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REFLEXIVE TURKISH NATIONALISM ENSNARES MASTERCARD
http://213.251.145.96/cable/2005/06/05ISTANBUL890.html
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The middle box contains the header information that is associated with
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The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain
a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin
to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main
contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics
and a comment section.
To understand the justification used for the classification of each
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Discussing cables If you find meaningful or important information in a
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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
http://213.251.145.96/cable/2005/06/05ISTANBUL890.html
If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the
structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See
also the FAQs
Understanding cables Every cable message consists of three parts:
The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by
whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
The middle box contains the header information that is associated with
the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as
a general subject.
The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain
a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin
to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main
contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics
and a comment section.
To understand the justification used for the classification of each
cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.
Discussing cables If you find meaningful or important information in a
cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to
a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying
the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please
mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the
hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g.
#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