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Viewing cable 10ANKARA291, TURKISH MEDIA REACTION

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
10ANKARA291 2010-02-23 12:25 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Ankara
VZCZCXRO0846
OO RUEHDA
DE RUEHAK #0291/01 0541225
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 231225Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2222
RUEKJCS/CJCS WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC//PA
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU
INFO RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 0326
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 7034
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 4528
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 7809
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 7734
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 4335
RUEUITH/DET 1 39LG ANKARA TU
RHMFIUU/39OS INCIRLIK AB TU
RHMFIUU/AFOSI DET 523 IZMIR TU
RHMFIUU/39ABG INCIRLIK AB TU
RHMFIUU/AFOSI DET 522 INCIRLIK AB TU
RUEUITH/AFLO ANKARA TU
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000291 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EUR/SE, EUR/PD, NEA/PD, DRL 
JCS PASS J-5/CDR S. WRIGHT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR TU PREL KPAO
SUBJECT: TURKISH MEDIA REACTION 
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2010 
 
Media Highlights 
 
US Embassy Ankara-Turkey Media Reaction, as prepared by the Public 
Affairs Information Office 
 
How the US is Playing 
 
US on 'Sledgehammer' Detentions: "We're Not Concerned" (Zaman) 
Islamist-oriented Zaman says the US Administration has viewed as 
"normal" the "Sledgehammer" detention of retired and active duty 
commanders in Turkey.  In a press briefing Monday, State Department 
Spokesman Philip Crowley said:  "These issues in the evolution of 
politics and society in Turkey are not new.  I don't think we have 
any specific concerns.  Obviously, any action taken should be in 
accord with Turkish law and should be transparent."  Crowley noted 
that last week in Qatar, Secretary Clinton had a "very detailed and 
successful" meeting with PM Erdogan, and that the US continued 
working closely with Turkey on the Middle East peace process, 
Cyprus, Iraq and Iran. 
 
Op-Eds on Military Detentions 
Opinions offered a plate with conflicting arguments.  Mainstream 
Hurriyet's Oktay Eksi foresees very critical days ahead "because of 
the government's direct interfering and intimidating the judicial 
affairs."  Ali Bayramoglu in pro-government/Islamist Yeni Safak 
however thinks all of the recent developments are "part of the 
Ergenekon process which is about demilitarization."  Tamer Korkmaz 
in the same newspaper names one of the detained generals, Ergin 
Saygun, as "proven guilty" because "he attended the Hudson Institute 
conference in 2006 and he was the mastermind behind the military's 
electronic warning message on April 27."  Liberal Radikal's Murat 
Yetkin notes the "political consequences" of this ongoing process 
and he believes the ruling AKP is very well aware of it: "Due to the 
political impact of the judicial process, the top AKP members have 
started to make statements about the need for early elections." 
 
Support From US to Ankara (Sabah) 
Mainstream Sabah reports that A/S Philip Gordon said US support for 
Turkey's EU membership continues.  According to the paper, Gordon 
said "re-opening of the Halki Seminary, pursuing of democratic 
opening and advancing on Cyprus issue, will carry forward Turkey's 
hope for the EU." 
 
Op-Eds on AGR 
Along with Iran and Cyprus issues, Armenian genocide resolution 
efforts in the US Congress will be the main problems to tackle in 
what mainstream Milliyet columnist Sami Kohen calls the "critical 
days ahead."  The US connection to the Turkey-Armenia protocols 
comes with the pending HR says the writer and he thinks it "will 
most likely pass from the Commission as well as pass from the 
floor."  And "this is going to be a major crisis in not only 
US-Turkey bilateral ties but also between Turkey and Armenia" he 
concludes. 
 
"Can Obama endure the consequences of a genocide resolution?" asks 
Ilhan Tanir in the English daily Hurriyet Daily News: "As one 
Washington source stated, he still expects Turkey to pull a rabbit 
out of a hat when approaching March 4." 
 
US Doesn't Trust Iranian Proposals (Aksam) 
Mainstream Aksam reports Glynn Davies, the US envoy at the IAEA, 
told a roundtable meeting in Ankara that Iran has not responded to 
the IAEA proposal for taking 1,200 kg of uranium out of the country 
and import from France "processed uranium" for the needs of 850,000 
cancer patients in Iran.  "It has been a disappointment for us all," 
said Davies.  "We believe in Turkey's sincerity.  However, neither 
Iran's simultaneous swap offer, nor the different things they told 
Turkey changed our negative evaluation of Iran.  The time has come; 
now we must be at the stage of active pressure," he emphasized. 
Since October, Iran has produced 600 kg of more uranium, noted 
Davies, and then stressed that if it is not taken out of Iran, it 
 
ANKARA 00000291  002 OF 003 
 
 
might be used in producing nuclear bombs. 
 
A New Poor Class in the US (Cumhuriyet) 
Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet says the number of the unemployed in 
the US has soared to 15 million.  Those with better education will 
fill the new jobs to be created in the US, and those with weaker 
education will create a new "poor class."  Cumhuriyet also says at 
least six million people could turn homeless in the US. 
 
In the Headlines 
 
Turkey's Police Round Up Generals in New Military Crisis; US Angle 
(Vatan) 
All media outlets report extensively and sensationally on Monday's 
police roundup of 49 retired and active duty military personnel, 
including 13 retired generals, in operations in Ankara, Istanbul, 
Izmir, Bursa and Bodrum.  Tabloid Posta headline screams 
"Sledgehammer Against the Generals," while Al Jazeera TV reports 
that "Turkey is arresting all generals involved in a coup attempt." 
US Angle?  Mainstream Milliyet headlines "From Whitehouse Summit to 
Detention," and along with CNNTurk, reports that the former deputy 
chief of the TGS General Ergin Saygun had accompanied PM Erdogan in 
2007 White House meetings to orchestrate US-Turkey intelligence 
sharing for the elimination of the PKK.  Prime Minister Erdogan, who 
is in Madrid, said only that the crackdown was carried out on the 
orders of prosecutors, and declined comment because the issue was 
being handled by the judiciary.  TGS Chief General Ilker Basbug 
cancelled a planned visit to Egypt because of the developments. 
Mainstream, pro-government Sabah says the 2/22 round-up was 
"unprecedented" in the history of the Turkish republic. The charges 
are for allegedly plotting to overthrow the ruling Islamic-rooted 
AKP government, tagged by the media as the "Sledgehammer" (Balyoz) 
investigation, which was first reported on in leftist Taraf 
newspaper. 
 
Afghanistan 
In "Civilian Massacre # 2," mainstream Milliyet highlights "hitting 
a convoy of civilians, NATO strike in Afghanistan kills 33, 
including women and children. Last week's NATO strike that 
mistakenly killed 12 civilians and this one put a heavy blow on 
NATO's efforts to gain the hearts of Afghan people." Mainstream 
Hurriyet calls it "They Hit Civilians Again," while 
Islamist-oriented Zaman says "NATO Massacres Civilians Again," and 
opines "NATO gets strong reaction for causing civilian deaths in 
fight against the Taliban." Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet says 
"NATO's Uruzgan Massacre," noting "27 civilians are killed 
'mistakenly' in a NATO strike in Afghanistan's Uruzgan province." In 
"They Killed, And Then Apologized," mainstream Aksam highlights 
"civilians were targets again in the Operation Mushtarak in 
Afghanistan." Cumhuriyet, Hurriyet and others report "ISAF Commander 
General McChrystal has apologized to President Karzai over the 
Afghan civilian deaths." In a related story, mainstream Haberturk in 
"NATO Sweats As Allies Leave," notes the concerns over "a domino 
effect following the collapse of the Dutch government over the 
withdrawal of Dutch troops in Afghanistan." Haberturk warns that 
"ISAF commandership is in great danger. Canada, Australia and others 
could take Dutch as an example." 
 
TV Spotlight (CNN Turk) 
 
Prime Minister Erdogan encouraged the Minsk Group to work with 
Armenia and Azerbaijan for seeing a "just" solution in Nagorno 
Karabakh.  "Once the Nagorno Karabakh issue is resolved, the problem 
between Turkey and Armenia would have been resolved," said Erdogan. 
 
 
On Tuesday, President Abdullah Gul will receive Court of Appeals 
(Yargitay) President Hasan Gerceker and Council of State (Danistay) 
President Mustafa Birden. 
 
The ruling AKP has kicked off preparations for constitutional 
 
ANKARA 00000291  003 OF 003 
 
 
reforms which includes changes in the judicial system. 
 
The AKP head of the parliamentary committee for constitutional 
affairs, Burhan Kuzu, said early elections would be called if a new 
case was launched for closing the Party. 
 
Iranian Deputy Speaker Muhammad Reza Bahonar said Iran was exerting 
efforts on the international arena to ensure the return of Nagorno 
Karabakh to Azerbaijan. 
Israeli PM Netanyahu has renewed calls for the international 
community to impose an oil embargo on Iran. 
 
Iran's police chief General Ismail Ahmadi Moghaddam said the BBC and 
VOA were acting as "spy agencies" inside his country. 
 
JEFFREY