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P 190548Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3022
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001835 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL OSCE TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY:  IDEPENDENT CANDIDATE BASKIN ORAN 
CHALLENGES STATUS QUO, TAKES ON TABOOS 
 
REF: A. ANKARA 0404 
     ¶B. ANKARA 1439 
 
1.(SBU) Summary: Intellectuals, leftists, minorities, and 
independent thinkers' enthusiastic support for retired Ankara 
University Professor Baskin Oran's independent candidacy in 
Istanbul's 2nd district has skyrocketed the neophyte 
politician to national prominence and made him a front-runner 
in Istanbul.  In a recent conversation, Oran told us he is 
optimistic that he will get the approximately 60-70,000 votes 
needed to win a seat in the district, and attributes his 
popularity to the groundswell of support from civil society 
and "Turkey's voiceless" -- Kurds, minorities, gypsies, 
women, youth, gays, handicapped, and environmentalists. 
Oran's refusal to affiliate with a political party and 
willingness to speak out on previously taboo topics make him 
unique, and one to watch if voters give him a seat in 
parliament.  End summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
Outspoken Academic Seeks to Represent Turkey's Voiceless 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
2.(SBU) Retired Ankara University professor Baskin Oran was 
little-known outside academic circles until becoming an early 
target of rising nationalism when he was prosecuted in 2004 
for writing a GOT-sponsored report that recommended Turkey 
improve the rights of its non-Muslims (ref A).  Oran, never 
one to shy away from speaking his mind, has remained in the 
public eye since.  When he publicly condemned the 
ultranationalist forces responsible for the assassination of 
his close friend Hrant Dink, he attracted further attention 
and had to be placed under police protection due to multiple 
death threats. 
 
3.(SBU) In a recent conversation, Oran told us that until 
recently he had planned to continue his routine:  living with 
his wife in his humble Ankara home, occasionally traveling in 
Turkey and abroad to speak on political issues, writing 
columns, articles and books, and maintaining his website. 
Several months ago, he began to receive calls and emails from 
hundreds of friends, students, and acquaintances urging him 
to run as an independent.  They told him that no party 
represented their interests.  Oran decided it was his duty as 
a citizen to make a difference by representing "those who 
have been alienated, rejected, restricted, silenced, pained, 
or been threatened by the paranoia that Turkey will be broken 
up."  He said he will be the voice of the voiceless:  women, 
gays, Kurds, minorities, gypsies. 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
Strong Grass-roots Support Gives Oran a Shot 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
4.(SBU) Oran decided to run in Istanbul's Second District 
(Beyoglu Besiktas, Alibeykoy, and Sariyer) because of its 
large concentration of liberal-minded voters.  Despite the 43 
other independent candidates running in the district, he is 
confident he will get the 60-70,000 votes needed to win a 
seat.  He attributed his popularity and well-run campaign to 
extraordinary grass-roots support.  A small army of 
volunteers and private donors have allowed him to run an 
impressive campaign on par with those of candidates from 
major parties.  Among the support:  6500 donors gave between 
10 YTL and 1000 YTL; his political advisers work for free; a 
backer donated minibus transportation for him to traverse the 
10 sub-provinces in Istanbul's 2nd district; one of 
Istanbul's largest printing houses printed hundreds of 
thousands of banners and brochures for him at no cost; and 
well-known film directors such as Ezel Akay and Melek Taylan 
shot his videos and advertisements. 
 
5.(SBU) Turkish civil society members have rallied behind 
Oran's candidacy.  Writers Yasar Kemal and Adalet Agaoglu, 
both Oran supporters, said in recent interviews that for the 
first time they feel like they have someone to actually vote 
for in the election.  Kurdish-origin writer Mehmet Uzun said 
that Oran and Mehmet Ufuk Uras, an independent candidate in 
Istanbul's first district, represent "the voice of Turkey." 
Dozens of Embassy human rights and civil society contacts in 
Ankara have told us in recent weeks that they are 
 
ANKARA 00001835  002 OF 002 
 
 
disappointed they have no broad-minded candidate like Oran in 
their district. 
 
6.(SBU) Comment:  Although Oran's candidacy is part of the 
wider election trend of running as an independent to 
circumvent the 10 percent threshold (see ref B), his is 
unique.  He is not affiliated with any political party and 
consistently speaks out on previously taboo topics in Turkey, 
such as the Kurdish problem, Turkish-Armenian history, and 
the rights of minorities and gays.  The impressive support 
and attention he has received exemplifies the dynamism of 
these elections.  Should Oran gain a parliamentary seat, his 
independence and outspokenness will make him an interesting 
MP to watch. 
 
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON