US embassy cable - 03ANKARA6447

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 006447 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/14/2013 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, TU 
SUBJECT: TURKEY: AK PARTY CONGRESS REAFFIRMS PM ERDOGAN'S 
HOLD ON PARTY 
 
 
(U) Classified by Ambassador Eric Edelman. Reason: 1.5 (b,d). 
 
 
1. (C) Summary: PM Erdogan emerged from the ruling AK Party's 
Oct. 12 well-organized congress more in control of his party. 
 In his acceptance speech, Erdogan focused primarily on AK's 
commitment to achieving a just, democratic system in Turkey. 
On Iraq, he reiterated the GOT's commitment to send troops as 
part of a stabilization force.  On Cyprus, Erdogan asserted 
that Turkey cannot abandon the Annan Plan but said both sides 
have to be prepared to make concessions.  Erdogan's changes 
to the party administration, our contacts say, bring in new 
faces who are closer to the PM, and perhaps more modern in 
their outlook.  End summary. 
 
 
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No Contest: Erdogan Re-Elected AK Chairman 
------------------------------------------ 
 
 
2. (C) At its first general convention on Oct. 12, which 
PolCouns attended, ruling AK Party re-elected PM Erdogan -- 
the only candidate for party chairman.  Out of a total of 
1463 party delegates, 1358 voted for Erdogan; the remainder, 
according to our contacts, were no-shows at the convention. 
 
 
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Atmospherics 
------------ 
 
 
3. (C) The AK Party convention was the most well-organized 
and scripted party congress we have seen recently, conveying 
a sense of discipline and order rarely present at Turkish 
political party gatherings.  In contrast to the 
ultra-nationalist MHP's convention held on the same day 
(septel), for example, the proceedings began precisely on 
schedule and continued without a hitch.  Security was tight 
but not intimidating.  The press was cordoned off into a 
discreet area, whereas at other conventions they are often 
allowed to roam the floor. 
 
 
4. (C) With a long list of foreign visitors in attendance and 
a live TV audience watching, AK was careful to project the 
image of a modern, democratic political party.  Erdogan 
arrived without the usual accompaniment of handlers and sat 
with party founders and members of the cabinet -- in contrast 
to other parties' conventions where the chairman is often 
afforded a plush chair above his party subordinates.  Men and 
women -- some headscarved, some not -- sat together in the 
audience. 
 
 
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Erdogan's Vision 
---------------- 
 
 
5. (C) After being re-elected Chairman, Erdogan gave a 
one-hour, forty-minute speech, which focused primarily on the 
need for a new era of democracy in Turkey and only briefly 
touched on foreign policy.  He laid out what he sees as an 
Anatolian vision of democracy that: 1) respects the rights of 
the individual in its interaction with the State; 2) is just 
and fair to everyone; and 3) allows Turkish citizens 
regardless of background to be themselves.  While 
underscoring that AK is against the politics of polarization, 
Erdogan said that the path to full democratization will not 
be easy, but the GOT is determined to see it through. 
Erdogan, who seemed to hold the attention of the audience 
throughout the speech, repeatedly made use of religious 
allusions, presumably to appeal to the common Turk's sense of 
values, but he did not do so in a heavy-handed way. 
 
 
6. (C) On foreign policy, Erdogan concentrated on Iraq, 
Cyprus, and a nebulous concept that Erdogan described as 
"strategic depth" -- although he did not elaborate on the 
latter.  On Iraq, Erdogan stressed that the GOT is prepared 
to send troops to Iraq as part of a stabilization force.  In 
doing so, Erdogan focused on what AK sees as Turkey's duty 
and responsibility to participate (Comment: This part of 
Erdogan's speech drew some applause from party delegates, who 
largely remained silent through the rest of the speech. End 
Comment).  On Cyprus, he said that the latest Annan plan 
cannot be rejected, nevertheless, both sides have to be 
prepared to make concessions. 
 
 
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Changes to Party Administration 
------------------------------- 
 
 
7. (C) The delegates approved the list of 50 Central Decision 
Making and Administrative Board (MKYK) members submitted by 
Erdogan.  Notably, Erdogan excluded Defense Minister Vecdi 
Gonul, former Deputy PM Ertugrul Yalcinbayir, and Parliament 
Human Rights committee MP Ersonmez Yarbay, a close Embassy 
contact.  Erdogan increased the number of women on the MKYK 
to 10 -- up from five -- which Erdogan had promised prior to 
the convention (Note: seven of the 10 women do not wear 
headscarves. End Note).  Erdogan also included the AK 
provincial chairmen from Ankara and Istanbul -- a nod to the 
party grassroots. 
 
 
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Comment 
------- 
 
 
8. (C) AK's sober congress reaffirmed Erdogan's control over 
the party -- both its grassroots and its decision-making 
mechanisms.  FM Gul, who we hear from contacts across the 
board is a political rival to the PM, sat stoically 
throughout the proceedings.  On Erdogan's speech, we 
understand that "strategic depth" is a turn of phrase used by 
Ahmet Davutoglu -- an Erdogan advisor attached to the Prime 
Ministry -- to describe a multi-directional foreign policy 
that is less dependent on the U.S. and that seeks to enhance 
relations with the Islamic world, Russia, China, and to a 
degree with the EU.  A journalist for Aksam newspaper with 
close ties to the AK inner circle argued that Erdogan has not 
fully digested the idea and would, in any case, not see it as 
a rejection of Turkey's partnership with the U.S. 
 
 
9. (C) Our contacts -- including a leading national security 
analyst, the Aksam journalist, and AK Ankara chief and MKYK 
member Nurettin Akman -- confirm press reports that, in 
re-shaping the MKYK, Erdogan has begun the process of 
decreasing the influence of the Islamist Milli Gorus 
foundation, which they say Erdogan sees as exploiting 
religion for personal material gain.  In doing so, they say 
Erdogan is attempting to bring in a more modern, 
forward-thinking, and responsive cast that is closer to the 
PM and the AK Party decision-making inner circle.  The Aksam 
journalist argued that leaving Gonul off the MKYK will 
actually strengthen his position as a Minister, because Gonul 
will no longer have to devote his energy to party business. 
Akman told poloff Oct. 14 that Gonul simply did not have 
enough time to devote to party affairs.  Yalcinbayir is 
considered a chronic naysayer by AK insiders.  Meanwhile, 
Yarbay -- a thoughtful observer -- may have dug his own grave 
recently by criticizing Erdogan for authoritarian tendencies, 
a useful warning but one made too bluntly in the press, our 
contacts say. 
EDELMAN