TURKEY: CHP ARGUES KURDS MUST BE TURKS FIRST

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001146 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/06/2019 TAGS: PGOV PTER TU SUBJECT: TURKEY: CHP ARGUES KURDS MUST BE TURKS FIRST REF: ANKARA 1136 Classified By: Ambassador James Jeffrey, Reasons 1.4 (b,d) ¶1. (C) Summary: In an August 5 meeting with Republican People's Party (CHP) President Deniz Baykal, the Ambassador stressed the important role CHP must play in finding an effective solution to the Kurdish issue. Baykal agreed in principle, but undercut the whole point by adding that any plan that attempted to add protections for ethnic identity into the constitution would be unacceptable to the CHP. While the GOT should allow Kurds to use their own language and have their own TV stations, it must not do anything that would detract from the national identity of Turks. On the election of a new parliament speaker (reftel),Baykal said the results were acceptable, but complained the process undertaken by Prime Minister Erdogan had been secretive and inappropriate. End Summary CHP Must Play a Central Role -------------- ¶2. (C) In a meeting August 5 with CHP President Deniz Baykal, the Ambassador stressed that the CHP was in a critical position to provide support to the government as the process moved forward. For a solution to be successful, he argued, a broad base of Turkish society must cooperate; with the Nationalist Action Party (MHP) playing an overt rejectionist role, it was up to the CHP to be the moderate voice of reason. Baykal agreed, and stated that the CHP was ready to discuss certain proposals with the ruling Justice and Democracy Party (AKP),but only in a very responsible way. He claimed that the AKP was currently approaching the issue in a manner that had the potential to create a divisive solution, and the CHP would only participate if a plan was found that would integrate Kurds into Turkish society. He complained that the GOT's announcement of a Kurdish initiative had raised expectations but offered no concrete solutions -- the CHP had nothing yet to support or oppose. Integrate Kurds Into Turkish National Identity -------------- - ¶3. (C) Baykal continued to explain that any solution that would recognize an ethnic identity constitutionally or judicially would be unacceptable to the CHP. The CHP believed that Kurds should be allowed to speak Kurdish, run private television channels, and have their own identity so long as these steps would not distract from their national identity as Turks. Baykal stated that the CHP was ready to discuss amnesty for PKK members, but only if they were willing to completely give up their weapons. He could not support any compromise on that issue, adding that integration was "not a negotiation. We (the Turks) should apply it ourselves." ¶4. (C) Baykal said that the GOT's first priority should be to provide educational opportunities to children of Kurdish origin. Through this, these children would grow up to be part of the "overall Turkey." Today's Kurds cannot see themselves as engineers, politicians, or productive members of society if their only options are terrorism or religious extremism. By providing good educational opportunities throughout the southeast, followed by economic development, the GOT could fully integrate the Kurds into the Turkish State. Baykal said that the state needed to build state-owned enterprises in the southeast in order to provide jobs to the citizens. Private investors were not yet comfortable investing in the area. Parliamentary Speaker Elections: Fait Accompli -------------- - ¶5. (C) Baykal said that the results of the August 5 elections for the Speaker of Parliament were fair in the results but not in the nominating process. He complained about the lack of transparency in the process by which PM Erdogan chose the AKP's candidate, who was easily elected in the third round ANKARA 00001146 002 OF 002 (reftel). He further explained that the new speaker (former Deputy Prime Minister and former Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin) was very close to the PM and could be expected to follow his wishes in the Parliament. The previous speaker, Toptan, stood against the PM on several occasions and Baykal speculated that was why he was not supported by the PM to continue as speaker. Baykal also said that the CHP was aware of Sahin's involvement with the Deniz Feneri corruption case and that as Justice Minister, Sahin had successfully blocked the investigation of his or Erdogan's involvement in the case. Comment -------------- ¶6. (C) On the positive side: not much of what Baykal said was a surprise, and he did not rule out cooperation with the AKP in moving forward on the Kurdish initiatives. On the negative side: the CHP couches its position as one of principle; the question is one of national identity as a Turk and integrating Kurdish citizens into Turkish culture and society. Recognition of the desire of many Kurds to use their language and run their own television stations is a step in the right direction. That sounds OK, but, combined with his pedantic "I-don't-really-believe-what-I-am-saying" delivery to us, we were left with the distinct impression that whatever bold or half-bold initiative the government takes on, Baykal's CHP will condemn it. We will continue to encourage the CHP and other political parties to work together with the government to move this important issue forward, but it's uphill work. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey JEFFREY