are
thinking about leaving the country. Though it did not yet
know how to deal with it, the Army would not be able to
accept this threat and the situation will result in a crisis,
concluded Turgut.


7. (C) Turgut further bemoaned the lack of press freedom in
Turkey. He argued that the Turkish press is dominated by two
powerful media interests: the Dogan group and Sabah (recently
sold to the Calik Holding company but still under GOT control
pending approval of the sale by the government's Radio and
Television Oversight Committee, RTUK) and that Aksam was the
only significant player remaining between them. Because
media groups have other business interests, they are
vulnerable to outside influence on editorial policies,
explained Turgut. He offered as an example Aksam's parent
company, the Cukurova group, which also has a controlling
interest in Turkey's largest mobile phone network Turkcell.
Turgut pointed out that Turkcell is currently facing problems
with Russia that only the GOT can solve. On a more personal
level, Turgut alleged, "If you write something against the
government, you get a direct harsh response," contending the
most senior government officials will "call you or your
boss." Asked to elaborate, he said the Prime Minister
himself had, on occasion, called his boss to complain about
things Aksam had published.


8. (C) Looking to the future, Turgut predicted the AKP would
win 2009 local elections in Diyarbakir and that it also stood
to gain in traditional leftist centers such as Izmir and the
Cankaya district of Ankara. He lamented the absence of
social democrats in Turkey, arguing the country needed a
social democratic party in the "European sense." Though he
claimed to have supported the AKP before it came to power in
2002, he expressed concern that people don't see that it is
now, foremost, an Islamist Party. Noting that his outlook
for his country constantly shifted between highs and lows, he
admitted to currently being a pessimist; he is grateful his
son is an American citizen because of the opportunities that
would afford him.
WIENER