US embassy cable - 02ANKARA8382

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 008382 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/18/2012 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PINS, ECON, TU 
SUBJECT: TURKEY'S 58TH GOVERNMENT TAKES OFFICE 
 
REF: A. A) ANKARA 8381 
     B. B) ANKARA 8380 
     C. C) ANKARA 8358 
     D. D)ANKARA 8252 
     E. E) ANKARA 8165 
 
 
(U) Classified by DCM Robert Deutsch; reasons: 1.5 (b,d). 
 
 
1. (U) President Sezer's Nov. 18 approval of the AK Party 
government under P.M. Abdullah Gul (ref A; cabinet below, 
para 4) puts into place a government: 
 
 
--committed to pursuing Turkey's EU candidacy and democratic 
reforms; 
 
 
--open to working with the U.S. on key regional issues; 
 
 
--focused on relieving the economic and social effects of 
Turkey's worst economic downturn since World War II but 
committed to working with the IMF; 
 
 
--committed to obtaining restitution of party chairman 
Erdogan's political rights and opening the way for his 
appointment as P.M. within several months (ref B); 
 
 
--determined to tackle widespread corruption and lack of 
transparency and responsiveness in Turkish governance; and 
 
 
--ready to work with a wary Kemalist Establishment by placing 
experienced former high civil servants in key ministries. 
 
 
2. (U) P.M. Gul spent an unusually long time with Sezer 
before the latter approved the cabinet list, leading some 
journalists to speculate that Sezer either had doubts about 
some on the list or asked for changes.  The cabinet has 25 
members, a radical cut from the 38 in the previous 
government. 
 
 
3. (C) This cabinet is notable in five ways.  First, the 
number of ministers with deep experience in the State, mostly 
in the governments of late P.M. and President Turgut Ozal, 
who are in charge of portfolios of neuralgic interest to the 
Deep State (ref C): defense, interior, justice, education. 
Second, the number of ministers with law degrees.  Third, the 
number of men who are members of or have strong connections 
to Islamic brotherhoods (tarikats), principally the 
Naksibendis.  Membership in a tarikat is by no means a sign 
of radicalism; indeed, the tarikats come from the mystical 
Sufi tradition long present in Anatolia and were an important 
channel between an isolated Ottoman court, civil 
organizations, and the population at large.  Tarikats were 
officially banned by Ataturk in the mid-1920's but have never 
disappeared and have become more prominent again since the 
1980 military coup and the Ozal governments of the 1980's. 
The number of members of the Naksibendi tarikat in the 
current cabinet is another sign that key cabinet members know 
one another well and work well together.  Fourth, the number 
of ministers with some or good command of English.  Fifth, 
the heavy Anatolian weight (to be expected), with strong 
representation from the heartland, the east, and some from 
the Black Sea region.  The cabinet has one woman. 
 
 
4. (C) Bios: 
 
 
--P.M. Abdullah Gul: see ref (A). 
 
 
--Deputy P.M. Abdullatif Sener: see ref (D). 
 
 
--Deputy P.M. Mehmet Ali Sahin: Born in the coal and iron and 
steel region of Karabuk in 1950.  Graduated from Istanbul U. 
Faculty of Law.  Practiced law as a private attorney. 
Elected to Parliament in 1995 on the ticket of Islamist Refah 
Party of Necmettin Erbakan.  Married with four children.  An 
Embassy contact for several years. 
 
 
--Deputy P.M. Ertugrul Yalcinbayar: Born in Haskoy 1946. 
Graduated from Istanbul U. Faculty of Law, where he was 
engaged in leftist politics.  Private law practice. 
Reflecting his change to a more conservative and 
religiously-oriented line, elected to Parliament from Bursa 
on the Motherland Party (ANAP) ticket.  Moved to the 
Islam-oriented Fazilet Party in 1999.  Active advocate of 
changes to Turkish Penal Code Articles 8 and 312, which have 
severely restricted freedom of speech (Article 312 amended in 
August 2002).  Served as chairman of parliamentary 
Constitutional Committee.  Appointed general secretary of AK 
Party after the November 3, 2002 elections.  Married with two 
children.  A good Embassy contact for several years. 
Soft-spoken, with a conciliatory manner and a step-by-step 
approach. 
--State Minister Mehmet Aydin: Born in Elazig in eastern 
Turkey 1943.  Graduated from Ankara U. Faculty of Theology. 
Professor of theology at September 9 U. in Izmir. 
 
 
--State Minister Besir Atalay: Born in Armutlu 1947. 
Graduated from Ankara U. Faculty of Law.  Served as a 
department head in the State Planning Organization.  A 
founder of Kirikkale U. and served as rector.  Several years 
ago founded the ANAR polling and research center, which 
served as AK's polling arm before the elections with 
estimates close to the actual results.  A founding member of 
AK.  Married with three children.  Speaks English.  Good 
contact of Embassy for several years. 
 
 
--State Minister for Economy Ali Babacan: see ref (D).  Good 
contact of Embassy. 
 
 
--State Minister for Foreign Trade Kursad Tuzmen: see ref 
(D).  Long known to Embassy. 
 
 
--Justice Minister Cemil Cicek: Born in Yozgat in central 
Anatolia in 1946.  Graduated from Istanbul U. Faculty of Law 
1971.  Practiced law for 10 years and has an excellent 
reputation as a jurist.  Entering politics as a founder of 
Turgut Ozal's ANAP, he was close to Ozal and served as Mayor 
of Yozgat during the early Ozal years (mid-1980's).  A state 
minister in the ANAP governments of Ozal, Yildirim Akbulut 
and Mesut Yilmaz.  Was driven from ANAP after a dispute with 
Yilmaz and served as an independent M.P.  Member of 
parliamentary Constitutional Committee.  Joined AK only a few 
months before the November elections.  Married with three 
children.  Speaks English and French.  Good contact of 
Embassy.  Probably a Naksibendi. 
 
 
--Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul: Born in Erzincan in eastern 
Turkey 1939.  Graduated from Ankara U. Political Sciences 
faculty (then the premier training ground for future high 
civil servants) 1962; earned an M.S. from University of 
Southern California.  Joined the Interior Ministry; after 
service as an inspector and sub-governor, appointed governor 
of Kocaeli (Izmit), director general of security (National 
Police),  governor of Ankara, governor of Izmir; was close to 
Turgut Ozal; a founding member of the High Education Council 
(YOK), Undersecretary of Interior Ministry under Minister 
Abdulkadir Aksu (see below); chairman of the Court of 
Accounts (Sayistay).  Elected to Parliament 1999 on the 
ticket of Erbakan's Islam-oriented Fazilet Party.  Joined AK 
in 2002.  Married, three children.  Speaks English. 
Long-time contact of the Embassy.  Did his military service 
with President Sezer (a classic bonding experience).  No base 
in AK's grass-roots.  Considered an exemplar of Turkey's Deep 
State, and thus someone who will smoothly manage AK's 
relations with the Turkish military.  Expected to be 
nominated by AK as its candidate for speaker of Parliament, 
but was brushed aside by party vice-chairman Bulent Arinc. 
Probably a Naksibendi. 
 
 
--Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu: Born in Diyarbakir 1944. 
 Of Kurdish origin.  Graduated from Ankara U. Political 
Science Faculty.  Joined Interior Ministry, served as Malatya 
police director, Kahramanmaras deputy governor, deputy 
director general of security (National Police), Rize governor 
and mayor, Gaziantep governor.  Entered politics with ANAP, 
elected to Parliament from Diyarbakir.  Served as Interior 
Minister 1988-91.  Married, two children.  Speaks German. 
Long-time Embassy contact.   Probably a Naksibendi. 
 
 
--Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis: see ref (E). 
 
 
--Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan: Born in Edirne 1946. 
Graduated from Ankara Economic and Commercial Sciences 
Academy.  Worked in Finance Ministry and then in SEKA (State 
Cellulose Industry).  Worked in private sector.  Was a member 
of Al Baraka Turk and Family Finance Islamic banking 
financial organizations.  A financial accountant.  Close 
friend of Erdogan and was substituted for Erdogan on AK's 
Istanbul electoral list when Erdogan was barred from the 
elections.  A Naksibendi of the Iskender Pasa branch like 
Erdogan, and took over Erdogan's tarikat duties when Erdogan 
entered politics. 
 
 
--Education Minister Erkan Mumcu: Born in Yalvac (former 
Pisidian Antioch) in south-central Anatolia 1963.  Graduated 
from Istanbul U. faculty of Law.  Entered politics as a 
rising star in ANAP, elected to Parliament on ANAP ticket 
1995 and 1999.  Served as Minister of Tourism for first part 
of the Ecevit government.  Resigned from ANAP in summer 2002 
after long-running dispute with ANAP leader Yilmaz and joined 
AK.  Married, two children.  Speaks English.  Long-standing 
contact of Embassy.  Has been sharply critical of the 
Kemalist State for years.  Seen as too openly ambitious by 
many. 
 
 
--Public Works Minister Zeki Ergezen: Born in Ahlat (north 
shore of Lake Van) 1949.  Graduated from Architecture 
Department of Ankara Academy of engineering and Architecture. 
 Worked as provincial director for Public Works Ministry in 
Bitlis and Mus in eastern Turkey.  Headed the construction 
department of the then-Rural Works Ministry and the 
construction and property department of the Turkish National 
Police.  Elected to Parliament in 1995 on the Islamist Refah 
Party ticket and in 1999 on the Islam-oriented Fazilet Party 
ticket.  Married, four children. 
 
 
--Health Minister Recep Akdag: Born in Erzurum 1960. 
Graduated from Ataturk U. (Erzurum) Faculty of Medicine. 
Studied hematology in London 1991-92.  Became a professor 
1999.  Worked in Ankara U. Pediatrics Department of Faculty 
of Medicine before entering Parliament in 2002.  Married, 
five children.  Speaks English. 
 
 
--Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim: Born in Erzincan 
1955.  Graduated from Istanbul Technical U. Shipbuilding and 
Marine Sciences Faculty.  M.A. from same faculty.  1978-93 
served as director general of the Turkish shipbuilding 
industry and in different positions in the Camialti Dockyard. 
 Attended IMO World Maritime U. in Sweden on safety issues. 
1994-2000 served as director general of Istanbul Metropolitan 
Municipality Maritime Transportation Directorate.  Married, 
three children.  Speaks English and French. 
 
 
--Agriculture Minister Sami Guclu: Born in Konya 1950. 
Graduated from Istanbul Faculty of Economy.  After two years 
in private sector, joined the Turkish Agriculture Equipment 
Council Inspection Board.  Served as assistant at the Sakarya 
State Academy of Engineering and Architecture 1976.  Ph.D. 
from Istanbul U. Economics department 1980.  Professor at 
Leicester U. in England 1985-86.  Speaks English. 
 
 
--Labor Minister Murat Basesgioglu:  Born in Kastamonu 1955. 
Graduated from Istanbul U. Faculty of Law.  Worked in private 
practice in Kastamonu for seven years.  Entered politics in 
ANAP in 1984.  Served as Minister of Interior in 1997-98 
government of Mesut Yilmaz.  Joined AK in summer 2002 at 
urging of Erkan Mumcu, with whom he is closely associated 
politically.  Has reputation as a reformer.  Married, two 
children.  Contact of Embassy. 
 
 
--Industry and Trade Minister Ali Coskun: see ref (D). 
Long-time Embassy contact.  Possibly a Naksibendi. 
 
 
--Energy Minister Hilmi Guler: see ref (D).  Embassy contact. 
 
 
--Culture Minister Huseyin Celik: Born in Gurpinar (Van) 
1959.  Graduated from Istanbul U. Faculty of Literature, 
Department of Turkish Language and Literature.  Post-grad 
studies at the University of London. Chairman and staff 
member of Department of Turkish Language and Literature at 
Centennial U. (Van).  Has also written history articles, 
including on the Armenian question.  Elected to Parliament on 
the DYP ticket 1995.  Joined Fazilet Party 1999.  Joined AK 
when Fazilet was closed.  Married, three children.  Speaks 
English.  Good contact of Embassy.  Focused, sometimes 
intense, but good natured.  Likes to pontificate.  Has long 
urged restoration of the Armenian church on Akhdamar island 
in Lake Van. 
 
 
--Tourism Minister Guldal Aksit: The lone woman in cabinet. 
Born in Malatya 1960.  Graduated from Istanbul U. Faculty of 
Law.  Has worked as an attorney in Istanbul.  Married. 
Speaks English. 
 
 
--Forestry Minister Osman Pepe: Born in Akcaabat (Black Sea) 
1954.  Studied at Black Sea Technical U. Faculty of Machinery 
Faculty, graduated from Istanbul U. Faculty of Management. 
M.A. from same faculty.  Mechanical engineer; freelance 
engineer and contractor.  First elected to Parliament 1995; 
elected 1999 on Fazilet Party ticket.  Married, four 
children.  Reportedly speaks English. 
 
 
--Environment Minister Imdat Sutluoglu: Born Ardesen (Black 
Sea) 1953.  Graduated from Black Sea Technical U. Management 
and Economics Department. Earned an M.A. at the same 
university.  Served as mayor of Ardesen.  Speaks English. 
 
 
PEARSON