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WikiLeaks; Reflexive Turkish Nationalism Ensnares Mastercard

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  • WikiLeaks; Reflexive Turkish Nationalism Ensnares Mastercard

    REFLEXIVE TURKISH NATIONALISM ENSNARES MASTERCARD

    http://213.251.145.96/cable/2005/06/05ISTANBUL890.html

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    #05ISTANBUL890.

    Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin 05ISTANBUL890
    2005-06-01 11:11 2010-12-08 17:05 CONFIDENTIAL Consulate Istanbul This
    record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the
    original cable is not available.C O N F I D E N T I A L ISTANBUL 000890

    SIPDIS

    DEPT FOR EUR/SE, DS/DSS/OSAC AND DS/IP/EUR ANKARA FOR RSO

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/31/2015 TAGS: PGOV SOCI KISL ASEC TU SUBJECT:
    REFLEXIVE TURKISH NATIONALISM ENSNARES MASTERCARD

    This cable was coordinated with Embassy Ankara.

    ¶1. (SBU) Summary: After briefly basking in the reflected glow of last
    week's exciting UEFA Champion's League Final in Istanbul between Milan
    and Liverpool, corporate sponsor Mastercard has found itself dealing
    with a public relations nightmare in recent days following public
    criticism of inclusion in its match city guide of critical commentary
    about both Turkey and its revered founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. The
    offending passages, first publicized in the liberal Islamist daily
    "Zaman," addressed the issue of Turkish-Kurdish relations and the
    Armenian tragedy of 1915.

    Mastercard briefly closed its office following death threats against
    its General Manager, and has since officially apologized, noting that
    the offending material had not been reviewed by any company officials,
    but instead emanated from the "Lonely Planet," which produced the
    bulk of the publication. The public reaction, which has also included
    calls for a boycott of the company by Turkish NGO's and the threat of
    public prosecution from the Istanbul Governor, highlights once again
    how close to the surface core nationalist reflexes and taboos are in
    the post-December 17th environment. End Summary.

    ¶2. (SBU) Shortlived Honeymoon: Mastercard officials, whose biggest
    problem last week was the deluge of calls they were receiving
    seeking tickets to the May 25th Milan-Liverpool match, faced a more
    serious crisis on May 30 when "Zaman" newspaper published extracts
    from the city guide the company distributed to its VIP guests and
    journalists. In the "Lonely Planet" produced publication, which was
    written by an Istanbul-based British journalist, brief reference was
    made to the issue of minorities in Turkey, with sections covering both
    the Kurds and the Armenians. The breezy narrative noted that "Ataturk
    banned any expression of Kurdishness in an attempt at assimilation,"
    adding that major battles and atrocities followed in the 1920s and
    1930s, with the deaths of more than 30,000 coming since 1984. On the
    equally sensitive Armenian issue, the guide noted that while most
    Armenians had remained loyal to the Ottoman Empire, some had rebelled,
    engaging in terrorism that set off a powerful anti-Armenian backlash
    and the "widespread massacre of innocent Armenians in Istanbul and
    elsewhere."

    ¶3. (SBU) Harsh Reaction: The publication sparked harsh reaction from
    most quarters, with Istanbul Governor Guler denouncing the "insult"
    to Turkey and warning that "such a sponsorship firm needs to be more
    cautious." He added that officials would investigate the publication
    and determine if it constituted a criminal offense. NGO's were also
    quick to leap on the bandwagon, with the Consumers' Union calling
    for a boycott of the company if it did not officially apologize.

    Turkish sports officials also expressed disappointment with the
    publication. More worryingly, anonymous callers phoned in death
    threats, and nationalist groups indicated that they would organize
    protests, resulting in closure of Mastercard's office early this week
    and the provision of extra security for General Manager Ozlem Imece.

    ¶4. (C) Damage Control: Since the story broke on May 30, Mastercard
    has been engaged in damage control. In an initial announcement on May
    30, the company admitted its mistake and noted it had contacted the
    "Lonely Planet" to demand the removal of "erroneous information" from
    the guide. When this did not quell the furor, the company went further
    a day later and officially apologized. In a public statement, General
    Manager Imece observed that she had not known of some of the material
    that was to be included in the publication, and was "deeply shocked"
    by it. Privately she has told us that the company was blind-sided by
    the furor, having been focused on security for their VIP guests last
    week. This, she said, was something that "no one expected."

    ¶5. (C) Comment: Given the sensitivities that exist here, inclusion
    of any material on topics such as Turkey's minority policy or the
    Armenian tragedy in a sporting guide was in retrospect a serious
    mistake. The harsh, instinctive reaction, however, shows the heightened
    sensitivities and hair-trigger nature of public discourse here since
    the December 17th EU decision. Post RSO has reached out to Mastercard,
    which is an active member of the OSAC Advisory Council, to ensure
    that they are satisfied with the police response they have received
    and to provide assistance if needed. End Comment.

    ARNETT




    From: A. Papazian
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