VZCZCXRO4069
RR RUEHDA
DE RUEHDA #0050/01 3371608
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 021608Z DEC 08
FM AMCONSUL ADANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4690
INFO RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1233
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 1041
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 1295

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000050 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY: ADANA MAYOR'S RACE BREAKS WIDE OPEN AS INCUMBENT 
ABRUPTLY RESIGNS FROM AK PARTY 
 
¶1. (SBU)  SUMMARY:  The sudden resignation of Adana's four-term 
mayor Aytac Durak from AKP may present an insurmountable 
challenge to the party's chance to retake Adana in upcoming 
municipal elections.  Outside theories abound on reasons for 
Durak's renunciation of AKP membership including a spurned 
Durak, a generally souring relationship and AKP's fear of being 
linked to charges of corruption that have resurfaced in the 
mayor's office.  Ever-popular Durak now faces the difficult 
dilemma of where to hitch his political wagon - to go with a 
small, politically insignificant party or run as an independent. 
 In the end, for voters it will come down to party loyalty 
verses candidate loyalty.  END SUMMARY. 
 
 
 
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ALL POLITICS IS LOCAL - AND PERSONAL 
 
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¶2.  (SBU)  Over the weekend of November 29, Adana's politically 
savvy Mayor Aytac Durak, abruptly quit the ruling AK Party 
(Justice and Development Party) on whose ticket he ran in 2004. 
Durak is the longest serving big-city mayor in Turkey; prior to 
AKP, he ran under the banner of the DYP (True Path Party) as 
well as ANAP (Motherland Party).  His move comes weeks in 
advance of political parties' announcement of their candidates 
for the March 2009 local elections, and may jeopardize AKP's 
chances of reclaiming the greater Adana municipality as Durak 
tops the charts in Adana for name recognition and is a proven 
favorite among voters.  In a televised press conference, a 
feisty and indignant Durak explained it was insulting to the 
people of Adana, 75% of whom had expressed in a recent poll 
(conducted by his own office) overwhelming support for his 
reelection, that AKP would still insist on holding a local 
caucus to select the party's mayoral candidate.  Durak said it 
was "utterly impossible" for him to accept this, and he was 
giving notice in order to stand in solidarity with his 
constituents. 
 
 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Durak's political ambitions are clear:  he will run 
again, but the question is whether he remains independent or 
hitches his star to another political wagon.  Durak himself 
discussed with us the pros and cons of running as an independent 
(more respect from voters, but little political clout in Ankara 
and his hangers-on would be bereft of a political future once he 
leaves office); and running on the ticket of a small party (less 
respect, some political cover, but party affiliates would be 
forever seeking favors.)  He admitted that his latest poll 
results may not be valid, given respondents answered under the 
assumption he would run on the AKP ticket, but remained 
confident that voter loyalty to his personal candidacy would 
trump AKP party allegiance.  On the subject of his fallout with 
AKP, he acknowledged things could have been different if AKP had 
nominated him early on. 
 
 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  Durak's political longevity and peerless 
self-promotion skills ensure he's always in the media 
(especially on his son's private TV station) and a regular 
subject of dinner-table talk.  Local business leader Mustafa 
Gulek believes rumors of Durak's corruption turned the AKP 
leadership against him. Acar Filiz, a broadcasting director for 
a local television station, believes Durak has been on the outs 
with AKP for several months, and skillfully timed his piqued 
resignation just hours before AKP Provincial Party leader 
Mustafa Attaroglu announced his own plans to run for mayor. 
 
 
 
¶5. (SBU)  Within AKP there will now be a struggle to be named as 
the candidate.  While many are focused on Attaroglu, Gultekin 
Genc, deputy mayor of Adana's affluent Seyhan district, thinks 
his boss, Mayor Azim Ozturk, will be PM Tayyip Erdogan's pick 
for the greater municipality, and will successfully topple 
Durak.  Genc guesses the politically green Attaroglu will take 
the Seyhan slot. 
 
 
 
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ADANA 00000050  002 OF 002 
 
 
COMMENT 
 
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¶6. (SBU)  Party affiliation is unimportant for Durak, who has 
thrived as the parties he ran with have waxed and waned.  An 
entire generation of Adana voters knows of no other candidate 
besides the 70-year-old charismatic populist.  Durak will 
certainly play the populist card to portray AKP as out-of-touch 
with the hearts and minds of Adana's citizens, but the AKP 
machine will give the mayor a serious challenge as the party is 
well organized and generous in distributing coal and food to 
needy families.  AKP's candidate choice will also be important. 
While Ozturk has the party credentials and administrative 
experience to challenge Durak, Attaroglu is straight out of 
central casting for a political hot-shot -  a tall, handsome, 
smooth operator whose former military officer credentials and 
head-scarved wife cover both sides of the political fence. 
Adana will be in for an exciting election season. 
GREEN