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INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK PRIORITY
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UNCLAS ISTANBUL 000491 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREL OSCE TU
SUBJECT: CONTRASTING PIOUS APPROACHES TO WOMEN'S RIGHTS 
 
¶1.  Summary.  Analysts and the press often classify the 
participants in the battle for "Turkey's soul" to fit within 
one of two groups:  the secular elite or the religious middle 
class.  Such oversimplification fails to capture the complex 
state of play as Turkey transforms from a relatively closed 
elitist and statist past into a more open, diverse and 
tolerant society. Recent meetings with human rights groups 
Akder and Mazlumder demonstrated the futility of strict 
labels in Turkey and highlighted how groups can pursue a 
similar objective -- in this case ending the headscarf ban in 
universities -- for different reasons. The women of Akder 
believe the headscarf ban is a violation of basic human 
rights that in practice leads to greater domestic violence by 
preventing women from pursuing an education and learning 
their rights. Mazlumder considers the headscarf ban to be 
representative of the oppressive state's unjust approach to 
religious rights.  End Summary. 
 
Headscarved Lawyer Fights for Greater Rights 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  Fatma Benli is one of the five core members of Akder, an 
Istanbul-based consultancy group providing information and 
service for women's rights.  The association contends it not 
only reports problems but "does something to change the 
situation."  Benli said an example of Adker's impact was the 
GOT's inclusion of the majority of Akder's input for a 2008 
report on women's rights except the portion pertaining to the 
right to wear a headscarf.  She contends that the headscarf 
ban results in greater domestic violence as it prevents women 
from pursuing an education and learning their rights. 
 
Akder's Activism Aims To Improve Women's Rights 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶3.  According to Benli, a traditional outlook on the 
treatment of women continued to drive Turkish judicial 
decisions through the 20th century.  However, openness to 
change accompanied EU accession plans, she explained.  In 
2004 the Ministry of Justice undertook a revision of the 
Turkish Penal Code in an effort to comply with EU accession 
requirements. Of the 37 new articles submitted by Akder for 
consideration in the 2004 revision, the Ministry accepted 30. 
 After the amendments passed, Akder held group meetings to 
provide women with information about their new rights and 
published articles in an attempt to change the perspectives 
of reticent judges. 
 
 
A More Traditional HR Organization: Mazlumder 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  The approach of Mazlumder, contrasts with Akder's strong 
focus on women's rights despite sharing a similarly pious 
membership base.  President Ayhan Kucuk told us Mazlumder 
combats the headscarf ban because it is a form of human 
oppression.  Since its founding in 1991, Mazlumder has 
distinguished itself from other Turkish human rights 
organizations by combating equally all forms of oppression 
and injustice, using a "pious approach," according to Kucuk. 
(Note:  Kucuk's claim is somewhat belied by the fact that 
Mazlumder in recent years has focused its energies on issues 
related to religion - the headscarf and imam hatip schools.) 
 All of its board members are non-Kurdish Sunni Muslims and 
about 60 percent of their members are women, however the ten 
member board does not reflect this gender ratio.  Throughout 
our meeting with association's board, only two women were 
present and despite Mazlumder's support for gender equality, 
neither participated actively in the discussion.  Mazlumder 
continues to focus on the headscarf as an example of state 
interference in "just" gender access to education and 
interacts with Akder only in its role as a reporting 
association. 
 
¶5.  Comment: Though many analysts and press tend to simplify 
current events in Turkey as a battle between secular elite 
versus conservative religious types, the approach of two 
human rights groups pursuing similar goals demonstrates the 
political landscape is more complex.  Both Mazlumder and 
Akder are working toward the same goal of ending the 
headscarf ban, but with different motives. End Comment. 
WIENER