VZCZCXRO0408
RR RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHGI RUEHJS RUEHKUK RUEHLH RUEHPW RUEHROV
DE RUEHAK #1113/01 1681423
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 161423Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6583
INFO RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 4351
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001113 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIC PREL PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: PRESIDENTIAL SPECIAL ENVOY CUMBER'S JUNE 6-8 VISIT 
TO TURKEY 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Presidential Special Envoy Cumber 
underscored the need for cooperation and innovation within 
the OIC during May 6-8 meetings in Ankara and Istanbul with 
GOT officials, OIC representatives, intellectuals, and 
journalists.  S/E Cumber explained his mandate and briefed on 
efforts to increase U.S. engagement with the Muslim world. 
Noting the slow pace of OIC negotiations, S/E Cumber 
solicited Turkish support for his initiatives targeting youth 
and women.  Turkish interlocutors warmly received his 
messages and highlighted their efforts at OIC modernization. 
End Summary. 
 
ANKARA 
------ 
¶2. (SBU) Meeting with MFA Gulf Department Head Ebru Barutcu 
Gokdenizler, S/E Cumber explained his mandate to improve 
relations with OIC countries and to address misperceptions of 
the U.S. in the Muslim world; it was not a mission to impose 
U.S. policy.  Based on conversations within and outside the 
U.S., S/E Cumber reported he has worked with the U.S. 
Department of Homeland Security to reduce unjust targeting of 
Muslims, especially regarding immigration.  Gokdenizler, new 
to her position, noted S/E Cumber's visit occurred the week 
of FM Babacan's Washington trip.  She highlighted Turkey's 
prominent role within the OIC. 
 
¶3. (SBU) S/E Cumber provided an in-depth briefing on the 
proposed U.S./OIC MOU.  Based on established OIC priorities, 
the USG has proposed working with the organization to 
increase cooperation on science and technology, education, 
and health.  For all three issues, enhancing the role of 
women would take top priority.  He highlighted a targeted 
training and apprenticeship program aimed at OIC youth.  In 
addition, S/E Cumber briefed on a program to place virtual 
libraries with access to over 1 million publications in the 
OIC's ten poorest countries.  Lamenting procedural delays in 
ratifying his proposals, S/E Cumber solicited GOT support 
within the OIC to encourage a more expeditious process. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and 
Cooperation (ICFY) President and Prime Ministry Foreign 
Policy Advisor Ali Sarikaya and Secretary General Elshad 
Iskandarov provided S/E Cumber with an overview of the their 
organization's efforts to increase the role of youth within 
the OIC.  Comprised of over 40 youth organizations from OIC 
member nations, the ICFY is an umbrella NGO aimed at 
resolving the socio-economic, moral, and cultural problems of 
Muslim youth while promoting dialogue, civil society, and 
tolerance.  Iskandarov explained that the OIC initially 
envisioned the youth forum to play a passive role and focus 
on softer issues such as sports.  The ICFY, however, has 
actively endeavored to increase the younger generation's 
voice in all aspects of the organization, an effort that has 
met with resistance from the traditionally static body. 
 
¶5. (SBU) S/E Cumber encouraged the ICFY to partner with the 
Young Arab Leaders (YAL) organization headquartered in Dubai. 
 Noting that Iskandarov mentioned the ICFY would send a 
delegation to the UN in late-June, S/E Cumber invited the 
group to visit Washington and offered to assist in setting up 
meetings. He and Iskandarov agreed to speak later about the 
event. 
 
¶6. (SBU) S/E Cumber highlighted the importance of science and 
technology, education, and health during his meeting with 
COMCEC Director General Ferruh Tigli.  Soliciting Tigli's 
assistance, S/E Cumber encouraged COMCEC and the GOT to push 
Jeddah to support the U.S./OIC MOU.  Tigli agreed to do so 
and highlighted Turkey's leadership role in the OIC and its 
efforts to modernize it.  Empowering women, he underscored, 
is key to improving economic conditions. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Fulbright Executive Director Ersin Onulduran 
reviewed the Fulbright program's success in Turkey, 
highlighting his own personal experience as a Turkish student 
in the U.S.  S/E Cumber agreed that having a highly educated 
society was key to a sustainable democracy, as was the case 
in Turkey.  Onulduran and Ankara University Theology Dean 
Mualla Selcuk discussed the function of Turkey's Religious 
Affairs Directorate, the struggle to define secularism, and 
the country's reputation as a successful democracy with a 
Muslim-majority population.  Selcuk noted her department's 
interest in harmonizing Islam and the modern world, adding 
she will host on seminar on religious values and ethics in 
July. 
 
ISTANBUL 
-------- 
 
ANKARA 00001113  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶8. (SBU) On May 7, S/E Cumber met with Galatasary University 
Law Faculty Chairman Emre Oktem, Turkish Daily News columnist 
Barcin Yinac, and senior staff at the Islamic Research Center 
(ISAM), a dependent of the State Directorate of Religious 
Affairs (Diyanet).  Oktem and Yinac applauded S/E Cumber's 
endeavors to counter misperceptions of the U.S. in the Muslim 
world, but expressed skepticism regarding his chances for 
success.  Both interlocutors cautioned that Turkey was a 
unique case and should not be held up as a model.   In 
discussions with the seven ISAM representatives, several of 
whom also teach at Marmara and Fatih Universities, S/E Cumber 
solicited advice on how to describe Turkey's role.  The 
scholars recommended using phrase "the Turkish experience" 
when discussing Turkey's unique democracy. 
 
¶9. (U) This message has been cleared by S/E Sada Cumber. 
 
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey 
 
WILSON