Cablegate: Ankara Media Reaction Report
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 006749
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TAGS: OPRC KMDR TU
SUBJECT: ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2005
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE
THEMES:
HEADLINES
BRIEFING
EDITORIAL OPINION
--------------------------------------------- --
HEADLINES
MASS APPEAL
France Extends Emergency Rule for 3 Months - Milliyet
France Deports Rioters - Star
`Islamophobia' Spreads in Britain - Aksam
Support for Le Pen Soars in France - Sabah
Barzani Continues World Tour, Meets Pope - Star
Hillary Clinton Defends Security Wall in Israel - Aksam
Dervis: Kashmir Needs Several Million USD Before Winter -
Vatan
Dissident Kazakh Leader Nurkadilov's Mystery Death - Sabah
Latin America Shifts to Left - Hurriyet
New Weapon for US Military: Chewing Gum - Milliyet
OPINION MAKERS
EU: PKK Obstructs Development in Southeast - Cumhuriyet
Attacks on Rise Before December Polls in Iraq - Yeni Safak
Blair: Britain May Pull Out of Iraq in 2006 - Cumhuriyet
Rice Works on Middle East Peace - Zaman
Rice Congratulates Sharon On Gaza Pullout - Cumhuriyet
Rice Seeks Agreement on Gaza - Radikal
Talat: Greek Cypriot Nationalism at `Alarming' Level -
Cumhuriyet
Erdogan, Putin, Berlusconi to Open `Blue Stream' in Turkey -
Yeni Safak
Annan: Islam Suffered Most from Religious Extremism - Zaman
Merkel: We Will Improve Trans-Atlantic Ties - Radikal
Two Suicide Attacks against ISAF in Kabul - Cumhuriyet
CIA Uses Mallorca for Transfer of Terror Suspects - Radikal
Defense Minister Ivanov to Replace Putin in 2008 - Radikal
Mexico Expects an Apology from Chavez - Yeni Safak
BRIEFING
Investigations into Semdinli Bombings: Turkey's ruling AK
Party is set to propose a parliamentary inquiry into the
bombing of a bookshop in the southeastern town of Semdinli
in which members of the security forces have been
implicated, papers report. There are claims that local
security forces were behind last Wednesday's blast in the
town, which resulted in the two deaths and several other
injuries. The bomb went off in front of a bookshop owned by
a convicted member of the outlawed PKK. The AKP wants to
speed up the investigation and hand it over to the
judiciary. Party representatives who are touring the area
in an effort to learn the full truth will prepare a report
for Prime Minister Erdogan. AKP lawmakers from southeastern
Turkey believe that the bookstore bombing in Semdinli must
be investigated along with other recent incidents in
Hakkari, Cukurca and Semdinli. On Monday, the main
opposition CHP and the Motherland Party (ANAP) submitted
separate motions to parliament demanding an investigation.
Late Tuesday afternoon, three demonstrators were reported
killed and more than twenty wounded in clashes with Turkish
security forces in the town of Yuksekova, not far from
Semdinli. Demonstrators reportedly set fire to a police
car.
Kalkan Calls on KDP, PUK to Mediate Between Turkey-PKK:
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Duran Kalkan, a member of the PKK-affiliated Democratic
Confederation of Kurdistan (KKK) and chairman of the
People's Defense Committee (HPG), called on the Iraqi
Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of
Kurdistan (PUK) to mediate between Turkey and the PKK to
seek a solution to the Kurdish problem, Copenhagen-based Roj
TV reported. Kalkan claimed that pressure is being applied
against Abdullah Ocalan as part of a scheme developed by the
United States, the EU, and Turkey. Kalkan lashed out at the
US for attempting to use the Kurds in line with American
policies. He claimed that many violent incidents in the
region have been perpetrated at the direction of the Turkish
General Staff (TGS.) `It is not the choice of the Kurds to
break away from Turkey, but racist, aggressive, and
chauvinistic policies are tearing Kurds and Turks apart. If
this continues, the Kurds cannot be integrated,' Kalkan
said. Kalkan blamed the AKP government for being afraid to
take firm steps toward a solution of the Kurdish problem,
and characterized PM Erdogan's initiative on the issue as a
`failure.'
Ten Kilos of C-4 Seized in Marmaris: Police captured four
suspects, two of them women, and 10 kg of C-4 plastic
explosives in Turkey's Aegean coastal town of Marmaris,
papers report. Authorities declined to elaborate on the
operation.
Oger Completes Historic Privatization Deal: The Lebanon-
based Oger Gorup paid 6.5 billion USD to Turkey yesterday to
finalize the purchase of a 55 percent ownership stake in
Turk-Telekom. The deal marks the largest and most important
privatization in the history of Turkey.
TGS Blocks Shipment of Military Equipment to Iraq: The
Turkish General Staff (TGS) has refused to allow the
delivery to Iraq of 74 MT-72 tanks through the Mediterranean
port of Iskenderun after learning that the port is being
used as a transfer point for large amounts of military
supplies destined for Iraq, "Cumhuriyet" reports. A request
to send the tanks to Iraq by the Mersin-based Okura and
Iskenderun-based Tempo transport companies has been rejected
by the TGS. A prosecutor in Iskenderun had been
investigating claims that the port has been used for
shipment of military explosives to Incirlik and military
vehicles to Iraq.
Alpogan Warns against Iraq's Partition: Yigit Alpogan,
secretary-general of the Turkish National Security Council
SIPDIS
(NSC), said that if stability is not achieved in Iraq, the
alternatives are `very bad and risky.' Alpogan told a
conference at the European Policy Centre think-tank in
Brussels on Monday that Kurdish autonomy in northern Iraq
would not be a `tenable situation.' `If Iraq disintegrates
with one group looking for a greater Kurdistan, Shiites in
the south aspiring to embrace other Shiite elements in the
region, and Sunnis open to Arab nationalism and
fundamentalism, then Pandora's box will have been opened.
Nobody will be safe from the effects of such a scenario,'
Alpogan said. Alpogan declined to discuss whether Turkey
may feel obliged to take military action under such
circumstances. He added that last month's constitutional
referendum had been `good for Iraq's future' despite the
continuing violence there.
Report on Civilian-Military Ties in Turkey: A report
drafted by the Center for European Security Studies (CESS)
and the Istanbul Policy Center (IPM) on civilian-military
ties in Turkey says that the National Security Council (NSC)
has been `domesticated,' Turkish papers report. `The Chief
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of the Turkish General Staff (TGS), Hilmi Ozkok, believes
that the military must stay out of everyday politics. He
prefers to sort out disagreements on matters directly
related to the TGS through persuasion, and believes that
democratically-elected politicians must have the final say.
The report notes that Prime Minister Erdogan has been
careful not to push policies that would generate opposition
from the military. The CESS/IPM report will constitute a
reference point for the EU Commission's progress report on
Turkey.
Talat Complains about Greek Cypriot Nationalism: Turkish
Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat complained on Monday that
rising Greek Cypriot nationalism directed against Turkish
Cypriots has reached a `dangerous level,' "Cumhuriyet"
reports. Talat claimed that the Greek side has been
pursuing discriminatory policies and a systematic campaign
to fuel nationalism against Turkish Cypriots. Talat claimed
that Greek Cypriot courts discriminate against the Turkish
Cypriots. In a recent move, the Greek Cypriots banned the
publication of Turkish Cypriot dailies on the Greek part of
the island. Talat warned that nationalism had been
responsible for past atrocities on the island.
Bartholomew I Calls for Reopening of Halki Seminary: The
head of the Greek Orthodox Church, Ecumenical Patriarch
Bartholomew I, criticized Turkey's policies toward non-
Muslim minorities in the country, especially with regard to
property rights. In Vienna to address a conference on Islam
on Wednesday, Bartholomew I called on the Turkish government
to reopen Halki Seminary in Istanbul, which he said would be
in the interests of a Turkey that is oriented toward the EU.
The Vienna conference will be attended by the presidents of
Iraq and Afghanistan, Jalal Talabani and Hamid Karzai, and
the Turkish secretary-general of the Organization of the
Islamic Conference (OIC), Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu.
Prosecutor Charges Human Rights Board Members: An Ankara
prosecutor has filed charges against the Professor Ibrahim
Kaboglu, former head of the prime ministry Human Rights
Advisory Board, and board member Professor Baskyn Oran for
`inciting separatism' and `insulting the judiciary' in a
report they drafted on the situation faced by minorities in
Turkey. The report, which was released by the board in
October 2004, accused Turkey of discriminating against its
minorities. Professor Oran said that the charges would give
him a chance to better explain, but added that the trial
would harm Turkey's EU entry bid.
Erdogan, Sezer to Open Bluestream: Prime Minister Erdogan
and President Sezer will travel to the Black Sea city of
Samsun on Thursday to participate in ceremonies marking the
opening of the Bluestream natural gas pipeline. Russian
President Vladimir Putin and Italian Prime Minister Silvio
Berlusconi will also attend.
Barzani Meets the Pope: Massoud Barzani, regional President
of Iraqi Kurdistan, was received by Pope Benedict XVI in the
Vatican yesterday. Barzani told the press after the meeting
that he had asked the Pontiff to continue his support for
stability and peace in Iraq. The two men also rportedly
discussed the Pope's concerns about religious freedom in
Iraq. Iraqi President Talabani had an audience with the
Pope last week.
Dervis: Pakistan Needs Urgent Help: The Turkish head of the
UN Development Program (UNDP), Kemal Dervis, said that
Turkish students set an example to the world by collecting
10 million USD within a few days for victims of the Pakistan
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earthquake, Turkish papers report. Dervis said that oil-
rich Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates have
donated 330 million USD, and that Turkey has pledged 150
million USD to earthquake-stricken Pakistan. Dervis
stressed that Pakistan urgently needs several billion
dollars if a looming humanitarian crisis is to be averted.
EDITORIAL OPINION: ITU Summit in Tunisia; France/EU
"The Tunisia Summit"
Fikret Ertan wrote in the Islamist-intellectual "Zaman"
(11/15): "There is going to be an important summit in
Tunisia tomorrow: the World Summit of the Information
Society. It will be held under the sponsorship of the
International Telecommunications Union. It seems that the
summit will focus on two issues -- the internet address
system, and the problems faced by underdeveloped countries
in achieving full access to the information society. In
fact, the US controls the internet system. This brings a
political dimension to the issue, which will likely be the
most controversial question taken up at the summit. . The
US government has control over global websites. Many
countries are bothered by tis, and are asking that the UN
take this responsibility away from the US and pass it to an
independent organization. Since no public statement is
available yet, we have no idea about Turkey's views on this
issue. We need to wait and see what will come out of the
summit in Tunisia"
"Incidents in Paris and Turkey"
Haluk Ulman commented in the economic-political "Dunya"
(11/15): "Most people in Turkey wonder whether the
incidents in Paris are going to affect Turkey. In my
opinion, even if there is no direct effect, there will be
indirect consequences that bear on efforts to establish a
coexistence between two very different cultures.
Unfortunately, it seems likely that these incidents will
contribute to the Islamophobia that has surfaced in Europe,
and will further call into question Turkey's prospects for
EU accession. No matter how many times we emphasize that
Turkey's accession to the EU will encourage peace between
civilizations (meaning the Islam and Christian worlds),
there are countless people in Europe who just don't believe
that. In the eyes of the Europeans, there is only one
civilization, and that is a Judeo-Christian one. In this
view, those who do not belong to this civilization have no
place in Europe. It is no coincidence that a German who
claims that Europe is based on Christian beliefs and values
is now heading the Catholic Church."
MCELDOWNEY