US embassy cable - 03ANKARA1488

UNCLAS ANKARA 001488 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, TU 
SUBJECT: TURKEY: ERDOGAN AND AK REPORTEDLY SWEEP SIIRT 
PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS 
 
REF: A. ANKARA 1410 
     B. ANKARA 1364 
 
 
 1. According to unofficial election results as released by 
Siirt governor's office, R. Tayyip Erdogan and his AK Party 
swept all three seats in March 9 repeat of parliamentary 
election in Siirt province.  The elections were re-run owing 
to electoral irregularities in Siirt during the Nov. 3 
national elections. 
 
 
-- According to this preliminary report, voting turnout, at 
62% of the approx. 119,200 eligible voters, was low by 
traditional national standards. 
 
 
--AK far outstripped its nearest rival, main opposition CHP; 
AK reportedly won almost 56,000 (84.7%) of the 66,000 valid 
votes to CHP's 9,100 (13.8%).  Fringe leftist parties won the 
rest. 
 
 
--Pro-Kurdish DEHAP (HADEP) Party was the big winner in Siirt 
on Nov. 3.  However, it failed then to clear the nationwide 
10% vote hurdle, meaning that even if it won on March 9 DEHAP 
could not send deputies to the legislature.  In the event, 
DEHAP this time around boycotted and urged its supporters to 
stay home (ref A).  As a result, turnout was lower than on 
Nov. 3. 
 
 
2. Erdogan, previously banned from electoral politics and 
unable to run on Nov. 3, will now take a seat in the 
parliament.  As reported in ref B, we expect Erdogan to 
receive his certification of victory and take the M.P. oath 
the week of March 10.  More important, Erdogan's entry into 
Parliament sets the stage for his eventual assumption of the 
prime ministership, although precisely when he does so 
remains an open question.  We have heard that current P.M. 
Abdullah Gul will resign as soon as Erdogan enters Parliament 
and that Erdogan intends to make Gul his foreign minister. 
PEARSON