US embassy cable - 04ADANA19

UNCLAS ADANA 0019 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, AMGT, TU, ADANA 
SUBJECT:  ADANA MAYOR VISITS THE NEW 
CONSULATE 
 
REF: ADANA 0017 
 
 
1. (SBU) On January 30, incumbent Adana Mayor 
Aytac Durak paid a courtesy call on the PO.  The 
Mayor expressed total confidence in his victory 
in the upcoming municipal election no matter 
which party finally placed him on its ticket (see 
reftel).  For weeks, officials close to the Mayor 
repeatedly expressed confidence in Durak's 
nomination by AK Party, despite press reports to 
the contrary.  Again, on the margins of this 
meeting, his advisor stated that it was 90% sure 
that AK Party would announce his nomination 
shortly after the Sacrifice Bayram (the first 
week of February). 
 
 
2.  (SBU) Durak related to the PO that politics 
in Adana and Mersin was more personality-based 
than other cities in the Southeast.  For example, 
the Mayor pointed out that DEHAP could run just 
about anyone in Diyarbakir and win.  In contrast, 
Durak recounted, that in the 1999 election, MHP 
took the Adana parliamentary election with a 
large majority, but he won the mayoralty running 
on the ANAP ticket.  According to Durak, voters 
in Adana just don't follow parties blindly like 
they do in other cities; they follow 
personalities. 
 
 
3.  (SBU) The Mayor expressed dissatisfaction 
with the Adana electoral structure.  Although he 
is mayor of the Buyuksehir Municipality, it 
contains two sub-municipalities, Seyhan and 
Yuregir.  The sub-municipalities elect their own 
mayors, who according to Durak, sometimes work 
against him.  This, he explained, made it 
difficult for him to efficiently manage the city 
overall (Note: For example, the Consulate must 
work with the Yuregir sub-municipality, where it 
is located, to improve the adjacent road. 
However, the Consulate must request assistance 
for connection to the storm system from 
Buyuksehir Municipality. End note).  He also 
noted that because the sub-mayors could be from 
other parties, there was political motivation for 
a lack of cooperation. 
 
 
4.  (SBU) The Mayor expressed his apologies for 
his inability to assist post in finding a new 
site.  During a tour of the consulate compound, 
consulate and contractor personnel discussed the 
need for the Consulate's connection to the 
municipality storm system with the Mayor's 
advisor.  Durak (an experienced contractor 
himself) promised to discuss the possibility with 
municipality engineers (Comment: The Mayor was 
cordial and seemed genuinely willing to assist 
the consulate.  Consulate and contractor 
personnel will follow-up with municipality 
engineers. End comment). 
REID