VZCZCXRO2872
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHIT #0347 1771358
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 251358Z JUN 08
FM AMCONSUL ISTANBUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8277
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA PRIORITY 2361
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS ISTANBUL 000347 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL TU
SUBJECT: RALLY IN ISTANBUL AGAINST MILITARY AND JUDICIAL 
INTERVENTION 
 
¶1. (U) On June 21 a reported 20,000 people gathered on 
Istiklal Boulevard to protest anti-democratic practices 
in Turkey. The march, called "70 Million Steps against 
Coups," was widely publicized in ads sponsored by the 
Young Civilians (Genc Siviller) in the major daily papers. 
The event, which had not been approved in advance by the 
local authorities, did not draw a significant police 
response. The event was planned in cooperation with a 
diverse group of left-of-center NGOs including the Global 
Action Group, the Association of Human Rights and 
Solidarity for Oppressed Peoples, Say Stop to Racism and 
Nationalism, Lamda, and the Movement for Political 
Horizons.  Considerable support was also drawn from the 
Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP). Supporters of the 
ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) were apparently 
absent from the demonstration. A statement read during the 
rally said civilians and NGOs had gathered in opposition to 
the military's alleged influence in the Constitutional 
Court's recent overruling of the headscarf amendment and 
anticipated closure of the AKP and DTP. 
 
¶2. (U) The demonstration received relatively limited media 
coverage, although commentary tended to be polarized. Bulent 
Kenes, editor of the Islamist-leaning Today's Zaman, wrote 
that the march represented "a flare that shows that any sort 
of army-oriented, anti-democratic intervention, in whatever 
guise it may take, will no longer go unanswered." The ultra- 
nationalistic Tercuman carried the more radical headline 
"Those Opposed to Nationalism Take to the Streets," 
questioning the demonstrators' loyalty to the state. 
 
¶3. (SBU) COMMENT: The AKP's decision to stay away from the 
march signals their reluctance to be associated with acts 
that the Turkish military and judiciary might construe as 
destabilizing and could potentially be used as fodder in 
the on-going closure case. END COMMENT 
WIENER