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Viewing cable 10ANKARA298, TURKISH MEDIA REACTION

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
10ANKARA298 2010-02-24 13:00 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Ankara
VZCZCXRO2020
OO RUEHDA
DE RUEHAK #0298/01 0551300
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 241300Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2234
RUEKJCS/CJCS WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC//PA
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU
INFO RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 0329
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 7039
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 4531
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 7812
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 7737
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 4338
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 000298 
 
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 
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2010 
 
Media Highlights 
 
US Embassy Ankara-Turkey Media Reaction, as prepared by the Public 
Affairs Information Office 
 
How the US is Playing 
 
Jeffrey at the American Business Forum in Turkey - Hurriyet reports 
that Ambassador Jeffrey commented that "we support Turkey's efforts 
to invite investment to Turkey" and "Turkey has proved to be a 
trustworthy country for investments" at yesterday's well-attended 
launch of a new ABFT survey on trade and investment in Turkey. 
Semi-official Anatolian Agency quoted Ambassador Jeffrey as saying 
"Private sector and investments are of great importance for the 
improvement of commercial relations between Turkey and the US. 
Turkey is expected to attract more investments in the future." 
Expressing the US Government's support on the issue, Jeffrey said 
the government desires US businessmen to work together with their 
Turkish counterparts.  Pointing to the recent global economic 
crisis, Jeffrey said Turkey was in a stable position despite the 
crisis, adding that the country is still attractive for foreign 
investors thanks to its accurate policies. 
 
Greek Lobby Calls for Jeffrey Resignation - In an inside page story, 
Sabah reports that the American Hellenistic Institution has taken 
issue with Ambassador Jeffrey's recent remarks in a Sabah interview 
and have asked President Obama to withdraw Jeffrey from Turkey.  Of 
concern to the Greeks are his remarks that "Turkey is a peaceful 
country," and one that "doesn't occupy (isgal etmiyor) its 
neighbors."  The institute accuses Jeffrey of defending Turkey's 
invasion of Cyprus. 
 
Genocide Initiative from the Parliamentarians 
Mainstream Sabah reports that five Parliamentarians, under the 
leadership of Foreign Relations Committee chair Murat Mercan, will 
be travelling to the US at the weekend.  Reportedly, the group will 
meet with their counterparts in Washington to give the message that 
in case of a genocide resolution approval, Turkey-US relations will 
be damaged immensely. 
 
Amb. Davies in Turkey:  Milliyet's Sami Kohen, as well as 
English-language reports in Today's Zaman and Hurriyet Daily News, 
comment on the Ambassador Glynn Davies visit to Turkey. Citing a 
"top level American source from the IAEA," Kohen notes that "Iran is 
not keeping up with its IAEA promises," and that negotiations about 
the nuclear standoff are now "conducted as if among the deaf." Kohen 
predicts that the expected report in March will point the way to 
sanctions against Iran and that "Turkey will have to take sides." 
 
 
Websites: 
 
"Rift Develops Between Allies and Turkey Over Iran" (Hurriyet Daily 
News) 
 
"Ankara, Washington singing different tune on Iran row" (Today's 
Zaman 
 
WH Spokesman on Iran:  In "Harsh Warning to Iran from US," Milliyet 
and Sabah report that Spokesman Gibbs commented yesterday that 
"We've come to the end of our time and patience" with Iran. 
 
In the Headlines 
 
"Heated Times in Ankara" (Milliyet) 
Media outlets continue to give extensive and prominent front page 
play of the ongoing "Sledgehammer" coup plot allegations, including 
actual charges made on 2/23 against two serving admirals and 5 
retired senior army officers who were among the 49 originally 
detained.  "Meeting at Army Headquarters to Discuss Serious 
Situation" says Islamist Yeni Safak, in reporting on an emergency 
 
ANKARA 00000298  002 OF 003 
 
 
summit of all serving army generals held in Ankara in the evening of 
2/23.  "Sledgehammer Tension" headlines mainstream Vatan, which 
notes the wide-spread speculation that some army senior officers are 
planning to resign.  Many papers also carry excerpts from Western 
press analysis of the situation.  Meanwhile, Turkish pundits 
continue to offer a polarized approach.  In mainstream Hurriyet, 
Cuneyt Ulsever finds allegations related to Sledgehammer "go beyond 
imagination and are very hard to believe" while Ali Bayramoglu in 
Islamist Yeni Safak accuses mainstream/secular writers for "acting 
as coup mongers."  Asli Aydintasbas in mainstream Milliyet also 
wonders about the accuracy of accusations against high ranking 
generals, and thinks the whole thing is "very mind confusing." 
Liberal Radikal's Murat Yetkin details the government's attempt for 
crisis management: "The government did not wait to take action, 
sending acting PM Cicek to the TGS for a meeting with General 
Basbug."  However, he concludes, "even though both sides express 
each other's concerns to each other's faces, it does not mean that 
the crisis is over." 
 
English dailies: 
"Washington unconcerned by arrest of generals" (Hurriyet Daily 
News) 
 
"EU, US back Sledgehammer investigation for Turkey's democracy" 
(Today's Zaman) 
 
"Opposition CHP is unhappy that EU Parliamentarians only read 
'certain' newspapers" (Today's Zaman) 
 
President Gul Seeks to Reduce Tension Between Government, Judiciary 
 
Today's papers and TV channels focus on President Gul's new efforts 
Tuesday through meetings with top justices and government 
representatives in an effort to reduce tension between the executive 
and the judiciary. According to presidential sources, Gul invited 
Hasim Kilic, president of the Constitutional Court and Justice 
Minister Sadullah Ergin for a tte-`-tte.  Kilic and Ergin are also 
expected to hold meetings with the president Wednesday. 
 
Al-Qaeda Criticizes and Threatens Turkey for its role in 
Afghanistan 
All papers and TV channels report on a newly released, 
unauthenticated video from al-Qaeda that condemns Turkey for its 
role in Afghanistan.  The man speaking on the video, who claims to 
be Ayman al-Zawahiri or al-Qaeda's No. 2, says Turkey is committing 
crimes against Islam and Muslims by participating in the war in 
Afghanistan.  CNN reported that it could not authenticate the 
message but that the voice was "consistent with al-Zawahiri's 
intonation and accent." 
 
Iran Captures Cundullah(God's Army) Leader (Sabah) 
Turkey's Islamist-oriented media and the seculars are reporting 
loads on the capture by Iranian  forces of a wanted Iranian Sunni 
activist Abdulmelik Rigi who has been returned to Iran.  Prominent 
coverage of claims by Iranian press that the US used this 
"terrorist" in operations in Pakistan and Iran and that "now his 
time is finished."  Media quote Iran's Intelligence Minister in 
claims that the "terrorist" was given an Afghani passport by the 
Americans.  Islamist oriented Yeni Safak notes that Iranian 
Intelligence Minister Haydar Moslehi claimed that Rigi went to an US 
base in Afghanistan 24 hours before his arrest. 
 
 
TV Spotlight (CNN Turk) 
 
Vatan newspaper web site editor Aylin Duruoglu was released 
yesterday after ten months detention.  She was accused of being 
member of the terrorist organization 'Revolutionary Headquarters' 
 
UN Drug Trafficking report mentions Turkey in the "insufficient" 
category and report that only 10 percent of heroin is captured by 
 
ANKARA 00000298  003 OF 003 
 
 
Turkish police as Turkey continues to become a transit route. 
 
17 Miners were killed in a firedamp explosion in a mine in Western 
province Balikesir last night 
 
Five children were given seven years prison sentence each for 
throwing stones to the police during PM Erdogan's visit to 
Diyarbakir in 2008 
 
MHP leader Bahceli announced that his party will not give any 
support to the constitutional reforms proposed by the government 
 
Some 187 children have been killed in the war in Northern Yemen 
since August, according to a report issued by UNICEF 
 
Iranian President Ahmedinejad will travel to Damascus on Thursday 
for talks with Syrian counterpart Bashar Al-Assad 
 
Iran's Atomic Energy Organization leader Ali Akbar Salehi says that 
Iran plans to build two more uranium enrichment plants at shielded 
mountain locations. 
 
JEFFREY