DTP DEPUTIES JOIN BDP -- NOT MUCH DIFFERENCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001806

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR EUR/SE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/18/2019
TAGS: PGOV PTER PHUM TU
SUBJECT: DTP DEPUTIES JOIN BDP -- NOT MUCH DIFFERENCE

REF: A. ANKARA 1801

B. ANKARA 1782

C. ANKARA 1765

Classified By: POL Counselor Daniel O'Grady for reasons 1.4(b,d)


1. (C) SUMMARY. Ahmet Turk, co-chairman of the former
Democratic Society Party (DTP),announced on December 18 that
the 19 remaining DTP MPs would not resign from the parliament
as expected, but would instead join the Peace and Democracy
Party (BDP). While making the announcement, Turk invoked the
name of jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan twice and implied
that Ocalan's insistence that the MPs remain in parliament
had been a part of the decision to stay. During a December
18 meeting Demir Celik, Chairman of the BDP, stressed that
the party would continue to work within a legitimate,
democratic framework and that it would represent all citizens
of Turkey, not just the Kurds. He went on to say, however,
that the party respects Ocalan and made clear that BDP would
not differ markedly from its predecessor. END SUMMARY.

DTP MPs Will Not Resign
--------------


2. (SBU) After a full day of meetings between the leadership
of the former DTP and the BDP, Ahmet Turk, co-chairman of the
DTP, announced that the 19 remaining DTP MPs would not submit
their resignations to the parliament as announced previously,
but would instead remain in the parliament under the BDP.
Turk stressed that the democratic struggle had been important
to the DTP, and they intended to work hard as the BDP to
continue that struggle in a peaceful way. However, Turk
invoked the name of jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan twice
during his announcement, using the honorific "sayin"
(esteemed),stating that Ocalan had said that the struggle
should continue in the parliament. He strongly implied that
they were following the instructions of Ocalan in making
their decision. Ocalan was cited in the Kurdish press
earlier in the day stating that he was against the MPs'
resignation from parliament.

BDP: Little Difference from DTP
--------------


3. (C) Demir Celik, the current Chairman of the BDP, told us
December 18 that the party would continue to work within a
legitimate, democratic framework and that the party would
represent all citizens of Turkey, not just the Kurds. He
claimed that both the state and the Kurdish people had
evolved over the past few years, and that is was time now for
Turkey to abide by EU, UN, and other international standards
on human rights and democracy. One of the primary goals of
the party will be to create a new "civilian" constitution
that respects the democratic rights of all citizens of
Turkey. They would also work to amend the Political Parties
Law to allow political campaigns in Kurdish and to reduce the
electoral threshold to enter into parliament. Celik will
remain the Chairman until the party's convention in January
or February; at that time, he could be re-elected.


4. (C) Although Celik was excited that his party is now
playing a role in national politics, he found it difficult to
distance the BDP from the DTP's close connection with the
PKK. He stressed that the democratic requests of the Kurds
should not be overshadowed by the violence of the PKK. The
party sees Ocalan as a respectable person who has turned his
back on violence. He said that Ocalan had come a long way
since he was captured. Celik stated that the PKK was active
in Iraq, Syria, Iran, and Turkey, but stressed that violence
needs to stop on both sides, from the government and from the
PKK. The PKK is a reality, he said, but the party "may have
many voices."


5. (C) Celik said that independent MP Ufuk Uras would
probably join the party, along with a few other independent
MPs, in the coming days, giving them enough seats to form a
"parliamentary group." (Note: A parliamentary group gives a
party benefits such as serving on the Speakership
Consultative Board, special offices and official vehicles,

ANKARA 00001806 002 OF 002


time to address the assembly during debates, and
representation on committees. End note) Celik estimated
that their group would have 20-25 members.

Comment
--------------


6. (C) Turk missed an opportunity to prove himself a strong,
independent supporter of peace and democracy, instead bowing
to the pressures of his comrades sympathetic to the PKK.
Celik, while implying that he personally is a dove within the
party, showed clearly that the BDP would not veer from the
DTP's path and would also align itself closely with PKK
ideals. That said, the BDP is a party that the government
can work with, and if reforms actually begin to move forward
and the government can deliver on its promises, the BDP might
be able to soften the more radical voices within the party.
While not an ideal situation, having the BDP in parliament is
better than having no Kurdish voices at all, and at least in
the short term, could provide the AKP's National Unity
Project with enough legitimacy to carry it through to January
after the budget debates end December 31.
JEFFREY

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