US embassy cable - 05ANKARA411

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 000411 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR DRL/PHD (OZKAN) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB, KDEM, PGOV, PREL, PHUM, TU 
SUBJECT: TURKEY: SUPPORTING HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY, 
2004-5 
 
REF: 04 SECSTATE 267453 
 
1. In response to reftel, the following is Mission's 
contribution to the 2004-5 edition of "Supporting Human 
Rights and Democracy: the U.S. Record." 
 
2. Turkey is a constitutional republic with a multiparty 
parliamentary system and a president with limited powers 
elected by the single-chamber parliament, the Turkish Grand 
National Assembly.  In the 2002 parliamentary elections, the 
Justice and Development Party (AKP) won the majority of seats 
and formed a one-party government.  In March 2003, AKP 
Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdogan was named Prime Minister.  The 
Government generally respected the human rights of its 
citizens.  There were significant improvements in a number of 
areas, but serious problems remained.  The Government 
continued to restrict religious freedom and to punish some 
forms of non-violent expression.  Human rights organizations 
continued to report widespread incidents of police torture 
and ill-treatment.  The Government adopted extensive human 
rights-related legal reforms designed to crack down on 
torture and "honor killings" (the killing by immediate family 
members of women suspected of being unchaste), and expand 
freedom of religion and association.  The Constitution 
provides for an independent judiciary; however, the judiciary 
was sometimes subject to outside influences. 
 
3. Members of the Mission routinely meet with representatives 
of various political, religious, social, cultural, and ethnic 
groups to discuss human rights conditions and relations 
between these groups and the Turkish State.  Mission 
officials also meet regularly with members of the 
bureaucracy, legislature, executive branch, and judiciary to 
encourage broad reforms, including reforms needed to meet EU 
accession criteria.  The Mission focused on a broad range of 
human rights fields, including: police and judicial 
practices; religious freedom; freedom of expression; 
government ethics; trafficking in persons; and the right of 
return for internally displaced persons. 
 
4. In compliance with the Leahy Amendment, the Mission worked 
closely with the Ministry of Defense to vet military 
personnel for U.S. training and checked candidates with other 
Embassy offices.  Under a USG-Government of Turkey memorandum 
of intent for anti-terrorist training for law enforcement, 
the USG provides training organized through the Mission while 
the Turkish Government screens training candidates for human 
rights violations.  To date, $10 million in course offerings 
has been provided to Turkish law enforcement authorities. 
 
5. The Mission has emphasized the importance of prosecuting, 
convicting, and sentencing to appropriate jail terms police 
who commit torture.  In separate decisions in March and 
September, an Ankara court convicted five police officers in 
the Birtan Altinbas death-in-detention case and sentenced 
them each to four years and five months in prison.  The court 
acquitted five co-defendants.  In November, the High Court of 
Appeals overturned the verdict on the grounds that the 
sentences were too lenient, sending the case back to the 
lower court.  The Minneapolis-based Center for Victims of 
Torture, along with its Turkish NGO partners, held its New 
Tactics in Human Rights International Symposium in Ankara 
September 29-October 2.  The USG contributed $895,000 to the 
project. 
 
6. The teaching of English in Turkey helps build a foundation 
for introducing Western-oriented educational practices and 
concepts such as critical thinking, student-centered 
classrooms, team building, and conflict resolution.  The 
Mission's English Language Office programming extends to 
universities in geographic regions well outside the 
Istanbul-Ankara-Izmir corridor.   The placement of American 
English Language Fellows (ELFs) in university ELT and English 
departments, in English preparation programs, and at military 
service academies has provided critical exposure to American 
culture and values.  FY05 ELF placements include universities 
in the conservative cities of Konya, Trabzon and Erzurum.   A 
new component of the FY05 English language teaching program 
is ACCESS, a program designed to permit non-elite high school 
students to study English in their home cities. 
Approximately 200 underprivileged teenagers are presently 
studying English through the ACCESS program. 
 
7. The International Visitor Program continues to provide 
opportunities for professionals in all fields to be 
introduced to the United States and American counterparts. 
Participants in the FY2004 program joined a number of 
projects related to democracy and human rights (see 
appendix): four women parliamentarians participated in a 
project on "Women in Politics;" an official of the Ankara 
municipality participated in a Civic Education multi-regional 
project (MRP); and mayors, journalists, parliamentarians and 
business leaders joined projects related to local government, 
investigative journalism, and the U.S. presidential 
elections. 
 
8. The Mission provided an Embassy officer, a former defense 
attorney, as guest speaker on several occasions to address 
members of the Turkish National Police.  The speaker 
discussed concepts such as "due process of law" and "chain of 
custody" under the U.S. Constitution. 
 
9. The 2004 U.S. presidential elections turned the spotlight 
on U.S. democratic practices and gave the Mission an 
opportunity to engage many different audiences on the U.S. 
electoral system.  Election programming began in early 
October with a U.S. speaker with expertise in the electoral 
system, polling in election campaigns, and political parties. 
 The Mission organized an Election Watch program that took 
place over 15 hours in two venues.  The program at the 
Turkish-American Association was open to the public and 
included a panel discussion, screening of videotapes of the 
presidential debates, live election coverage, and a press 
conference held by the Ambassador.  The Mission also held an 
Election Watch at the Ambassador's Residence, which attracted 
approximately 300 government officials, politicians, editors, 
and other high-level contacts.  In Istanbul, more than 400 
guests, including representatives from 43 media 
organizations, attended the November 3 "Celebration of the 
American Presidential Election," opened by the Consul 
General.  A U.S. Speaker program in March 2005 will focus on 
post-election U.S. domestic policy. 
 
10. The Fulbright Program in Turkey, active since 1953, 
encompasses scholarly exchanges at all levels, from students 
to senior teaching and research scholars, and includes high 
school teacher and administrator exchange projects.  The 
Fulbright Program offers educational advising to Turkish 
students who wish to study in the U.S.  Turkey ranks eighth 
among countries sending students to the U.S. 
 
11. In 2001-2003, the Mission collaborated with the Institute 
for the Study and Development of Legal Systems (ISDLS) to 
undertake a Turkey-U.S. Legal Exchange Project to examine 
Turkish and U.S. perspectives on freedom of expression, 
police conduct, and trial alternatives in the criminal 
justice process through a series of exchanges and seminars, 
with funds from DRL and the Office of Citizen Exchanges.  In 
FY04, ISDLS was awarded a continuation grant to address 
specific measures to improve the handling of the three 
issues.  An ISDLS U.S. delegation traveled to Turkey in 
September 2004, and a Turkish delegation examining 
alternatives to criminal trial will travel to the U.S. in 
March 2005.  Working with the U.S. Department of Justice's 
Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and 
Training (OPDAT), the Mission will collaborate with the 
Turkish Ministry of Justice to organize workshops in two 
cities in March on prosecution of police misconduct cases. 
 
12. The Mission enhanced its collaboration with the NGO 
community through an FY04 Office of Citizen Exchanges grant 
on "Women's Leadership."  Kent State University and its NGO 
partner in Turkey are planning a series of leadership 
conferences involving participants from women's associations 
in Turkey's conservative southeastern region.  The Citizen 
Exchanges grant will support a professional exchange program 
for journalists in FY05 that is designed to foster ethics and 
journalistic responsibility among younger reporters and 
stress freedom of expression to editors, publishers, and 
media owners.  A grant from the State Department Bureau of 
Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) to the National 
Democratic Institute on parliamentary reform will take a 
group of 10 Turkish MPs to the U.S. in March 2005 to explore 
issues of legislative reform and meet with congressional 
counterparts.  Another ECA-supported grant is focused on 
exchanges of American and Turkish high school students.  Such 
projects support basic MPP goals to promote respect for human 
rights and encourage democratic practices, especially among 
youth and non-elite communities. 
 
13. The Ambassador, DCM, and Mission consular officials meet 
regularly with officials from the Justice and Foreign Affairs 
ministries, as well as parliamentarians, prosecutors and 
judges to urge improved judicial treatment of Turkey's 
obligations under the Hague Convention on Child Abduction and 
ensure that Amcit child abduction cases move as swiftly as 
possible through the court system. 
 
14. The Mission has also stressed the need to allow free 
religious expression for all faiths, including all Protestant 
denominations, Jehovah's Witnesses, and the Baha,i faith, 
which have no legal standing in Turkey.  The USG at the 
highest levels continues to urge the Turkish Government to 
reach agreement with the Ecumenical Patriarchate on the 
re-opening of the Halki seminary on the island of Heybeli. 
Mission officials continue to engage regularly Turkish 
Government officials in a dialogue on religious freedom.  In 
December, the Mission supported the visit to Turkey of the 
Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, a U.S.-based group of 
Greek Orthodox laymen.  The Ambassador accompanied Archon 
representatives to a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister 
Abdullah Gul to discuss Halki and other issues relating to 
the Ecumenical Patriarchate. 
 
15. In June, U.S. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and 
Foreign Minister Gul presided over a signing ceremony that 
launched the first shelter for victims of trafficking in the 
country.  The Municipality of Istanbul and the Human Resource 
Development Foundation (HRDF) located a temporary rental 
facility, which HRDF is currently renovating, until more 
permanent facilities can be secured.  Under terms of the 
agreement, the Istanbul Municipality committed to renting the 
property and turning it over, cost-free, to HRDF.  The 
Mission will bring a U.S. speaker to make presentations at an 
International Organization for Migration conference on 
Trafficking in Persons in February 2005. 
 
---------- 
Appendices 
---------- 
 
16. Speakers and Programs: 
 
-- March 10:  DVC with Bruce Hoffman, RAND Washington, on 
terrorism with journalists. 
Funded with FY04 I-Bucks. 
 
-- April 1-10:  U.S. Speaker Walter Russell Mead, Senior 
Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations, for programs on U.S. 
foreign policy at universities and think tanks in Ankara, 
Adana, and Istanbul.  FY04-I-Bucks. 
 
-- April 7-14:  U.S. Speaker Todd Gitlin, Professor of 
Journalism, Columbia University, for programs on "Media and 
Society" at Ankara University School of Communications, at 
think tanks and at universities in Istanbul and Bursa. 
 
-- April 7:  DVC with Jean Bethke Elshtain, Laura Spelman 
Rockefeller Professor of Social and Political Ethics at the 
University of Chicago Divinity School, on terrorism with 
journalist and academics in Ankara.  FY04 I-Bucks. 
 
-- April 14-26:  American Studies Traveling Seminar at 
Ataturk University in Erzurum, 
on Resources for Teaching about the United States. ECA Office 
for Study of the U.S. 
 
-- April 24-28:  U.S. Speaker Omar Khalidi, Aga Khan Program 
at MIT, for programs 
on  Islamic Architecture and Mosque Design in the U.S. in 
Ankara and Istanbul.  FY04 
I-Bucks. 
 
-- May 5-10:  U.S. Speaker Kevin McNamara Associate Professor 
of American Literature, University of Houston-Clear Lake, 
keynote speaker at  9th Cultural Studies Symposium at Ege 
University in Izmir on U.S. culture and values.  FY04 I-Bucks. 
 
-- August 1-5:  ECA CultureConnect program in Gaziantep and 
Kayseri with Georgetown basketball envoys Courtland Freeman 
and Omari Faulkner focusing on youth and grassroots citizen 
participation.  Funded by ECA. 
 
-- October 1-16: Regional Environment Office and PAS outreach 
program on Renewable and Efficient Energy Use in Istanbul, 
Ankara, and Adana. Funded by EB/IIP. 
 
-- October 15-23: U.S. Speaker Thomas Schaller on the 2004 
U.S. Presidential Elections; programs in Ankara, Adana, 
Istanbul and Bursa.  FY05 I-Bucks. 
 
-- October 18-20-25:  Presentations on the U.S. Elections by 
the Ambassador at universities in Izmir, Konya, and Kayseri. 
Post-funded. 
 
-- October 21-24:  U.S. Speaker Ann Symons, past president of 
the American Library Association at the 50th anniversary 
symposium of the Ankara University library school, 
established in 1954 with U.S. funding and support.  FY05 
I-Bucks. 
 
-- October 27-November 4: U.S. Speaker Giles Gunn, keynote 
speaker at the 29th annual American Studies of Turkey (ASAT); 
programs in Ankara and Istanbul. FY05 I-Bucks. 
-- November 2- 3: U.S. Presidential Election Watch programs 
in Ankara and Istanbul.  Post-funded. 
 
-- December 5-11: U.S. Speaker Max Boot, Senior Fellow, 
Council on Foreign Relations, on U.S. Foreign Policy, for 
programs in Ankara, Adana, and Istanbul.  FY05 I-Bucks. 
 
-- December 8-9: American Council of Young Political Leaders 
(ACYPL) U.S. delegation programs in Istanbul and Ankara. 
Funded by ECA grant. 
 
17. International Visitors Projects: 
 
-- SERIN, Ayten, Reporter, Hurriyet Mass Daily, Istanbul: MRP 
"Print Journalism," February 19 - March 11, 2004. 
 
-- YAGIZ, Senkal, Reporter, News Center, SHOW TV, Istanbul: 
MRP "TV Broadcasting," April 1 - 22, 2004. 
 
-- AKYIL, Osman, General Manager, Akyil Textile Company, 
Diyarbakir: MRP "U.S. Trade Policy and the World Economy," 
April 8 - 29, 2004. 
 
-- SARIGUL, Mustafa, Mayor of Sisli, Istanbul: Individual 
project on "Presidential 
Campaigning," June 5 - 20, 2004. 
 
-- PASAOGLU, Serife Aydan, Foreign Relations Director, AKUT 
Turkey Search and 
Rescue:  MRP "Humanitarian Responses to Crises and 
Disasters," July 15 - August 5, 2004. 
 
-- TUNCAY, Didem, Diplomatic Affairs Reporter, NTV TV, 
Ankara: MRP "Investigative 
Journalism," August 5 - 26, 2004. 
 
-- CAKIROZER, Utku, Diplomatic Correspondent, Milliyet 
Newspaper, Ankara: MRP "Investigative Journalism," August 5 - 
26, 2004. 
 
-- INCEKARA, Halide, Justice and Development Party (AKP) 
Member of Parliament from Istanbul; OKUDUCU, Guldal, 
Republican People's Party (CHP) Member of Parliament from 
Istanbul; SAHIN, Fatma, Justice and Development Party (AKP) 
Member of Parliament from Gaziantep:  ITT on "Women in U.S. 
Politics," August 28 - September 18, 2004. 
 
-- CAVUSOGLU, Mevlut, Justice and Development Party (AKP) 
Member of Parliament from Antalya: MRP "U.S. Presidential 
Campaign," September 9 - 30, 2004. 
 
-- SIPAHIOGLU, Hasan, Mayor of Alanya, Antalya: Individual 
grant on "Development, Preservation and Tourism," September 
13 - October 1, 2004. 
 
-- BIRBILEN, Mr. Mustafa, Librarian, Greater Municipality of 
Gaziantep: Individual project on "U.S. Political, Social and 
Educational Issues," October 4 - 22, 2004. 
 
-- TUTAR, Bercan, Deputy Foreign News Editor, Yeni Safak 
Daily, Istanbul:  EU/RP "U.S. Foreign Policy Challenges I," 
October 18 - November 5, 2004. 
 
-- ERGUDER, Tufan, Chief, Istanbul Narcotics Division, TNP: 
MRP "Combating International Crime," January 6 - 27, 2005. 
 
-- BEKLEVIC, Tuna, President, Economists Platform (NGO), 
Istanbul: Individual project on "U.S. Political, Economic and 
Social Issues," January 10 - 28, 2005. 
 
-- IBA, Mr. Seref, Deputy Director, Department of Laws and 
Resolutions, Turkish Grand National Assembly, Ankara: 
Individual project on "The Bicameral System: How the U.S. 
Congress Staff System Works," January 10 - 28, 2005. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EDELMAN