VZCZCXRO2654
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHAK #6020 2911020
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 181020Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9491
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU PRIORITY
RUEUITH/TLO ANKARA TU PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHAK/USDAO ANKARA TU PRIORITY

UNCLAS ANKARA 006020 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY'S CONSTITUTIONAL AND ELECTION LAW CHANGES 
OPEN POLITICAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH BUT ADD HURDLES FOR 
INDEPENDENTS 
 
 
¶1. (SBU)  Turkey's president approved a constitutional 
amendment on October 17 lowering the age for parliamentary 
candidates from 30 to 25.  The move opens the door for 
thousands of potential new political contenders in the 
general elections scheduled for November 4, 2007.  Parliament 
also revised the election law to require that all 
parliamentary candidates' names, including those who want to 
run as independents, appear on one ballot, closing a loophole 
that some independent candidates had used to garner votes. 
The changes were one of the few legislative agenda items the 
opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Motherland 
Party (ANAVATAN) could agree to cooperate on with the ruling 
Justice and Development Party (AKP).  The race is now on as 
Turkey's political parties maneuver to attract the sizeable 
youth vote and revitalize their slates of candidates. 
 
¶2. (U)  PM Erdogan welcomed the constitutional amendment and 
called on Turkey's youth to engage in politics.  Speaking at 
the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Youth Assembly's 
October 16 iftar dinner, Erdogan proosed that "Youngsters! 
Enter parliament!" should be their new slogan.  All young 
people should follow political issues and develop their own 
political approach in order to broaden the country's 
horizons, Erdogan said.  Approximately 18 percent of Turkey's 
population -- and about one-third of its 40 million voters -- 
is 20 to 29 years old, based on rough 2006 figures. 
 
¶3. (SBU)  While parliament opened the door for young 
candidates, some argue that it has put up obstacles for the 
pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) by annulling the 
right of independent candidates to use separate ballot 
papers.  In past elections, independents have handed out 
separate ballots with their names that voters could submit, 
rather than selecting a candidate from a long ballot listing 
all of the parties.  This has helped bolster pro-Kurdish 
candidates, particularly in the Southeast where literacy is 
low and Turkish is not the primary language, especially for 
women.  Requiring all candidates to be listed on the same 
ballot may make it more difficult for DTP to gain votes 
(though they are unlikely in any event to meet the ten 
percent electoral threshold required for a party to enter 
parliament).  Others argued that the change will in fact make 
it easier for independent candidates to run by eliminating 
the expense of printing their own ballot sheets. 
 
¶4. (U)  Parliament is pushing through proposed election 
legislation, including setting the November 4, 2007 election 
date, to meet the requirement that changes be made at least 
one year before general elections are held.  Setting the date 
is likely to put an end -- for now -- to speculation that the 
AKP might call early elections. 
 
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON