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RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHIT #0347/01 1150855
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 250855Z APR 07
FM AMCONSUL ISTANBUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6920
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 6465
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 06 ISTANBUL 000347 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/SE:BHUNT 
STATE FOR EUR/PPD:JRICKERT 
 
E.O 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KPAO PREL TU
SUBJECT: ISTANBUL FEBRUARY-APRIL PD ACTIVITIES 
 
 
¶1.  Summary:  During the February-April period, PAS Istanbul's 
efforts concentrated on addressing press reports claiming U.S. 
"inactivity" on the PKK in northern Iraq and on speculations that 
Armenia "Genocide" resolutions in both the House and the Senate were 
expected to pass.  We also organized several events related to Black 
History Month, including an American Voices duo, a U.S. speaker on 
African American Historical Memory, and a press interview given by 
CG Jones.  In celebration of Turkey's annual Library Week, the 
regional IRO delivered presentations to thousands of high school 
students on "Internet Information Literacy," stressing the need for 
critical evaluation of internet sites.  End Summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
Holiday CD Feedback Underscores Shared Ideals 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  As holiday gratuities, the Consulate General presented to 
contacts 400 CDs featuring songs by Native American Joanne 
Shenandoah, who had come to Turkey last year for a number of 
performances arranged by the Public Affairs Sections in Ankara and 
Istanbul.  In an accompanying message, CG Jones underscored the 
common aspirations for universal ideals of faith, hope, love and 
peace expressed through song and movement both by Ms. Shenandoah and 
the Sufi tradition.  She reminded contacts of our responsibility to 
work together as Turkish and American partners to create a world 
that is ever more peaceful, prosperous and just.  Close contacts 
appreciated the presentation of an American CD that reflected many 
of the same musical understandings as the Sufi tradition.  CG 
Istanbul has received over 200 thank you letters, all echoing the 
CG's call to work together. 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
Audiences Rave About Duende Latin Jazz Quartet 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶3.  PAS Istanbul sponsored a tour of the Duende Latin Jazz Quartet 
(part of Jazz at Lincoln Center) from February 8 to 11, 2007.  The 
Quartet appeared on February 8 on a ninety-minute popular daytime 
talk show broadcast live nationally on SHOW TV.  The PAO spoke about 
the background and meaning of Black History Month and the 
contributions of African-American jazz musicians.  The host of the 
program, a famous theater actress, received dozens of positive 
e-mails, which she read aloud during the show.  On February 9, 
Duende held a workshop for thirty enthusiastic students at Yildiz 
Technical University.  The group's performance at the university 
later that evening, introduced by CG Jones, was attended by 
Consulate contacts and university guests.  On February 10, Duende 
traveled to the near-by industrial city of Izmit and performed for 
300 members of the general public.  Local TV 41 ran an interview 
with the group during the main newscast on Saturday evening. 
 
¶4.  Duende's concerts and master classes reached a broad 
cross-section of Turkey, providing exposure to an element of 
American culture that is rarely experienced in Turkey.  Members of 
the group were recognized and congratulated on the streets of 
Istanbul after their appearance on SHOW TV, which reaches a large, 
diverse audience. 
 
----------------------------------------- 
Press Roundtable Interview for Ambassador 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  PAS Istanbul organized an on-the-record press interview with 
Ambassador Wilson for five senior columnists on February 7, 2007. 
The interview on a broad range of topics, including U.S. policies in 
Iraq, the PKK, and the Armenian Genocide Resolution, resulted in 
straight-forward and accurate columns/articles on February 8 in the 
following national dailies:  Hurriyet (circulation 534,000); Zaman 
(circulation: 657,000); Sabah (circulation: 438,000); Milliyet 
(circulation: 246,000); Cumhuriyet (circulation: 60,000). 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
Ambassador Interviewed by National TV Station 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  On the sidelines of the February 8 Economic Partnership 
Commission meeting with business leaders, Ambassador Wilson spoke 
live on nationally broadcast business/economic channel CNBC-e. 
During the 15-minute interview, also carried by 24-hour news channel 
NTV, Ambassador Wilson stressed the importance of strengthening the 
economic relationship between Turkey and the U.S., and also 
addressed regional energy issues, the PKK and the Armenia Genocide 
Resolution. 
 
------------------------------ 
Press Interviews for DAS Bryza 
------------------------------ 
 
¶7.  During his February 8 visit to Istanbul, DAS Bryza was 
 
ISTANBUL 00000347  002 OF 006 
 
 
interviewed by one of Turkey's most well-known intellectuals and 
followers of U.S.-Turkey relations, Soli Ozel of Sabah newspaper.  A 
straight-forward article based on the interview appeared in the 
February 9 edition of Sabah (circulation: 438,000).  In his 
interview, DAS Bryza answered questions about Iraq, the PKK, the 
Armenia Genocide Resolution and other key issues affecting 
U.S.-Turkey relations.  DAS Bryza covered similar issues in an 
interview with English language daily "Today's Zaman," which 
appeared in a front-page article on February 9. 
 
----------------------------------- 
CG Interviewed in National Magazine 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  An interview with CG Jones was published in the February 7, 2007 
edition of "Hello" magazine (Circulation: 5,000).  The seven-page 
article covered the Consul General's impressions of Istanbul, her 
family, and career as a diplomat. The Turkish public, used to a 
daily barrage of negative press about the U.S., were able to read a 
very positive article describing the human side of the top U.S. 
diplomat posted to Istanbul. 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
PAS Istanbul Supports Magnum Photo Exhibit at Istanbul Modern Museum 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶9.  PAS provided a grant to Istanbul's premiere modern art museum, 
the Istanbul Modern, to cover the travel of American Photographer 
Alex Webb and part of the cost of reproducing, mounting and framing 
his photographs for a major exhibit of Magnum Agency photographs. 
The three-month exhibit, which opened the week of February 12, 
featured sixteen Magnum Agency photographers who did significant 
work in or about Turkey.  Webb's work in the combined traditions of 
photo-journalism and street photography drew admiration from 
attendees at the opening. Robert Capa (one of Magnum's founders), 
Leonard Freed, Costa Manos and Jim Goldberg were the other American 
artists represented in the exhibition.  The crhme of Istanbul's arts 
and media establishment, often critical of the U.S. role in the 
Middle East and Turkey, saw another side of the USA, and appreciated 
the humanistic vision of five great American photographers. The 
Museum founder gave the PAO a presentation copy of the catalog 
during a small ceremony at the vernissage. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
CG Interviewed About Black History Month 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶10.  CG Jones's interview on the meaning of Black History month was 
published in the February 25, 2007 edition of Vatan daily 
(circulation: 252,000).  The CG highlighted the importance of a 
country's willingness to openly examine and discuss its entire 
history, including coming to terms with its mistakes.  She noted 
that such an approach strengthened the country by giving legitimacy 
to all of its citizens.  The journalist concluded that the 
interview, although about the American experience, could also apply 
to Turkey.  The Turkish public read about the advantages of a 
country's willingness to openly examine, study and discuss difficult 
parts of its history. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
Academic Discusses Armenian Genocide Resolution with Journalists 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶11.  On February 20, PAS organized a Digital Video Conference on the 
new U.S. Congress for ten journalists, featuring Georgetown 
Professor of Government Clyde Wilcox.  In response to the 
journalists' concern regarding possible House passage of an Armenian 
Genocide resolution, Wilcox stressed the Administration's strong 
opposition to such a resolution and said it would not stand a chance 
in the Senate.  The resolution, he added, would have purely symbolic 
meaning with no force of law.  Underscoring that the vast majority 
of Americans had no interest in the resolution and were not even 
aware of its existence, Wilcox said it could not be interpreted as a 
reflection of the U.S. population's attitude toward Turkey.  Turkish 
readers of Milliyet (circ. 218,000), Cumhuriyet (circ. 58,000), 
Vatan (circ. 252,000), and Aksam (circ. 192,000) dailies learned of 
the Administration's strong opposition to the resolution, and that 
it would not have the force of law. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
African-American Musical Achievements Wow Turkish Audiences 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶12.  The American Voices duo of Michael Parks Masterson and John 
Ferguson charmed Istanbul audiences with a lively mix of ragtime, 
show tunes, spirituals and pop music influenced by African-American 
traditions during a February 23 program as part of the Mission's 
Black History Month celebrations.  The duo gave a master-class at 
 
ISTANBUL 00000347  003 OF 006 
 
 
Marmara University for seventy-five students, and performed for 100 
contacts at the IMOGA Art Gallery before traveling to Bursa to 
perform at a concert organized in cooperation with the American 
Corner.  Istanbul's Kanal D cable entertainment channel recorded and 
broadcast a montage of moments from the IMOGA concert; a two minute 
interview was broadcast three times on Bursa's Olay TV; and articles 
from several Bursa dailies gave the performers the chance to 
associate their work with the rich cultural heritage of America. 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
Academic Speaks on African American Historical Memory 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶13.  As part of its Black History Month programming, Istanbul hosted 
Dr. Gerald Early of Washington University February 26-28. Professor 
Early gave presentations on "African Americans and Historical 
Memory" to American Studies students and faculty at Bogazici, Kadir 
Has and Fatih universities.  Students from Bilgi, Istanbul, Halic, 
Dogus and Bahcesehir universities also attended the program at 
Bogazici.  In his remarks, Early focused on the contributions of 
African American historians and leaders in shaping African 
Americans' understanding of their own history.  Early's lively 
presentational style resulted in dozens of questions at each 
university.  The Consul General on February 27 hosted a dinner in 
honor of Early for fifteen academics and prominent literary 
figures. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
DAS Bryza Reaches Out to Media March 8-9 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶14.  During his March 8-9 visit to Istanbul to participate in 
STEAM's sixth Energy Arena Meeting, DAS Matt Bryza granted three 
television interviews (all news channels NTV, Kanal 24 and 
business/economic channel CNBC-e) and a press interview to English 
language Turkish Daily News.   In addition to energy-related issues, 
the interviews covered the PKK in northern Iraq and the Armenia 
Genocide Resolution. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
CG Grants Radio Interview to Commemorate International Women's Day 
 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶15.  CG Jones on March 8 granted a PAS-organized 60 minute live 
interview to Turkey's only radio station targeting specifically a 
female audience ("Radyo Pink").  The CG discussed the status of 
women in the U.S. and around the world, stressing the importance of 
education, equal opportunity in the political sphere and the need to 
stop domestic violence.  The station received dozens of positive 
calls throughout the program, and the CG agreed to answer several 
listeners' questions on-the-air.  The show's host, Ayse Ozgun, is 
known throughout Turkey for her advocacy of women's rights. 
 
------------------------------------------ 
Air Force Academy Professor Describes U.S. Leadership and the 
"Transatlantic Gap" 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶16.  PAS Istanbul provided a grant for U.S. Air Force Academy 
Professor Brent Talbot to speak at a March 9 conference at Yildiz 
Technical University on "Security in a Changing World: Discourses, 
Challenges, and Realities".  After describing the challenges and 
threats to U.S. global leadership following the end of the Cold War, 
Talbot's comprehensive presentation offered American policymakers 
five lessons that were well received by the audience of academics 
and think tank experts. 
 
------------------------------------------- 
Ambassador Wilson Engages Media March 15-16 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶17.  During his March 15-16 visit to Istanbul, Ambassador Ross 
Wilson spoke to three top columnists about a wide range of issues 
related to U.S.-Turkey relations and regional issues, including the 
PKK and Iraq, the Armenian Genocide Resolution, Iran, and Cyprus. 
The Ambassador's comments appeared in the March 17 edition of 
national daily Islam-oriented "Zaman" (circulation: 650,000); and in 
the March 19 edition of daily "Cumhuriyet" (circulation: 60,000). 
Ambassador Wilson also gave an interview to mass-appeal Star TV, 
covering similar issues, which was broadcast on March 17.  On March 
19, one of the columnists devoted extensive and very positive 
coverage on the discussion on his daily talk show, broadcast on 
24-hour news station NTV. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
U.S. Expert Shares Insights on Freedom of Expression 
--------------------------------------- 
 
 
ISTANBUL 00000347  004 OF 006 
 
 
¶18.  Strategic Speaker Initiative participant Herman Schwartz, 
Professor of Law at American University, traveled to Istanbul March 
14-15, 2007. Professor Schwartz, an expert on human rights and 
constitutional law, spoke on the topic of "Freedom of Expression in 
Challenging Times - The U.S. and European Experience" to audiences 
of students, faculty members, parliamentarians, journalists, leaders 
of non-government organizations and others.  During small and large 
group discussion sessions and lectures held at the Istanbul Bar 
Association, Bilgi University, Galatasaray University, a PAO-hosted 
group of activists and academics and at Kocaeli University, 
Professor Schwartz reached over 600 people.  The topic was 
particularly timely, coming as Turkey was in the midst of a renewed 
national debate over reform of free speech laws sparked in part by 
the assassination of a prominent journalist.  Professor Schwartz 
encountered lively questions throughout his time in Turkey, and 
engaged audiences on Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code, minority 
rights, and other controversial topics. 
 
¶19.  Professor Schwartz reached a broad audience in Turkey, 
stimulating debate and creative thought on contemporary topics by 
providing examples of how the U.S. and countries in Europe protect 
freedom of expression, but also build in legal limits to protect 
against such things as hate crimes, libel and slander.  Professor 
Schwartz was interviewed by columnist/law professor Turgut Tarhanli, 
who writes for elite newspaper "Radikal" (circ. 40,000). 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
Museum of Natural History Expert Consults with Museum Officials, 
Students 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶20.  During the week of March 19, Paul Beelitz, Director of 
Collections and Archives, Division of Anthropology, American Museum 
of Natural History, spoke to a total of thirty-five museum curators 
and technical staff at the Turkish Islamic Art Museum, the Istanbul 
State Archaeology Museum and the Topkapi Palace Museum. On each 
occasion Beelitz created lively discussions among participants on 
prioritizing collections care and the importance of state-of-the-art 
storage.  His advice on fundraising and creating programs for public 
education was also well received. Beelitz also had an appointment at 
Suleymaniye Library, where he advised on preservation of precious 
manuscripts. He also gave a seminar for graduate students in museum 
management at Yildiz Technical University. He was interviewed by the 
elite daily "Radikal" (circ. 40,000). 
 
---------------------------- 
PAO Briefs Model UN Students 
---------------------------- 
 
¶21.  On March 21, Istanbul PAO briefed fifteen international 
relations students from Galatasaray University before their 
departure for a Harvard-sponsored Model UN program in Geneva.  The 
PAO, who served as a U.S. delegate to many UN conferences, discussed 
- off the record - the strengths and weaknesses of the various UN 
organizations and the present UN system's dependence on consensus to 
make decisions in many of the bodies.  He advised the students on 
the various issues they would be working on in Geneva, and provided 
practical suggestions on the art of being a delegate.  PAO also 
discussed U.S. policy and achievements in a number of areas, 
including UN reform, peace and security, international health, labor 
and human rights, and described the important role of the regional 
and other interest groupings in the UN in achieving or blocking 
institutional reform and progress in substantive issues.  He also 
described the many areas in which Turkish and U.S. interests 
coincide in international organizations. 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
National Library Week a Chance for Outreach in Istanbul, Bursa 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶22.  Regional Information Resource Officer Michael P. Huff delivered 
a series of presentations on "Internet and Information Literacy"  to 
a total of 2000 high school students and teachers from thirty-two 
schools, officials from the Ministries of Education and Culture, and 
professional librarians. The programs took place at six venues in 
Istanbul and Bursa throughout the week of March 25-31, 2007. The 
events were organized by Istanbul IRC in cooperation with Istanbul 
Greater City Municipality Directorate of Libraries and Museums, 
Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, Bursa Greater Municipality City 
Library, and Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Huff was 
interviewed by the all-news channel NTV and Hurriyet Daily. His 
presentation provided concrete, live examples of web sites and 
advice on how to find reliable sites among the literally billions of 
choices. The younger teen-age audiences peppered Huff with questions 
about every imaginable subject. 
 
¶23.  Units on information and media literacy will soon become part 
of the Turkish high school curriculum.  As a consequence, the cause 
of information awareness has been elevated to a subject of 
 
ISTANBUL 00000347  005 OF 006 
 
 
discussion not only among the youth we reached, but also among the 
teachers, administrators, librarians and other officials who 
witnessed Huff's presentation.  This program was significant also 
for the entre it will give the Consulate to our local public 
schools in the future.  Numerous requests for repeats of the program 
were received, which we hope to fulfill using the same PowerPoint 
presentation delivered by first and second tour officers. 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
Strategic Speaker from Federal District Court Provides Balance 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶24.  Strategic Speaker Judge Charles R. Simpson III, United States 
District Judge, Western District of Kentucky, traveled to Istanbul 
on April 4-7, 2007, where he met with a diverse slate of audiences. 
The judge was a featured panelist for a conference in celebration of 
the 129th anniversary of the Istanbul Bar Association, one of the 
largest Bars in the world with its 22,000 members.  The judge 
addressed the theme of the conference, "Freedom and Security in the 
Light of Recent Developments", by highlighting how the rule of law 
and supremacy of court decisions guarantee the protection of the 
fundamental liberties of Americans. Simpson's presentation provided 
badly needed balance in an otherwise anti-American discussion.  At a 
reception in his honor hosted by PAO,Simpson met prominent legal 
figures and young lawyers.  In a lecture at Bahcesehir University 
Law Faculty, Simpson addressed a group of students, academics and 
young lawyers on the US Courts of Appeal - a timely topic in light 
of recent judicial reform efforts in Turkey.  Judge Simpson's lucid 
presentation at the Bar Association Conference provided badly needed 
balance to the frequent anti-American barbs. His visit provided PAS 
the opportunity to meet a large and impressive group of young 
lawyers and other legal contacts. 
 
------------------------------------- 
Amb. Wilson Meets with Media April 9 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶25.  PAS Istanbul organized an on-the-record meeting for Ambassador 
Wilson with Mehmet Barlas, Senior Editor of the mainstream Sabah 
daily (circ. 530,000) and Ekrem Dumanli, Editor-in-Chief of 
Islamist-oriented intellectual Zaman (circ. 652,000).  The 
ambassador touched on a wide range of current topics, including 
recent controversial statements by Iraqi Kurdish leader Massoud 
Barzani, the situation in Northern Iraq and the PKK, and more 
general topics in Turkish-American relations. 
 
------------------------------ 
CG Speaks to Model UN Students 
------------------------------ 
 
¶26.  CG Jones on April 11 was the keynote speaker at the 
International Model UN gathering at Roberts College, founded by U.S. 
missionaries in 1863 and the oldest "American school" outside of the 
United States.  The group of over 200 students came from around the 
region, including Turkey, Greece, Cyprus and the Balkans.  In 
keeping with the conference's "Development" theme, the CG spoke 
about the importance of good governance to good business and sound 
economies, and urged young participants to pursue careers in their 
countries' civil and foreign services.  She emphasized the 
importance of "unjustifiable optimism" in leadership, and creating a 
vision others could pursue. 
 
----------------------------------------- 
CG Delivers Speech at Micronutrient Forum 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶27.  CG Jones on April 16 delivered welcoming remarks to an audience 
of over 350 from 60 countries at Istanbul's micronutrient forum, 
designed to pursue a longstanding (35 year plus) USAID objective of 
addressing nutritional deficiencies in developing countries.  The 
CG's remarks underscored USAID's longstanding role and praised 
Turkish efforts on this issue.  The absence of micronutrients, which 
includes substances such as iodine, vitamin A and iron, has severe 
global public health consequences: their lack represents a major 
threat to the health and development of populations the world over, 
particularly children and pregnant women in low-income countries. 
Although not a largely deficient population itself, Turkey has taken 
great strides in fortifying wheat, etc., and addressing anemia in 
the southeast. 
------------------------------------------ 
CG Speaks on Turkish American Relations to Academic Audience 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶28.  As part of Kadir Has University's "Culture and the Arts" 
lecture series, CG Jones spoke on April 18 to an audience of 50 
students, faculty and members of the public on "Diplomacy in an Age 
of Information Overload."  After describing new challenges to 
diplomacy in the 21st century, the CG spoke eloquently on Turkish 
American relations and answered questions for another 45 minutes. 
 
ISTANBUL 00000347  006 OF 006 
 
 
The presentation was warmly received by students and faculty alike. 
English language Turkish Daily News reported accurately two days 
later. 
 
JONES