This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ISTANBUL 000192 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KPAO TU
SUBJECT: TURKISH ACADEMICS, STUDENTS COMMENT ON MIDDLE EAST 
POLICY, VIEWS OF AMERICA 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  Summary.  Media savvy academics and students 
involved in democracy building expressed mixed views to a 
visiting counter-terrorism team about America and its foreign 
policy in meetings earlier this month.  One academic fretted 
over Turks, generally more negative opinion of the U.S. and 
felt there was not time for democracy to be built in the 
Middle East.  Another, however, was certain the university 
population of Turkey sided with the U.S. on the need for 
democracy in the Middle East.  Students told us that more 
exposure to average U.S. citizens would counteract 
misinformation and stereotypes of the U.S. held by many in 
Turkey.  End summary. 
 
DEMOCRACY?  THERE ISN,T TIME 
---------------------------- 
 
¶2.   (SBU)  Professor Ercan Citlioglu, president of the 
Strategic Research Center at Bahcesehir University and 
consultant to the Center for Eurasian Strategic Studies 
(ASAM), is troubled by U.S. regional policy and the damage 
done to the bilateral relations as a result of recriminations 
in Turkey,s 2003 refusal to permit U.S. troops to open a 
northern front in Iraq.  There is not enough time, he added, 
to develop democracy in the region, implying events would 
become unmanageable before democracy effectively shaped 
outcomes.  In the broader Middle East, Citlioglu questioned 
whether people even want democracy.  A popular view is that 
the U.S. pushes democracy as a vehicle to rule the area. 
Democracy would be possible only when people trust the United 
States; at the moment, negative suspicions abound.  Trying to 
prove his point, Citlioglu cited the triumph of extremist 
Hamas in the Palestinian elections.  Somewhat 
contradictorily, he added that they won not because of their 
political platform against U.S.-backed policy, but because of 
the practical results of their social and economic policies. 
He noted that the AK Party also came to power in Turkey on 
economic-based issues. 
 
HOPE THROUGH IMPROVED LIVES 
--------------------------- 
¶3.  (SBU)  Citlioglu said United States faces obstacles 
including perceptions that ulterior motives feed the U.S. 
push for democracy, and regional leaders' determination not 
to divest themselves of power -- a problem growing in 
intensity the farther east one travels into central Asia. 
Still, Citlioglu said people in the region nevertheless 
equated democracy with jobs and improving economic conditions 
and from that standpoint, there was hope for popular 
sentiment turning in democracy,s favor. 
¶4.  (SBU)  Turning to concern over current U.S.-Turkish 
relations, Citlioglu related a personal anecdote.  Reputedly 
close to members of the Turkish General Staff, he had been in 
the company of a Turkish four-star general, still serving, 
when news of the Suleymaniye incident came through.  The 
general had wept, he said.  Citlioglu said that Turks would 
not forget nor forgive this incident. 
 
YOUR MESSAGE ISN,T GETTING THROUGH 
---------------------------------- 
¶5.  (SBU)  Professor Deniz Ulke Aribogan, a sociologist at 
Istanbul's Bilgi University, who appears on news programs to 
provide expert commentary on terrorism, said that Turks see 
America as combating only one kind of terrorism, but that 
poverty and illness constitute another type of terrorism. 
Years ago, people hated the Soviet Union, but now 
conspiratorial rumors abound involving the United States, she 
said, citing one to the effect that Al-Qaida was a CIA 
creation to set the groundwork for U.S. intervention in the 
Middle East.  She lamented the transformation of America,s 
image, and hoped for an improved "marketing" strategy. 
Despite America's high negatives among the Turkish general 
public, Aribogan assured us university students were 
nonetheless with the United States in its drive to build 
democracy. 
 
A REALIST IMPULSE 
----------------- 
¶6.  (SBU)  Echoing Citlioglu, Aribogan favored an 
authoritarian approach to governing in the Middle East. 
Noting the U.S. had supported anti-democratic regimes for 
years without apparent conflict, why now was the United 
States pushing democracy?  She asserted many intellectuals 
were saying democracy was increasingly dangerous in the 
world.  Among Muslims, the faithful are certain their 
understanding of Islam is correct and all others sinful. 
Long ago, disagreements regarding the nature of the faith 
were handled by the prince who enforced his interpretation of 
Islam within his territory.  The break-up of that system led 
to the current chaos, and democracy only feeds the problem by 
enabling those with clashing views to compete head-to-head in 
a fierce battle.  At a minimum, the United States as the 
current prince/protector should use its authority in Iraq to 
forbid obviously self-defeating actions such as the use of 
ethnic names in political parties. 
 
YOUNG ANATOLIAN LEADERS PUSHING DEMOCRATIC REFORM 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
¶7.  (SBU)  We also met with members of the Young Anatolian 
Leaders, a group of Turkish university students interested in 
promoting civil society.  The students' views ranged from 
left to right, and from secular to religious.  Their 
enthusiasm in welcoming official Americans was evident. 
Asked about their views of U.S. policy toward Iraq and the 
region and about how they felt the United States could 
improve how it is perceived in Turkey, the group responded 
that they were already involved in promoting civil society in 
Northern Iraq.  Last spring, the group,s president had made 
a trip to Kirkuk to make contact with peers there regarding a 
proposal to open a student center.  The plan is to offer 
movies, live music and other offerings as a means for 
bringing people together and to stimulate conversation and 
dialogue.  The Young Anatolians have a vision for sponsoring 
similar projects in many countries of the region, including 
Cyprus, Israel, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Greece. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Students said the Turkish perception of Americans 
in general and U.S. policy in particular was improving from a 
low point one year ago.  These students were not buying the 
conspiracy theories about nor stereotypes of Americans.  They 
said they felt Turks had much in common with Americans and 
wished for increased exchanges and visits by average 
Americans to promote knowledge of American values and society 
in Turkey, especially important and needed in Anatolia where 
people had little sense of what an American is like other 
than through often misleading media channels. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Comment.  While the academics expressed concern 
over public perceptions and opinions of the United States, 
they felt improving bilateral relations was in Turkey's 
interest.  That current of basic goodwill and an instinctive 
appreciation for the U.S., reflected among the students we 
met, should prove useful as both sides make efforts to 
recover lost ground.  End comment. 
JONES