US embassy cable - 04ANKARA6848

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 006848 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT PLEASE PASS USTR FOR LERRION 
USDOC FOR ITA/MAC/DDEFALCO 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD, ECON, PREL, BEXP, IZ, TU 
SUBJECT:  TURKISH BOYCOTTS OF U.S. GOODS 
 
Sensitive But Unclassified.  Please Handle Accordingly. 
 
This message has been coordinated with Istanbul and Adana 
 
1. (U) A barrage of media disinformation about Falluja and 
U.S. actions in general in Iraq has added to negative public 
opinion in Turkey, and has led to calls for boycott of 
American products in recent weeks.  The following is a 
summary of these boycott calls based on press sources. 
 
-- Bulent Yildirim, Chair of the Turkish Human Rights 
Organization, has called on Turks to boycott American, 
British and Israeli goods to protest "massacres" in Iraq and 
Palestine. 
 
-- The Turkish Chamber of Mechanical Engineers (TMMO) Bursa 
Branch Office announced it would boycott American products, 
due to alleged U.S. military action against civilians in 
Iraq.  Bursa Branch Office President Ismail Kavurmaci stated 
that the operation which the U.S. claimed would bring 
democracy to Iraq had become a massacre.  Kavurmaci called 
the general public to support TMMO's boycott and to stop 
buying American products. 
 
-- The Health and Social Services Labor Union (Saglik Sen) 
Erzurum Branch announced that it would protest "the inhuman 
military action and massacre" in Iraq, and stop buying 
American and Israeli goods.  Saglik Sen called on all its 
members and the Turkish public to support this campaign. 
 
-- The Saadet Party Adana Branch protested the U.S. military 
action in Iraq by leaving a black wreath in front of the 
American Consulate in Adana.  SP Adana Branch President 
Sitki Cengil called the Turkish public to stop financing the 
arms used in Iraq through purchases of American products. 
 
-- The Civil Servants' Labor Union (Memur-Sen) Elazig Branch 
started a campaign to boycott American products.  Memur-Sen 
Elazig Branch called on the Turkish public and the world to 
join the campaign, and burned some American products during 
the protest. 
 
-- The Civil Servants' Labor Union (Memur-Sen) Rize Branch 
also called for a boycott.  Memur-Sen Rize Branch President 
Mehmet Sadik Cengiz claimed "the greater Middle-East Project 
of Israel and the U.S." was the main reason underlying the 
"massacre" in Iraq. 
 
-- The Malatya Chamber of Commerce and Industry started a 
campaign to boycott American products, in order to protest 
U.S. military action in Iraq.  Chamber President Mucahit 
Findikli said the USG, while claiming to bring democracy to 
Iraq, was conducting mass murder in Iraq.  Findikli called 
the Turkish public to join the campaign to demonstrate their 
sensitivity about the developments in Iraq. 
 
-- The Middle East Technical University Lecturers' 
Association (in Ankara) encouraged its members to protest 
the U.S. invasion in Iraq by avoiding investment in and use 
of USD in transactions.  The Association also stated that 
companies continuing commercial relations with the temporary 
administration in Iraq, including trucking companies, should 
also be boycotted. 
 
-- At least two shopowners in the Ankara Castle area have 
put up signs indicating American customers would not be 
welcome.  This story has been covered widely in the Turkish 
press, including in Turkey's largest-circulation daily, 
"Hurriyet." 
 
-- The extremist Islamist pres -- "Vakit" and "Milli Gazete" 
have frequently called on their readers (combined daily 
circulation of about 100,000) to support a boycott of US 
(and Israeli) goods. 
 
2. (SBU) Comment:  While these boycott calls reflect anti- 
American sentiment in Turkey, it is unlikely that they will 
have a significant impact on U.S. companies.  Coca-Cola told 
Istanbul Polecon Chief that they expected no impact.  The 
Coca Cola representative said that "even in the hottest days 
last year" when there were similar efforts they saw no 
impact on their sales and bottom line, and that they expect 
that will be the case again this time. 
 
3. (SBU) Meeting with the Turkish-American Business 
Association (TABA) December 7, the Ambassador suggested that 
TABA, which represents Turkish companies that do business 
with the United States, as well as some U.S. companies, 
speak out against these boycotts.  Embassy and Consulates 
Istanbul and Adana will continue to monitor the impact of 
such boycotts. 
 
Edelman