US embassy cable - 03ANKARA6844

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 006844 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/03/2013 
TAGS: CY, GR, PGOV, PHUM, PREL, TU 
SUBJECT: TURKISH CYPRIOT ELECTION CONCERNS:  ROUND FOUR: 
DEMARCHE DELIVERED 
 
 
REF: STATE 303498 
 
 
(U) Classified by DCM Robert Deutsch, E.O. 12958, reasons 1.5 
(b) and (d). 
 
 
1. (C) Summary:  In response to reftel demarche, MFA DirGen 
for Northeastern Mediterranean Affairs to Ertugrul Apakan 
asserted that GOT intervention with the Turkish Cypriot "High 
Election Board" (HEB) would be improper.  However, he would 
convey the demarche to higher levels of the MFA; in his 
opinion it could be conveyed to "TRNC" political authorities. 
 Apakan accused U.S. representatives of manipulating the 
December 14 elections.  End Summary. 
 
 
GOT:  We Warned TRNC About New Citizens.... 
 
 
2. (C) In an October 31 call to deliver reftel demarche, DCM 
emphasized the importance of fair elections and USG concern 
with new "TRNC citizens" being added to voter rolls.  The USG 
thought the best solution to concerns about voter rolls would 
be to limit them to persons registered to vote in the 2002 
elections and persons newly eligible to vote by virtue of 
having turned 18.  The USG hoped that the GOT shared this 
perspective and would tell Turkish Cypriot authorities this 
was the solution the GOT thought best. 
 
 
3.  (C) Apakan asserted that the GOT wanted the December 
elections to be free and fair.  He claimed the GOT had 
"warned" the "TRNC" about the new grants of citizenship, 
telling them this was the wrong time to grant them.  Denktash 
had opposed the new citizenship grants and government parties 
had lost 4-5% in the polls because of the issue.  However, 
Apakan claimed the new citizenships were the result of a 
processing backlog; according to "TRNC" law the applicants 
were entitled to citizenship. 
 
 
GOT Will Talk to TRNC, But Not to HEB 
 
 
4.  (C) Apakan disagreed that Turkey should be "blamed" for 
non-democratic practices in the "TRNC."  "TRNC" officials 
acted independently from Turkey, Turkey did not interfere 
with the "TRNC," and would not "interfere" with the "HEB," he 
averred.  His "first reaction" to the demarche was that it 
was a request to interfere with "HEB judges."  He said he 
would convey the demarche to higher levels of the MFA, adding 
that his opinion was that it could be conveyed to "TRNC 
political authorities," but not to the "HEB."  MFA Cyprus 
Department head Levent Bilman, also present at the meeting, 
worried that the demarche request could be perceived as GOT 
support for the CTP, which had filed the suit asking that 
voter lists be limited to previous voters and those who had 
turned 18. 
 
 
5.  (C) DCM noted there was a broad perception that some 
Turkish institutions and individuals had taken a role in the 
"TRNC" elections and the GOT needed to make its position 
clear on the voter list issue.  Moreover, whether Turkey 
agreed or not, many in the international community would hold 
Turkey responsible for events in the "TRNC." 
 
 
MFA Claims U.S. Manipulating Elections 
 
 
6. (C) Apakan replied that "you are telling us some groups 
are manipulating the elections.  You are doing the same."  He 
claimed there was "an impression in Ankara" that U.S. 
representatives were trying to influence elections.  U.S. 
representatives were going to villages, discussing the Annan 
Plan, and giving advice.  DCM replied that discussing the 
Annan Plan did not constitute interference or manipulation, 
and that U.S. officials would continue to do so. 
 
 
Citizenship Numbers, According to the MFA 
 
 
7. (C) Apakan said the "TRNC" normally granted 1500-1800 new 
citizenships annually.  According to the MFA, the "TRNC" had 
granted about 53,000 citizenships from 1973 through the 
beginning of 2003; it had granted 1904 citizenships so far in 
2003.  In January and February, there were 30-plus new 
citizenship grants each month; in October there were 
130-plus.  Bilman claimed that the difference between 2002 
and expectations of normal growth to the 2003 voter rolls 
amounted to only about 2500 new citizens, which he argued was 
not a significant departure from the normal trend line of new 
citizenships. 
EDELMAN