VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIT #0070/01 0510611
ZNR UUUUU ZZH (CCY AD31ACA4 MSI0066-695)
P 200611Z FEB 09
FM AMCONSUL ISTANBUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8774
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC

UNCLAS ISTANBUL 000070 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
C O R R E C T E D COPY CAPTION 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV TU
SUBJECT: CHP,S CORRUPTION FIGHTER TARGETS ISTANBUL MAYORAL 
SEAT 
 
REF: A. 08 ANKARA 1943 
     ¶B. ANKARA 205 
     ¶C. 07 ISTANBUL 1049 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary: CHP,s mayoral candidate for Istanbul, 
Kemal Kilicdaroglu, told us he will continue to focus on 
corruption within the AKP, since this is the primary problem 
facing Turkey today -- which exacerbates the growing economic 
crisis.  When he tours poor neighborhoods throughout the 
city, corruption is the biggest complaint he hears.  He sees 
the current coal and food handouts by AKP as exploitation of 
the poverty that AKP itself caused by its poor economic 
policies.  He told us he suspects a significant part of the 
city,s annual budget of $10 billion is siphoned off by AKP 
cronies.  While the formal campaign period does not start 
until March 9, latest polls indicate that current AKP mayor 
Kadir Topbas is far ahead. End Summary. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
CHP,s Point Man against AKP Corruption 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Many Turkish commentators see CHP leader Deniz 
Baykal,s selection of Kilicdaroglu as the party's candidate 
for Istanbul Mayor as a strong pick.  Kilicdaroglu has 
successfully hammered the AKP with corruption charges.  The 
biggest scalp he has taken so far was that of then-AKP Vice 
Chairman Dengir Mir Firat, who resigned soon after a 
televised debate in which Kilicdaroglu accused him of fraud 
and drug trafficking (Ref. A).  Kilicdaroglu was also 
responsible for the resignation of AKP Deputy Party Chairman 
Saban Disli, and has also scored points with corruption 
accusations directed against AKP Ankara mayor Mehil Gokcek, 
Istanbul mayor Topbas, and Prime Minister Erdogan,s son. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Kilicdaroglu told us he intends to continue his 
attacks against corruption within the AKP in his campaign for 
Istanbul Mayor, since this is the primary problem facing 
Turkey today, which exacerbates the growing economic crisis. 
When he tours poor neighborhoods throughout the city, 
corruption is the biggest complaint he hears.  He sees the 
current coal and food handouts by AKP as exploitation of the 
poverty that AKP itself caused by its poor economic policies. 
 He told us he suspects a significant part of the city,s 
annual budget of $10 billion is siphoned off by AKP cronies, 
and that he will bring his vast experience in financing and 
accounting to bring accountability and transparency to the 
mayor,s office. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
Kilicdaroglu's Platform: Social Safety Net and Good Government 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Kilicdaroglu said the best means to eliminate 
poverty is to provide direct cash transfers to the women of 
the city's households, since this will increase their 
standing in the family and increase the likelihood that the 
funds will be spent for the good of the family.  With help 
from academicians and local administrators, he intends to 
have poverty maps drawn to target areas of need, and then to 
have social security experts interview residents to determine 
individual need.  His ultimate goal is to get at least one 
household member gainfully employed and thus into the Social 
Security system, at which time these transfer payments can 
stop. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Kilicdaroglu criticized the lack of city planning, 
saying Istanbul still lacks a master city plan and according 
to official numbers, 60 percent of its housing stock is 
illegally built.  If elected, he will consult the residences 
of these illegal settlements to create a master plan to 
replace substandard houses with modern housing.  If done 
correctly, he thinks, the city does not need to provide funds 
to construct this housing; Kilicdaroglu said there are good 
examples in Ankara where this was done.  He also criticized 
AKP for failing to solve Istanbul's long-term water problem. 
 Diverting water from the Melen River (Ref. C) is a 
short-term solution, but Istanbul needs to construct a dam 
much closer to the city to meet its long-term needs, he 
believes. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) In a break from CHP's usual anathema towards 
anything proposed by AKP, Kilicdaroglu intends to continue 
some of the current city administration's projects, such as 
the Bosphorus tunnel, metro extensions, and earthquake 
 
preparedness.  If elected, however, he would ramp up 
investment in the city,s crumbling infrastructure, utilizing 
the private sector through "built, operate and transfer" 
(BOT) financing.  He told us BOT financing permitted 
Istanbul,s Ataturk Airport to be built in less than two 
years and it would permit 400 km of rail to be constructed in 
eight years (vs the 80 km extension that the current 
administration plans). 
 
¶7.  (SBU) According to Kilicdaroglu, CHP has made commendable 
efforts to expand its base beyond the "old elites," but the 
press has trivialized this program, focusing only on the 
CHP,s outreach to women with headscarves.  Kilicdaroglu gave 
as a more representative example the CHP project to establish 
"halkevi" (people,s houses), in which volunteers provide 
education, training and assistance.  He thinks he can draw 
poor voters away from AKP since he grew up among these voters 
and can "speak their language." 
 
------------------ 
An Uphill Struggle 
------------------ 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Comment: Most political observers give Kilicdaroglu 
only a slim chance of defeating Topbas on March 29.  Unlike 
the close contest in Ankara (Ref. B), current AKP mayor 
Topbas is the heavy favorite in the Istanbul race.  While 
some columnists say the race is tightening, according to a 
recent poll conduct by Genar, about 45 percent of respondents 
said they would vote for AKP,s candidate, compared to 27 
percent who favor the CHP candidate.  But, if he is able to 
beat the odds and win the seat from which PM Erdogan launched 
his bid for the Prime Ministership, he could fairly claim to 
have earned the right to attempt to reverse the decline that 
CHP has experienced under the leadership of Baykal.  Indeed, 
for this reason some observers think Baykal -- infamous for 
not brooking opposition within the party -- picked 
Kilicdaroglu hoping and expecting he would fail. 
Wiener