Cablegate: Got Condemnation of Murder of Paul Johnson

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS ANKARA 003577

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP AND EUR/SE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PTER ASEC CASC SA TU
SUBJECT: GOT CONDEMNATION OF MURDER OF PAUL JOHNSON

REF: SECSTATE 135081

Poloff discussed reftel talking points June 22 with Mehmet
Kemal Bozay, Chief of Desk at the MFA Deputy Directorate
General for the Middle East. Bozay said he and other MFA
Middle East specialists had been in Istanbul the previous
week working on the OIC Summit, and had not focused on the
Johnson murder. He said he would discuss the issue with
superiors. On June 23, Gurcan Turkoglu, special assistant to
FM Gul, informed DCM that Gul commented on the murder during
a press conference in Brussels June 19. Gul condemned the
murder and stated that such acts "damage the image of a
Muslim country as well as the image of Islam." Turkoglu
emphasized that the GOT feels strongly about the issue,
noting that Gul made a direct statement that was not in
response to a press query. Gul raised the murder at the end
of a press conference focused on EU issues; his statement was
not widely covered in the press, but was reported by the
Anatolia News Agency wire service and at least one Turkish
daily.
EDELMAN

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