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RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #6469 2031639
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
R 221624Z JUL 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0000
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0000

S E C R E T STATE 076469 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/22/2034 
TAGS: PINR KISL PREL TU
SUBJECT: (S)  REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON TARIKATS, KURDS AND ISLAM, AND MINORITY RELIGIONS IN TURKEY (C-RE9-01283) 
 
REF: ISTANBUL 000098 
 
Classified By: MICHAEL P. OWENS, ACTING DIR, INR/OPS. REASON: 1.4(C). 
 
¶1.  (S/NF)  WASHINGTON ANALYSTS GREATLY APPRECIATED REFTEL ON A KONDA POLL THAT ADDRESSES AND INTERPRETS THE RANGES OF VARIATION AND COMPLEXITY THAT CHARACTERIZE TURKISH ISLAM. 
WE WOULD APPRECIATE ANY INFORMATION ON THE SECRETIVE ISLAMIC TARIKAT ASSOCIATIONS, THE VIEW OF KURDS IN RELATION TO ISLAM, THE EXTENT TO WHICH TURKISH MUSLIMS LOOK OUTSIDE OF TURKEY 
FOR GUIDANCE, AND THE ROLE OF MINORITY RELIGIONS IN TURKEY, AS POSTS, TIME, RESOURCES, AND PRESENT WORKLOAD PERMIT. 
 
¶A.  (SBU)  TARIKATS. 
 
1)  (SBU)  WHAT ARE THE STRONGEST GROUPS OF ISLAMIC SOCIETIES OR BROTHERHOODS IN TURKEY TODAY, IN TERMS OF NUMBERS AND POLITICAL STRENGTH? 
 
2)  (SBU)  HOW IS TARIKAT AFFILIATION CONNECTED WITH 
POLITICAL ACTION, SUCH AS VOTING PREFERENCES, FOR INSTANCE? WHAT FUNCTIONS DO TARIKATS SERVE? 
 
3)  (SBU)  HOW DOES MEMBERSHIP IN THE GROUPS WORK? CAN OUTSIDERS APPROACH A GROUP TO JOIN, OR MUST THEY BE INVITED BY MEMBERS?  DO PEOPLE EVER LEAVE THEIR TARIKATS? HOW DO TARIKATS DEAL WITH OR ENGAGE EACH OTHER, AND WHY WOULD THEY DO SO? 
 
4)  (SBU)  WITHIN A TARIKAT, HOW DOES ADHERENCE TO DIFFERENT RITES OR SCHOOLS OF ISLAMIC LAW AFFECT THE OVERALL BROTHERHOOD DYNAMIC?  DO TARIKATS' MOST PROMINENT MEMBERS REMAIN BEHOLDEN TO THEIR ASSOCIATION IN SOME WAY BEYOND PATRONAGE, PARTICULARLY WITH REGARD TO SETTING AN AGENDA? 
 
¶B.  (SBU)  KURDS AND ISLAM. 
 
1)  (SBU)  TO WHAT EXTENT DO KURDS CONSTITUTE MEMBERSHIP OF TARIKAT LODGES IN TURKEY? 
 
2)  (SBU)  TO WHAT EXTENT DO KURDS PARTICIPATE IN THE NURCU MOVEMENT, INCLUDING AMONG THE FOLLOWERS OF FETHULLAH GULEN? HOW DO KURDS VIEW GULEN GENERALLY? 
 
3)  (SBU)  HOW DO THE NAKSHIBENDI AND OTHER TRADITIONAL SUFI ORDERS RELATE TO AND/OR COMPETE WITH THE GULEN MOVEMENT IN PARTICULAR? 
 
4)  (SBU)  TO WHAT EXTENT DO TARIKATS/NURCU ORGANIZATIONS SERVE AS A BRIDGE BETWEEN PIOUS TURKS AND KURDS? ALTERNATIVELY, TO WHAT EXTENT DO TARIKATS/NURCU ORGANIZATIONS SERVE AS INCUBATORS OF A REJECTIONIST, "SEPARATIST" ISLAM THAT IS RESENTFUL OF THE DIYANET'S TRADITIONAL HANEFITE DISMISSIVENESS AND THAT IS FUELED IN PART BY THE EMERGENCE OF 
KURDISH IDENTITY CONSCIOUSNESS/ETHNIC KURDISH SEPARATISM?  TO WHAT EXTENT ARE SECULAR ORGANIZATIONS, SUCH AS THE KONGRA-GEL 
(KGK) AND THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY PARTY (DTP), AWARE OF AND SEEKING TO EXPLOIT/COUNTERACT THESE TENDENCIES? 
 
5)  (SBU)  TO WHAT EXTENT DOES THE RETURN OF HIZBULLAH IN VARIOUS FRONTS REPRESENT OR REFLECT KURDISH ISLAMIC REJECTION OF "REFORMIST" ENCROACHMENT OF GULEN AND/OR THE AKP GOVERNMENT?  WHAT ARE THE REASONS FOR THE RISE OF HIZBULLAH AND ITS REPUTED "ILIM" AND (TRADITIONALLY NON-VIOLENT) "MENZIL" FACTIONS?  HOW DO KURDS SEE THE RETURN OF HIZBULLAH 
AND ITS VARIOUS ELEMENTS IN THE CONTEXT OF EFFORTS TO CRACK DOWN ON ERGENEKON/DEEP STATE ORGANIZATIONS? 
 
¶C.  (SBU)  OUTSIDE INFLUENCE. 
 
1)  (SBU)  DO TURKISH MUSLIMS LOOK OUTSIDE OF TURKEY FOR RELIGIOUS GUIDANCE, AND TO WHICH SOURCES OR INDIVIDUALS ARE THEY LOOKING? 
 
2)  (SBU)  WHAT MECHANISMS ALLOW OUTSIDE RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE TO PENETRATE TURKEY? HOW WILL NON-TURKISH FORMS OR MANIFESTATIONS OF ISLAM AFFECT THE TURKISH DEVELOPMENTS AND RELIGIOUS DEBATES?  HOW OPEN TO FOREIGN INFLUENCE/EXPERIENCE ARE TURKISH ISLAMIC OPINION-MAKERS, AND HOW IS THAT INFLUENCE EXERTED? 
 
3)  (SBU)  HOW INTEGRATED ARE TURKISH MUSLIMS IN THE 
SUNNI/ISLAMIC UMMAH TODAY?  TO WHAT EXTENT ARE TURKISH MUSLIMS INVOLVED IN OR EXCLUDED FROM ISLAMIC DEVELOPMENTS (THEOLOGICAL, SOCIAL, OR POLITICAL DEBATES) ELSEWHERE IN THE MUSLIM WORLD? 
 
¶D.  (SBU)  MINORITY RELIGIONS. 
 
1)  (SBU)  HOW MUCH ENCOURAGEMENT OR DISCOURAGEMENT DO GRASSROOTS EXPRESSIONS OF ANTI-SEMITISM OR HOSTILITY TO CHRISTIANS GET FROM POLITICAL OR MEDIA LEADERS? 
 
¶2.  (U)  PLEASE CITE C-RE9-01283 IN THE SUBJECT LINE OF 
REPORTING IN RESPONSE TO THE ABOVE QUESTIONS. 
CLINTON