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 "Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.intelink.s gov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turkey"