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Connect the World

Israel-Gaza Conflict; Turkey's Diplomatic Difficulties; Turkish Presidential Election; Parting Shots: Istanbul Secret City

Aired July 22, 2014 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BECKY ANDERSON, HOST: A melting pot of Asian and European influences, Turkey's biggest city has a unique perspective on events playing out

hundreds of kilometers away in either direction. The waters you see here are its reason for being. And its continued lifeblood linking it with the

Middle Eastern heartland to the south and the former Soviet Union to the north and east.

I'm Becky Anderson. And this is Connect the World live for you tonight from Istanbul as Turkey tries to reassert itself and its influence at a

time of crisis on two sides.

Coming up, the U.S. and UN engage in shuttle diplomacy to find a solution to the Israel-Hamas conflict. We'll examine why Ankara isn't a stop on

their tour.

And as the world rounds on Russia in the wake of the MH17 airline disaster, could Vladimir Putin be about to find an unlikely ally in Turkey?

It is 6:00 p.m. here. Hello from Istanbul where Turkey has begun three days of mourning. The flag you see there at half mast in memory of the

more than 600 Palestinians killed in Gaza over the past two weeks.

We are told that Turkey is involved in international efforts to strike a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Cairo. U.S. Secretary of State John

Kerry says meetings there to find a truce of being productive, but no agreement appears imminent.

Well, meantime, the fighting between Israel's military and Hamas militants goes on. Israel has confirmed that one of its soldiers is missing, 21-year-

old Sergeant Oron Shaul. Two days ago, Hamas claimed it had captured and Israeli soldier, but they've not shown any evidence that he is alive.

Well, let's get you to our correspondents there. Karl Penhaul begins our coverage tonight live from Gaza City for you. And Karl, what's the chance

-- first, let's start with the situation on the ground, if you will.

KARL PENHAUL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A lot of booms, Becky. In short, there's artillery fire coming in from naval gunboats, there's

artillery coming in from Gaza's eastern flank. In the last few minutes, just moments before we came to air, a very large militant rocket flying

skywards towards Israel. There really is no letup in the fighting and also in the last hour across towards eastern Gaza as well some huge explosions

going on there still trying to get to grips with what is going on whether that was an airstrike by an F16, for example, or perhaps if it could be the

Israeli military against detecting some of these militant tunnels to carry out their stated aim of trying to blow those up. But of course all the

while the death toll going up.

Just to put that a little bit in perspective, in the course of the last 18 hours, according to the Palestinian health ministry, we're getting close to

nearly 70 deaths. The United Nations now saying more than 100,000 Palestinians are cowering in UN operated schools that are serving as

temporary refuges.

Let's take a look at what's been going on today so far.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PENHAUL (voice-over): Overnight, more bloodshed on both sides of the Israel/Gaza border. Close to 600 Palestinians killed, some of those victims

targeted last night in raids like this one in Gaza City. On the other side, at least 27 Israeli soldiers now dead.

Despite the rising death toll, Israel is pushing ahead with Operation Protective Edge. This video of Israeli forces battling Hamas militants

inside Israel. The Hamas fighters that stealthily entered Israel through an underground tunnel on Monday. Night vision video released by the Israeli

military shows the militants reportedly sneaking in near Kabuks (ph). Israel then responds with a targeted air strike. Ten Hamas fighters killed

according to Israel.

This morning, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in Cairo with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to push the cease-fire effort forward. The

U.S. also extending $47 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza.

As the warfare between Gaza and Israel rages on, Lebanon's militant group Hezbollah has reached out to Hamas voicing their support from Israel's

other border. A suggestion perhaps Israel may now have to worry about a second front.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PENHAUL: Now you would think that with such a huge civilian casualty toll that the warring sides, just by common sense, would want to call a

ceasefire, but on the battlefield a very different picture the Israeli military may feel that it has not achieved yet its objectives in shutting

down militants tunnels and destroying militant rocket launchers, and on the other hand Hamas militants and the other Gaza factions may feel emboldened

by the fact in guerrilla warfare terms they are giving a pretty good account of themselves are still taking the fight to a very powerful, very

sophisticated Israeli military machine -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Karl Penhaul is in Gaza City for you this evening. Karl, thank you for that.

Let's move to the other side of the border and CNN's Atika Shubert from Ashdod in Israel with more.

And before we move on to what is going on there on the ground, what do we know about his missing Israeli soldier, if anything?

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the missing Israeli soldier we know has been named as Oron Shaul. He was one of seven soldiers

who was inside an APC and they were all killed in an explosive attack on this armored personnel carrier.

Now six of them have been formally identified, but the seventh Oron Shaul, has not been identified. And what this means, essentially, is that the

military does not have, or perhaps only has some of his body to identify. And this is the same Oron Shaul that has been claimed by Hamas that they

have captured.

So this is something that has actually happened in the past. Israel has -- Isarel's enemies on the battlefield have often captured the dead in order

to barter them later for the released of other militants or even other that have died on the other side.

So the Isareli military is particularly sensitive to this kind of situation. And that's why they have labeled him missing, but also presumed

dead.

ANDERSON: All right.

Atika Shubert there in Ashdod in Israel.

All right, let's move on. We're going to have much more on the situation in Gaza, more on the diplomacy and Turkey's diminished role in it, it seems

at least. We'll hear from one man who wants to diminish Turkish President Erdogan's role further by -- or prime minister, sorry, Erdogan's role --

forgive me for that -- by beating him to the presidency in upcoming elections.

Well, Ukraine takes its accusations against Russia to a new level over the crash of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17. In an interview with CNN's Kyung

Lah, Ukraine's director of informational security says that he is convinced a Russian officer, and I quote, personally shot down the plane, a claim

that Moscow vehemently denies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAH: This wasn't a drunk rebel sitting on top of the missile.

VITALIY NAYDA, UKRAINIAN DIRECTOR OF INFORMATIONAL SECURITY: No.

LAH: You believe that was a Russian?

NAYDA: Absolutely.

LAH: A Russian-trained...

NAYDA: A Russian-trained, well-equipped, well educated officer.

LAH: Who pushed that button.

NAYDA: Who pushed the button.

LAH: And do you think at this...

NAYDA: Deliberately.

LAH: Deliberately?

NAYDA: Exactly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, crash investigators hope the flight recorders will reveal what really happened to flight 17. Pro-Russian rebels handed them over to

Malaysian officials and we've just learned that British investigators will be the ones extracting the data.

Meanwhile, the victims of MH17 are slowly making their journey home. The remains of more than 280 people from the flight are now at a local factory

in Kharkiv where they'll be placed into coffins and flown to the Netherlands for identification.

Let's get to our Nick Paton Walsh who is there for the latest on these recovery efforts. And Nick, let's start with the victims and their

families.

Firstly, have all the bodies been recovered? And where are those that have been found at this point?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Behind me inside this compound here from a tank factory where we've seen Dutch, other foreign

officials moving in and out, OSCE monitors, UN staff as well, as they begin the process of taking from the train that we saw pull in a few hours ago

into a railway station just behind this compound, taking them off that refrigerated train and putting them separately into coffins.

Now I've just spoken to Malaysian security officials. It was part of a delegation traveling on that train along with the bodies along also were

some separatist militants, too. And he said that 282 bodies had been handed over to them by the separatists in what he referred to as a good

condition, as in whole, they hadn't been damaged by the explosion that tore through MH17.

He went on to say, though, there were 87 body parts that had been handed to the investigators here as well. So, certainly I think a suggestion that

the vast majority of people on that plane were -- have been delivered in a reasonably whole state. And perhaps that will ease the identification

process and speed up the ability of the relatives to bury them in short shrift, but also more complicated fate appears to have been the case for

another 16 individuals there.

So, hearing more details, too, about the black boxes. As you know, David Cameron, the British prime minister is saying they are going to the United

Kingdom to be assessed there. We understand from this Malaysian security official, though, that in fact they are still inside the Ukraine. They

haven't left this territory yet. They may do so shortly, Becky.

ANDERSON: I want to know whether you think that anything further is happening with regard to Russia being involved in putting pressure on these

pro-Russian separatists. Certainly, we were hearing some noise earlier today out of Moscow that Russia was prepared to sort of roll with the

punches on this. What are you hearing?

WALSH: I think Moscow is in an extraordinarily complex situation here, because they are trying to distance themselves from the separatist movement

for the past few months or so, even asking them not to hold a referendum on independence. But still as you hear from many U.S. officials were

providing increasingly heavy weaponry to assist them against an increasingly emboldened Ukrainian military.

Vladimir Putin today saying, yes, they would put more pressure, they could upon those separatist militants to disarm or enter negotiations. But since

the start of this crisis, not the crisis of the civil war here, but the crisis fomented by the explosion that took out MH17, he has been also

saying that this would not have happened had there not been a breakdown in the ceasefire of the conflict here.

He's in a very complicated spot, because so much of his I think mandate, he feels, from being Russia's strongman is a tough face, is to never step

back. They have moved away from the separatists, perhaps our of the fear of the sectorial sanctions that could really damage, if not cripple,

Russia's economy, not doing very well at the moment. But at the same time, given the level of international pressure here is quite incompatible with

Vladimir Putin's political public demeanor to be so consistently stepping back.

So he's made some comments today to be particularly strident in this way, we're just going to have to see whether that translates into further

actions on the ground or whether Moscow really is simply trying to extricate itself from this mess -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Nick Paton Walsh there in Ukraine.

Well, new photos of the plane's wreckage for you is also showing signs of what appears to be a missile strike. These photos taken from the crash

scene show several large pieces of the plane's fuselage riddled with shrapnel damage and blistered paint. Defense analysts with IHS Jane's say

this suggests a supersonic missile with a fragmenting warhead exploded near the jet.

Now experts also say this evidence would indicate a missile like the Russian B-U-K, or BUK, was responsible for bringing the passenger jet down.

Well, still to come this hour, Vladimir Putin faces a tough road ahead as European leaders discuss the possibility of more sanctions. Catherine

Ashton the foreign policy chief for the EU due to speak in Brussels very soon. We will take that speech. She is expected to address the issue of

Ukraine and Russia.

All that and more when Connect the World continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: This is CNN and Connect the World with me, Becky Anderson, live from Istanbul. Welcome back.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry heading to Jerusalem after talks in Egypt. He is making his way through the region to search for a way to end

the fighting between Israel and Gaza. He has said that Hamas needs to come to the negotiating table with other Palestinians adding that Egypt had

offered them a framework to do so.

Before we do this, let's get you to Brussels where Catherine Ashton is addressing the issue of Ukraine in light of the MH17 crash. Let's listen

in to that shortly. And we'll be back with this story.

(CATHERINE ASHTON PRESS CONFERENCE)

ANDERSON: OK. You've been listening to Catherine Ashton there speaking in Brussels on the issue of Ukraine and Russia in the light of MH17. She

said, we've decided to accelerate the targeted sanctions that we've put in place, or certainly discussed last week, this being the EU, including those

sanctions against those who benefit she said from the actors who are responsible for the annexation of Crimea and the problems in Eastern

Ukraine. And those sanctions will include the financial and energy sector importantly.

And she also said those directly and indirectly involved in the MH17 incident must allow immediate access to the site and to the investigation.

Also speaking to Gaza, which is what we will be discussing after this short break. Stay with us. You're watching CNN and Connect the World with me

Becky Anderson from Jerusalem.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEONE LAKHANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Metro Park in central Jakarta, it's still under construction and almost completely sold out. As

this young buyer knows, you have to move quickly to find the right investment.

Welcome to apartment hunting Jakarta style.

AFIFA ABDOUSAALAAM, PROPERTY INVESTOR: Property prices in Jakarta go up above 10 percent a year, which is simply trying to not be left behind.

I think from I learned from my mother, from my mom, because she's always said, you know, if you invest in cars or in, you know, even gold the price

goes up and down, but if you buy property it always goes up.

LAKHANI: This is typical thinking in Jakarta. 10 million people live within the urban core, millions more in the suburbs. Affluent cash buyers

and local businesses are driving this property center. Not even the notorious traffic congestion can slow demand.

DAVID CHEADLE, CASHMAN & WAKERFIELD, INDONESIA: We've seen more Indonesians buying high rise now even for primary or secondary residents

and also for investment purposes, particularly in the last two or three years. And in relative terms we're actually undersupplied for a city of

this size and population.

LAKHANI: Land is scarce in this sprawling metropolis. For each new multimillion dollar highrise, or office tower threatening to change the

skyline, Kampungs (ph), makeshift dwellings found closer to Earth, occupy the space in between.

Leading national developer Agong Podamora's (ph) super block is taking shape.

UNIDENIFIED MALE: It's a one-stop living concept.

LAKHANI: Podamora's (ph) city will be a mixed use complex which will include a shopping mall, hotel and university.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (inaudible) apartment it's about 2,500 or 3,000 U.S. dollar per meter square. If you compare to the other countries in Asia

like Hong Kong, for instance, 15,000 or 20,000 U.S. So Jakarta, it's a very attractive and exotic property for investors.

LAKHANI: The World Bank predicts solid future growth for Indonesia's economy. And with that optimism, Jarkartan expectations are changing. The

newly elected government campaigned on improving the country's infrastructure. And those measures will be key to the growth of the

property market.

For now, buyers will have to remain sharp to find a bargain.

Leone Lakhani, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECKY ANDERSON, HOST: This is CONNECT THE WORLD, live from Istanbul this evening. The top stories for you this hour.

Russian president Vladimir Putin says he will push Ukrainian rebels for a full investigation into Malaysian Airlines Flight 17. Ukraine and Russia

accuse each other of downing the passenger plane last Thursday. Crash investigators hope the black boxes from MH17 will yield some clues as to

what happened. British experts will be the ones who extract the data.

And this just in: US airlines, including US Air, United, and Delta, with flights bound to Israel are canceling them with immediate effect because of

a rocket landing close to Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv. And that is according to Israeli media. One Delta flight has reportedly

already been diverted mid-flight to Paris.

Diplomatic efforts are underway to try to stop the fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Hamas rejected the cease-fire -- the first cease-fire

proposed by Egyptian officials, and Israel's prime minister says there's little Israel can do to satisfy Hamas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL: In the face of such wanton terrorism, no country could sit idly by. It would exercise its right --

inherent and legitimate right of self-defense, as we are doing, and act decisively to end the threat to its citizens. This is what Israel is

doing. We did not seek this escalation, Mr. Secretary.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: The US secretary of state himself, John Kerry, is now heading to Jerusalem after talks in Egypt. He's making his way through the region to

search for a way to end the fighting, he says, between Israel and Gaza. And he has said that Hamas needs to come to the negotiating table with

other Palestinians, adding that Egypt had offered them a framework to do so.

Also joining in the diplomatic talks, the UN secretary-general, Ban Ki- moon, visiting a number of cities in the region. You just saw him with Benjamin Netanyahu. After Doha, Cairo, and Jerusalem, he will head to

Ramallah in the West Bank, Amman in Jordan, and Kuwait City. But interestingly, there will be no stop anywhere here in Turkey.

Ankara was once considered a key player in Middle East peace negotiations, but things have gone a little differently under the prime minister here,

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who recently told Turkish TV that he has stopped talking to US president Barack Obama by phone.

Mustafa Akyol is a columnist for Turkey's oldest English-language daily, "Hurriyet Daily News," and he joins me now. To be fair, Mustafa, Mr.

Erdogan has been hosting -- actively hosting players on the Palestinian side of this crisis. Mahmoud Abbas here just on Friday at this very hotel,

in fact, in this very presidential suite. What's Mr. Erdogan's positioning here?

MUSTAFA AKYOL, COLUMNIST, "HURRIYET DAILY NEWS": Well, Becky, I should say, it's not just Erdogan, but Turkey as a society, as a nation, is deeply

caring for the Palestinians, for cultural, historical, and religious reasons.

And it's not just him, but all political actors in Turkey have strongly reacted to what has been happening in Gaza. I mean, 600 Palestinians have

been killed, more than 100 of them are children, and in Turkey, nobody believes that this can be justified by an logic -- words like "collateral

damage" or "right to defend itself."

Erdogan -- let me come to him. He always had a strong language in expressing his emotions, and sometimes he goes over the top, that's true.

And I think he and the government need to balance their genuine sentiments for Palestinians, which I also share, with also some diplomatic approach to

things.

And maybe he lost that diplomatic approach. President Abdullah Gul, I must say, is generally taking a more diplomatic approach to things. He also

shares the same sympathy for the Palestinians. So, Turkey's struggling between these two, maybe, different approaches right now.

ANDERSON: And again, I point out that they have here been hosting a number of officials --

AKYOL: Yes.

ANDERSON: -- from the Palestinian side and, indeed, from Hamas. You talked about the prime minster here being fairly outspoken of late. Let's

just get a couple of quotes up on the screens for our viewers to remind them.

I think it was Friday when he accused the new president of Egypt of being a tyrant. I think he said that he's not a player in this, alluding to the

cease-fire. And he also has invoked the Nazis when talking about how Israel is acting and describing its actions in Gaza.

Is this a man with a message to the world, or could he be seen as preaching to his domestic audience here ahead of what are presidential elections, and

he is, of course, a candidate in those in the coming weeks.

AKYOL: He does. Erdogan speaks with the local language and I accept that he uses sometimes words that are going beyond what maybe he should say.

Nothing can be compared to the Holocaust, but there was a particular Israeli politician who likened Arab children in Gaza to little snakes, and

that was really a racist statement. So, I think Israel should have -- has to get its act together and at least curb some of its very radical voices

and politicians as well.

When it comes to Sisi, Egypt's president, well, he is a tyrant. That means that toppling an elected government and having hundreds of peaceful

protesters being shot by his secret forces. But I agree that Turkey should still talk to Sisi, because he is in power, and Turkey has interests in

Egypt, and also if Turkey wants to be in the game.

So the thing is, Erdogan, I think, is right, many of his emotions, but yes, he has to frame them in a more diplomatic language.

ANDERSON: And I guess the question is, does he want to be in the game? Because there was room for a big Arab leader at present, isn't there? A

big Arab voice.

And to all intents and purposes, at least so far as broking peace and drawing initiatives, the Egyptians are involved, albeit perhaps at the 11th

hour. Not something that Sisi may necessarily have wanted to get involved in but something clearly that he is at least providing a platform for at

present.

There are people who, when you talk to people here and talk to people around the world, who see Turkey potentially pivoting away from, perhaps,

the US and the West. Mr. Erdogan himself has said he doesn't pick up the phone for Mr. Barack Obama anymore, even though the foreign ministers

clearly still speak. Can you see this country pivoting away from its sort of natural allies in the past towards, for example, Russia and Eurasia?

AKYOL: Well, Turkey can be in the game with Palestinians. Turkey can help moderate Hamas, which is part of the deal, of course. And I think Turkey

should not give up that, and the international community should not give its hopes from Turkey to be able to do that.

When we come to Turkey and Russia and other places, in the Middle East, I think what Turkey's trying to do in the past couple of years is not to put

all its eggs in one basket, which is EU. Which is still an important basket, if you ask me, but also it's not that much promising, because it's

not that welcoming, plus economic incentives for EU are declining.

So, Turkey is now having these free-trade zone ideas with Russia and reaching out to other actors. And I think that's a rational foreign

policy. And Turkey -- Turkey should not, of course, fall into the trap of this emotional language detaching itself from the world.

And Turkey's leaders should, I think, be more careful, especially Prime Minister Erdogan, in trying to reach out to some of the actors maybe he

doesn't like, he doesn't approve, but still, he needs to talk to them.

But on the other hand, I think the Western world, particularly the United States, should understand that. The suffering in Gaza, killing of a

hundred of children, is something that is serious, and it cannot be washed away by saying Israel has a right to defend itself. People here are

asking, what about the Palestinians' right to defend themselves?

ANDERSON: And let's remind people that here today, the flags are at half mast, and there is the first day of three days of mourning for those who

have lost their lives in Gaza. Sir, thank you very much indeed --

AKYOL: My pleasure.

ANDERSON: -- for joining us.

AKYOL: Thank you.

ANDERSON: Live from Istanbul, you are watching CONNECT THE WORLD. Just ahead, Turkey's prime minister faces two challengers in the upcoming

presidential elections. We talk politics and much more with the pro- Kurdish candidate, up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: All right, you join us here in Istanbul at an intriguing time for Turkish politics. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been in

office for 11 years, now, but he's not ready to relinquish power, instead eyeing an enhanced presidential role after mid-August elections.

Mr. Erdogan may have been making the most of the headlines ahead of that landmark vote, but there are two other candidates, and one of them has been

very vocal about the lack of coverage that he has been getting.

Forty-one-year-old Selahattin Demirtas is the pro-Kurdish figurehead of the Peace and Democracy Party, and like Mr. Erdogan, he is no stranger to

controversy. He was sentenced to ten months in jail four years ago for alleged links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party.

That group spent three decades here fighting the Turkish government for greater Kurdish rights and self-determination. On his release, Demirtas

spearheaded a Kurdish campaign of civil disobedience, which did nothing to endear him to his main rival for the presidency.

Later in the week, we'll hear from a third candidate here. He is the renowned academic and former secretary-general of the Organization of

Islamic Cooperation, Ekmeleddin In -- how do I pronounce that name again?

(LAUGHTER)

ANDERSON: We'll give you his name a little bit later. Earlier today, I sat down with Demirtas to get his views on the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Although Prime Minister Erdogan has been a vocal critic of Israel, Demirtas has said Turkey needs to take action to address the situation.

He says, quote, "The Turkish government, instead of condemning, screaming, and shouting, should annul all active military agreements with Israel,

cancel all agreements on military exercises completely, should suspend all of them. Earlier, I asked him to elaborate on those comments.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SELAHATTIN DEMIRTAS, PRO-KURDISH PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (through translator): In Turkey, I believe that Prime Minister Erdogan keeps using

Israeli relations and internal politics as a way to increase votes. Instead of this, instead of screaming and shouting, instead of making

statements that instigate anti-Jewish sentiments, I suggest the annulment of military agreements with Israel, military exercises with Israel, weapons

agreements.

If he has the courage and is genuine, that's what he would do. If not, leading people to racism and discrimination, to being enemies of Jews may

bring you votes, but you lose human values, and hurt them. And yes, I think this way.

ANDERSON: So, going forward, do you think that Turkey should be a friend of Israel's or not?

DEMIRTAS (through translator): Of course Israel and Turkey should be friends. Animosity between states and people are not forever. All these

problems should be solved. The Israeli and Palestinian states should learn to live as free states and people in those lands.

Turkey cannot strengthen its international policies by trading animosity between states and people and cannot contribute to world peace.

ANDERSON: I've heard you described here in Turkey as a young Obama. Just who is Selahattin Demirtas?

DEMIRTAS (through translator): Yes, there are such comparisons in Turkey. Perhaps it's because of my identity and the understanding I represent or

the political tradition I come from.

Because I am a Kurd who has come from a people, the Kurdish people, who have been denied, discriminated against whose rights have been taken away

from them, and who have not been treated as equal citizens until very recently, in this way, comparisons are drawn with Obama, who is black.

My people are discriminated against. The rights of my people, who I represent, have not been fully ensured.

ANDERSON: When you say that the Kurdish problem is Turkey's most important problem -- I've seen that reported -- explain what you mean and what you

believe the Kurdish solution is.

DEMIRTAS (through translator): Of course. The Kurdish problem is without doubt Turkey's most important problem. However, we do not describe the

Kurdish problem as a problem that only Kurds live through.

With the Kurdish problem, we mean the democracy problem of all of Turkey's different belief groups and social groups -- Armenians, Arabs, Turks,

Circassians, women, and Alevis -- live this problem as well.

ANDERSON: This doesn't sound as if you are calling for Kurdish renaissance, as it were. So with respect, how does your position on the

Kurds differ from the present prime minister, Mr. Erdogan, who is also, of course, a presidential candidate.

Correct me if I'm wrong -- there are areas to the east and the south in which Kurds have their own party, they are represented locally, they speak

their own language. So, if it's not a renaissance that you're calling for, I'm seeing very little sort of space between the two of you.

DEMIRTAS (through translator): Yes. First of all, the current government and the prime minister talk about the concepts of advanced democracy,

peace, and freedom. But they do not feel these concepts.

Regarding the Kurds, he regards them as if only the Kurds who love and support him as precious, with an understanding that the rest are enemies

and terrorists. Our most important differences, that we want to rebuild not just the Kurds, but all of Turkey, in a way that will be a model for

the Middle East.

In this way, we are completely different than Erdogan. Erdogan is only pretending to be real. We are the real deal.

ANDERSON: When we're looking at the Middle East, and we clearly see what is going on in Iraq at present, do you envisage a day when we are talking a

Kurdish nation state? Because that would put some clear water between you and Mr. Erdogan.

DEMIRTAS (through translator): We do not talk about an independent Kurdish state within the borders of Turkey. This is not one of our suggestions for

solving the problem.

ANDERSON: There is a likelihood that this presidential election could go to a second round. You have said in the past that if you weren't the

second candidate, that you wouldn't throw your support behind Mr. Erdogan.

DEMIRTAS (through translator): If either of the other two candidates are elected, Turkey will continue with its existing structure, with its

problems and troubles without much change. Therefore, I do not think that the other two candidates can establish this novelty or transformation.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: One of the presidential candidates here in Turkey. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu is the other one. And sir, if you're watching, I apologize that

I had mispronounced your name a little earlier. We'll be speaking to him tomorrow.

You can follow everything that we are covering in Istanbul this week on the show's blog. Visit cnn.com/connect to watch interviews and features from

Turkey and throughout our travels this summer, including Ivan Watson's reflections on his time as CNN's man in this city.

Coming up after this short break on CONNECT THE WORLD, we're going to tell you what hidden wonders can be found in Istanbul. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Well, Istanbul, Turkey's commercial heart, as it were. You see the Golden Horn, the entrance to the Bosphorus Strait, there, with the

Hagia Sophia above it. A beautiful evening here in Istanbul.

If you're a resident of this city and have any photos, stories, or opinions to share, please, here at CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson, wants

to hear from you, facebook.com/CNNconnect. You can always tweet me @BeckyCNN. We're on Instagram as well, just search for Becky CNN.

Well, Istanbul playing host to CONNECT THE WORLD all this week, Turkey's biggest city, unique for many reasons, not least the fact that it straddles

two continents, of course. In tonight's Parting Shots, we want to take you on a tour of one of Istanbul's lesser-known neighborhoods, guided by a

native who knows the city, well, through and through.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HANDE OYNAR, ISTANBUL ARTS WRITER: I'm an arts writer and editor, born and raised on the European side of Istanbul. A few years ago, I got married,

and I moved to the Asian side.

Anyone who ever visited Istanbul knows that the European side is vibrant, colorful, and noisy, and the Asian side is known to be more residential and

quiet. But today, I'm going to show you a very special side of Istanbul.

Haydarpasa Train Station is one of the most iconic buildings in Istanbul. It was built by German architects as part of the modernization efforts of

the Ottoman Empire. And at the turn of the century, you could get on the Orient Express in Haydarpasa, catapult right across the Bosphorus, and take

this train all the way to Baghdad from this train station.

In 2010, a major fire destroyed the original roof of the building, and plans for its future use are yet to be determined, but they will surely

affect the whole district, including the area that I'm taking you to now.

We are now in the historic neighborhood of Yeldegirmeni. The word literally means "windmill" in Turkish. The area takes its name from the

four windmills that were ordered to be built by the Sultan of Abdulhamid I in the late 18th century.

The same German architect who built the Haydarpasa Train Station also built this neighborhood and left some beautiful landmarks, like this building,

built by Italian masons, and the primary school that was built by the Germans for their children.

This neighborhood has always hosted a mixed group of people, and its newest residents are artists. There are more than 70 artist studios here.

VOLKAN KIZILTUNC, ARIST: I'm a media artist, and I'm working in my studio in Yeldegirmeni. I really like this area, because there's a really good

artistic community here. And as an artist, you can easily access all the materials you need.

I'm working on a new video project right now. I'm working with film material of 8 millimeter film. All the material I found, they are from

Istanbul from the periods 1960s to 1980s.

OSMAN KOC, CREATIVE TECHNOLOGIST: I'm a creative technologist, and I'm one of the co-founders of this place, Iskele 47. We are five co-founders here,

and first our aim was just to combine our workshops, and then it became a maker's space, especially with the joining of students from the

universities and from around, this place is now becoming more sustainable and more alive.

We are exchanging ideas and materials and know-how. That's what makes this neighborhood very special.

OYNAR: Behind me is a mural painted by a Polish artist as a part of a mural festival organized by the Kadikoy Municipality. This year

commemorates the 600th anniversary of Turkish-Polish diplomatic relations, and a group of Polish street artists were invited to participate.

We are now at the Sosyal Merkezi Don Quixote Squat House.

ZAFER ULGER (through translator): I think the reason for this place's existence is the continuation of the Gezi spirit and what we were searching

for there, because in Gezi, there were many different struggles, but they intersected at a common point. We were defending our common space.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Some sights and sounds of Istanbul. I'm Becky Anderson, that was CONNECT THE WORLD, live from here. We'll be here throughout the week

with the top stories and expert analysis from a unique perspective at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. Stay tuned for special coverage, though, of

the Middle East crisis and MH17 recovery efforts with Anderson Cooper next. Thanks for watching.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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