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Viewing cable 07ANKARA215, ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
07ANKARA215 2007-02-01 15:34 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Ankara
VZCZCXRO5039
OO RUEHDA
DE RUEHAK #0215/01 0321534
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 011534Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0799
RUEKJCS/CJCS WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC//PA
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU
INFO RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 7780
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 2038
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 1606
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 5711
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 5451
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2089
RUEUITH/DET 1 39LG ANKARA TU
RHMFIUU/USDOCO 6ATAF IZMIR TU
RHMFIUU/39OSS 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 000215 
 
SIPDIS 
 
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
SUBJECT: ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT 
FEBRUARY 1, 2007 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Papers Want Police Chiefs Removed in Dink Case 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Vatan, Radikal, Cumhuriyet and others 
lash out at the ruling AKP government for not removing from office 
police chiefs Celalettin Cerrah and Ramazan Akyurek during the 
investigation of the killing of Turkish-Armenian writer Hrant Dink. 
Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu has said he will not sack the two 
before the investigation is completed.  Cumhuriyet reports Ramazan 
Akyurek, the head of the police intelligence department, is known to 
be close to the Fettullah Gulen community.  On Wednesday, a seventh 
suspect, Salih Hacisalihoglu, was detained in the Black Sea city of 
Trabzon for the Dink murder.  Papers say that if Yasin Hayal, the 
man behind the hitman Ogun Samast, had been given a heavier penalty 
for his 2004 bombing of a McDonald's restaurant in Trabzon, he would 
have been blocked from preparing for the murder of Dink.  Hayal was 
released from prison after serving merely 10 months. 
 
Ralston Meets Buyukanit, Departs Turkey 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman, Yeni Safak 
and others report the US anti-terror special envoy Joseph Ralston 
proposed at yesterday's meeting with Turkish General Staff (TGS) 
Chief Yasar Buyukanit dialogue with the northern Iraqi Kurdish 
administration against the PKK.  Buyukanit said the US must take 
concrete steps forward for persuading the Turkish nation that 
Americans are actually struggling against the PKK.  Cumhuriyet 
claims Ralston has suggested the regional Kurdish government 
"president" Massoud Barzani that peshmerge forces be used against 
the PKK in northern Iraq.  Barzani, however, rejected the 
suggestion, and instead wants a general amnesty for the PKK as well 
as dialogue between Turkey and the Kurdish administration in the 
north.  Turkish diplomatic sources told Cumhuriyet the US was 
pressing Baghdad to appoint a Kurd as Iraq's special envoy for 
countering the PKK.  Hurriyet says Ralston mentioned to Turks three 
new measures against the PKK; that the US will take hardline action 
to cut the financial support flowing to the PKK from Europe, that 
the logistic support extended to the PKK by Kurdish groups in 
northern Iraq will be cut, and that the PKK militants will not be 
allowed to go to towns and villages in northern for food and medical 
treatment. 
 
Editorial Commentary on Turkey-Iraq Oil Dispute, Turkey-Northern 
Iraq Ties 
Soli Ozel comments in the mass appeal Sabah:  "Turkey prefers to 
remain distant and to stay away from coming up with new strategies 
and new policies when it comes to dealing with unpleasant realities. 
 This attitude simply ties Turkey's hands.  On the Iraq issue, there 
are many hard-line messages given to the public which make the use 
of reasonable options practically out of question.  During the 
recent oil issue with Iraq, a Turkish businessman felt tired of the 
lack of a proper strategy and could not help but complain, saying 
'We have to come up with a strategy -- Kurdistan is becoming a 
reality and Turkey is still dragging on with the usual rhetoric. 
You cannot solve anything with aggressive language.'  The Arab part 
of Iraq is rapidly moving toward a civil war, and Turkey continues 
to fail to analyze the current reality with common sense and reason. 
 What is our policy if Turkey is faced with terrorism, refugees, 
increasing economic problems and radicalism in the region?  This is 
the time when we are in need of common wisdom to be able to discuss 
even the most unacceptable and out-of-the-ordinary scenarios." 
 
Sami Kohen comments in the mainstream Milliyet:  "Turkey continues 
to engage in direct trade relations with Northern Iraq, yet at the 
same time tends to ignore and avoid the official figures there. 
Ankara pursues a double standard on Iraq because we recognize the 
Iraqi regime as legitimate but disapprove of the regional 
administration in the north which was shaped by the constitution of 
Iraq.  Characterization of Iraqi Kurds as 'our kin' just like the 
Turkmen, yet treating them like enemies is another example of double 
 
ANKARA 00000215  002 OF 003 
 
 
talk.  Turkey needs the help of the Northern Iraqi administration in 
order to end the presence of the PKK there.  However Turkey also 
fails to let them play their role within the Special Envoy 
mechanism.  Turkey's Iraq policy requires fine tuning based on the 
realities of Iraq and also requires efforts to establish 
constructive dialogue as well as new approaches." 
 
Syrian FM Visits Ankara 
All papers report visiting Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallim met 
with President Sezer, Prime Minister Erdogan, and Foreign Minister 
Gul in Ankara.  Papers say Muallim conveyed a message from President 
Assad to Erdogan that Syria and Turkey should be "more active" 
concerning Iraq.  He told the press before departing Ankara 
yesterday that President Bush's new Iraq strategy will not solve any 
problem through increasing troops in the region.  Muallim said there 
is an extremely complicated structure in Iraq which cannot be 
handled by a single country, including the US. 
 
Armenian Genocide Bill Likely Strain to Turkey-US Ties 
Sabah expects Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul to convey three messages 
to the US Administration during an upcoming visit to Washington on 
February 4-9: The approval of the Armenian genocide bill will end 
the strategic partnership between Turkey and the US; that Armenia 
should also open its archives to researchers; and that the US should 
back the Turkish proposal for forming a joint commission of 
historians.  Gul is expected to meet Secretary Rice, National 
Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, and the head of foreign relations 
committee Tom Lantos.  Meanwhile, papers report US Ambassador to 
Turkey, Ross Wilson, said in a statement Wednesday that the Bush 
administration's position on the Armenian genocide issue has not 
changed.  "The Administration will be actively involved with the 
Congress to oppose this resolution," said Wilson. 
 
Turkey Warns over Oil Crisis between Cypriots 
Despite Turkish warnings, Milliyet reports the Greek Cypriots have 
sent a delegation to Texas in an effort to seek cooperation with US 
oil giants with regard to oil exploration in eastern Mediterranean. 
Nicosia has earlier signed oil exploration agreements with Lebanon 
and Syria, but the two countries have been warned by Turkey not to 
proceed with the deals, stressing that Turkey and Turkish Cypriots 
also had rights in the region. 
Turkish Cyprus "Prime Minister" Ferdi Sabit Soyer warned President 
Papadopoulos regarding oil reserves predicted to be around Cyprus. 
"Papadopoulos has invited evil to Mediterranean, offering the USD 
400 billion worth of oil to countries such as France, China, and 
Russia in an effort to strengthen his position in the UN Security 
Council.  The US, UK, and Israel will not remain bystanders to the 
developments.  This policy will drag Cyprus into a conflict in the 
type of the Middle East and Iraq," Soyer emphasized.  On Thursday, 
Turkish televisions reported Turkey sent warships to east 
Mediterranean offshore Cyprus to patrol the disputed areas.  Turkish 
General Staff chief (TGS) General Yasar Buyukanit denied reports, 
saying Turkey already had warships in the region.  Papers also 
report Cyprus said it will protest Turkey's warnings over Nicosia's 
oil exploration plans with littoral Mediterranean states at the UN 
and EU platforms. 
 
Matt Bryza Urges Turkey to be Patient on PKK Issue 
Hurriyet reports that US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matt 
Bryza talked to Hurriyet in Washington and said "We have not 
produced a concrete result on the PKK yet, but we know very well 
what we should be doing.  If you have some patience, you will see 
the results soon."  Bryza added that there will be no need for 
Turkey to send troops to Northern Iraq if the US produces some 
concrete results.  The north is the safest part of Iraq.  Naturally, 
we don't want Turkish interference there.  Therefore, we should 
fulfill our promises on the elimination of the PKK, Bryza stressed. 
On the so-called Armenian genocide issue, Bryza said "The November 7 
elections have changed everything.  We have to be engaged at the top 
levels through new tactics.  We are doing our best.  I, personally, 
 
ANKARA 00000215  003 OF 003 
 
 
spend every minute of my free time thinking of ways to obstruct the 
passage of the resolution.  In any case, I can say that there will 
be no changes in President Bush's traditional April 24 speech." 
Bryza reiterated that the US Administration trusts Turkish democracy 
and that "the annulment of Article 301 would strengthen Turkey on 
every front." 
 
Prof. Kaboglu's Request for Protection Rejected 
Radikal reports that Istanbul Governorate rejected the former 
chairman of the Prime Ministry Human Rights Commission, Prof Ibrahim 
Kaboglu's request for protection.  Just like Hrant Dink, Kaboglu as 
well, was tried under the Article 301 for preparing a "Report on 
Minorities."  During his trial, Kaboglu received countless threats 
through phone and e-mail.  These threats forced him to request 
protection in January 2006.  However, his request was rejected by 
the Istanbul Governorate, and he still is not under protection. 
 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV, 6.00 A.M. 
 
Domestic News 
 
- A row between Turkey and Iraq over the shipment of petroleum 
products has been resolved after Iraq's state oil company SOMO said 
in a letter to Ankara the old regime will be applied regarding oil 
trade between the two countries. 
 
- Professor Baskin Oran says he feared for his life because of a 
speech describing the Kurds in Turkey as a minority.  Oran was given 
close police protection over the death threats he received after 
Hrant Dink was murdered. 
 
- German publishers said on Wednesday Nobel-prize winning novelist 
Orhan Pamuk had cancelled a trip to Berlin and other German cities 
over concerns for his personal safety.  On Thursday, Pamuk 
reportedly cancelled another trip to Belgium due to threats he 
received. 
 
- Turkey's foreign trade deficit reached USD 51 billion in 2006, 
breaking a new record. 
 
International News 
 
- An EU delegation visits Turkish Cyprus to research possibilities 
for direct trade through Famagusta port. 
 
- Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis will hear the problems of 
Muslim Turks during a visit to Western Thrace on February 5-6. 
 
- Iraq has invited Turkey to join a March meeting of neighboring 
countries in Baghdad.  The US reportedly opposes that Iran and Syria 
be invited to the meetings. 
 
- Former State Secretary James A. Baker III called on the Bush 
administration to open dialogue with Syria which would eliminate a 
major hurdle for peace, Hamas' refusal to recognize Israel. 
 
- British police have arrested nine suspects in a major security 
swoop which involved a plot to kidnap and kill a Muslim British 
soldier. 
 
 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON