VZCZCXRO4031
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSL RUEHSR RUEHVK
RUEHYG
DE RUEHIT #0319/01 2261519
ZNR UUUUU ZZH ZDS CTE SVC RUEHSD 0109
P 141519Z AUG 09
FM AMCONSUL ISTANBUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9121
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ISTANBUL 000319 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (ADDED MISSING SENSITIVE CAPTION) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREL MC XI ZR XF
SUBJECT: BMENA FACES CHALLENGES IN TURKEY 
 
ISTANBUL 00000319  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary. On July 31, NEA Acting DAS Madelyn Spirnak 
met with the director and officers of the Turkish Economic 
and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV) Foreign Policy Program 
to discuss the Broader Middle East and North Africa (BMENA) 
initiatives and methods of achieving greater GOT buy-in to 
the programs.  TESEV had recently finalized its feasibility 
study for a Middle East and North Africa gender institute 
based on a mandate from the 2008 Forum for the Future held in 
Abu Dhabi.  Program director Mensur Akgun said that TESEV was 
pushing GOT MFA to take part in the BMENA process. Success in 
this endeavor would require a reorientation of BMENA 
initiatives.  Instead of "talk shop" conferences, as he 
categorized the current Forums for the Future, Akgun 
suggested establishing an OSCE-like institution with a 
regional network of civil society organizations as a means of 
motivating more civil society and government support and 
involvement. End Summary. 
 
Cairo Speech Reaction 
--------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) In response to A/DAS Spirnak's request for  civil 
society reaction to President Obama's Cairo speech, Akgun 
said the speech had more of a negative than positive impact 
on interest levels.  Specifically, delivering the speech in 
Cairo, indicated that the President was focused more on 
regional "security aspects" than on establishing benchmarks 
for democracy in the region, he said.  Akgun said he 
understood this would increase Egyptians' willingness to 
develop closer relations with the U.S. However, he noted that 
civil society representatives from the Middle East with whom 
he spoke at a recent Athens conference were extremely 
disappointed that the President did not take a stronger 
stance on regional democracy issues. Akgun said he thought 
the speech in Ankara was stronger than that in Cairo. DAS 
Spirnak advised Akgun that several young democracy advocates 
participating in a Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) 
met with State and NSC officials the day after the speech and 
gave a much more positive r 
eview of the speech.  She advised Akgun to review the 
President's Ghana speech (he was not familiar with it) to 
gain more insight into the Administration's views on 
governance, the rule of law and human rights. 
 
¶3. (SBU)   Because of disappointment in the Cairo speech  and 
concern that the Obama Administration might not support 
continuing BMENA, Akgun urged Secretary Clinton's attendance 
at the next Forum for the Future.  He emphasized the 
importance of USG public statements noting continued support 
and involvement in BMENA initiatives.  He also suggested that 
the civil society network established through the Forum for 
the Future be institutionalized and focused on one particular 
issue at the next Forum. The format he suggested would mirror 
the OSCE or Council of Europe. Such an OSCE-like institution 
could not be created immediately, but this would be the goal. 
 He said he believed Turkey would be ready to play a 
leadership role in such an institution.  In response to A/DAS 
Spirnak's question regarding the willingness of BMENA 
countries to follow a Turkish lead, Akgun said that a recent 
poll about impressions of Turkey conducted in seven Arab 
countries indicated they would be willing to support Turkey's 
regional lead 
ership. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Akgun dismissed A/DAS Spirnak's discussion of 
potential Presidential initiatives in the areas of education 
and economic empowerment; he did not consider these BMENA 
objectives to be worthwhile, questioning the use of U.S. 
resources in these areas. He expressed his pessimism about 
the private sector's efforts to contribute to the 
democratization process of countries given that they are 
"generally clients of the regime in power." 
 
Anti-Americanism Detracts from GOT's BMENA Involvement 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Akgun also opined that given the anti-American 
atmosphere the GOT was unlikely to invest more effort in 
BMENA initiatives. He cited the example of Prime Minister 
Erdogan's condemnation of America's "Greater Middle Eastern 
Initiative" in a recent off-the-cuff speech. Most Turks are 
not aware that the GOT is a participant in BMENA and 
Erdogan's populist approach exploits America for his own 
political ambitions, according to Akgun.  Akgun suggested a 
new, "non-geographically-tagged" name for BMENA that might 
spare it from such public condemnation. 
 
 
ISTANBUL 00000319  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
Moroccan Gender Studies Institute 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶6. (SBU) TESEV received positive and receptive response from 
the government of Morocco on its initiative to open a gender 
studies institute in Morocco. Additionally, according to 
feedback from countries in the region, they support the 
establishment of an umbrella organization/institution that 
collects information for general consumption and use by 
regional NGOs.  TESEV's Ozlem Gemici described the benefits 
to such an institution as regional NGO network building, the 
sharing of best practices, and the coordination and 
collaboration between NGOs on proposals and grant 
opportunities. In addition to the main office in Morocco, 
regional respondents indicated they would like to see 
regional offices of the Institute in the Middle East and Gulf 
as well. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Comment.  If Akgun's observations and speculations 
are correct, BMENA faces significant challenges in gaining 
support in Turkey. A restructuring of the strategy of Forum 
for the Future with clearer objectives in fewer policy areas, 
and a confirmation of continuing USG support for BMENA could 
help sway the Turks to re-engage. TESEV's dismissal of 
BMENA's economic and educational initiatives, despite their 
support for the democracy initiatives, may in part be related 
to the fact that TESEV itself does not operate in those 
areas.  The cable has been cleared by A/DAS Spirnak.  End 
Comment. 
WIENER