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Cablegate: Ankara Media Reaction Report

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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
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2005


THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE
THEMES:

HEADLINES
BRIEFING
EDITORIAL OPINION
--------------------------------------------- --

HEADLINES

MASS APPEAL
General Ozkok: I Will Step Down in August 2006 - Aksam
Parliamentary Commission to Investigate Semdinli Bombings -
Vatan 11/24
Syrians Kill 12 US Troops on Iraq Border - Hurriyet
Berlusconi: Italy Will Pull Out of Iraq by Late 2006 - Sabah
11/24
Ankara, EU Tense Over Roj-TV - Vatan 11/24
Merkel: Germany Will Keep Pledges on Turkey - Hurriyet
Blair: Turkey Must Implement EU Criteria, Including Free
Speech - Milliyet 11/24
Al-Jazeera Stages Silent Protest of US - Sabah 11/24
Welcome on Board CIA's `Torture Airlines' - Sabah

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OPINION MAKERS
EU Commission Believes Turkey `Has Done Nothing' Since Oct.
3 - Zaman
Rice Signals Reduction of US Troops in Iraq - Zaman 11/24
Pentagon: Saddam Used Phosphorus Bomb against Kurds -
Radikal 11/24
Suicide Car Bomb Kills 30 in Southern Iraq - Cumhuriyet
Oxford Research Group: Iraq War May Continue for Decades -
Yeni Safak 11/24
Uzbekistan Closes Air Corridor for NATO Flights to
Afghanistan - Yeni Safak
Gul: Mankind Indebted to Africa - Zaman 11/24


BRIEFING

Ozkok Says He Will Step Down Next Year: Dailies report that
General Hilmi Ozkok, chief of the Turkish General Staff
(TGS), put an end to long-standing speculation that he will
seek the presidency after retiring from the military next
year. Ozkok said in a statement issued Thursday that he is
not considering extending his tour o duty beyond August
2006, and that he will not enter politics following his
retirement. Many in the media had speculated that the AKP
Government may turn to General Ozkok as a presidential
candidate in May 2007, when the term of current president
Ahmet Necdet Sezer is due to expire. With regard to Sezer's
replacement, opposition parties favor an early election to
`renew' the parliament before the parliament elects a new
president. The AKP insists that a new election will not
come to the agenda before Sezer's term expires. The next
general election must be held no later than November 2007.

More on Barzani Meeting With Turkish Intelligence Chief:
"Hurriyet" reports that the meeting between Iraqi Kurdistan
Regional President Barzani and Turkish Intelligence
Undersecretary Emre Taner last month in Erbil focused mainly
on the PKK issue. The paper claims that the two sides
discussed measures that could be taken by the Iraqi side to
prevent PKK border infiltration into Turkey. They also
reviewed PKK activities in northern Iraq, and examined a
Turkish proposal to reestablish a number of security
stations along the Turkish-Iraqi border. "Hurriyet"
columnist Ferai Tinc claims that Taner also offered to
establish a free trade area between Turkey, northern Iraq,

ANKARA 00007013 002 OF 005


and northern Syria, provided that Iraq's Sunni Arab
population participates in larger numbers in the December 15
election and achieves greater representation in the new
Iraqi Government. Many other commentators view the meeting
as a sign that Turkey is seeking to establish a more
positive and `realistic' relationship with Iraqi Kurdish
leaders.

Ambassador Wilson to Arrive in Ankara in December: The new
US Ambassador to Turkey, Ross Wilson, will arrive in Ankara
on December 3, "Radikal" reported on Thursday. Wilson, who
has been granted `agrement' by the Turkish Government, was
approved by the US Senate on November 18 following his
nomination by President Bush. Wilson, known for his
`sensitivity' on the PKK issue, is expected to give priority
to combating terrorism during his term in Ankara, according
to the report.

CIA Plane May Have Flown Over Turkey on November 3: "Sabah"
reports on its front page today that a CIA plane allegedly
took off from Egypt on November 3 and flew through Turkish
airspace without responding to calls by Turkish air traffic
controllers to identify itself. Turkish Air Force jets were
reportedly sent to intercept the plane. The Turkish jets
`caught up' to the CIA plane near Istanbul, and escorted it
as far as the Bulgarian border. On its inside pages,
"Sabah" runs a story under the headline "Torture Airlines"
recounting numerous reports in the European media concerning
alleged transit and overflight of European countries by
planes operated by the CIA.

General Buyukanit to Visit US in December: Turkish Land
Forces Commander General Yasar Buyukanit will visit the US
December 10-14, papers report.
Buyukanit will discuss with the Americans the terrorist PKK
presence in northern Iraq, the global fight against
terrorism, and regional developments. Buyukanit is expected
to take over as Chief of General Staff in August 2006.

Turkish Civilian and Military Leaders to Discuss Semdinli
Incidents: Top Turkish military and civilian officials are
set to convene on Friday in Ankara to discuss issues related
to terrorism and security. The recent blasts in Semdinli,
in the southeastern province of Hakkari, and the ensuing
civil unrest that claimed six lives will be taken up at the
meeting, according to a statement released by the Prime
Ministry on Thursday. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan,
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, Justice Minister Cemil Cicek,
Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu, Defense Minister Vecdi
Gonul, Chief of General Staff General Hilmi Ozkok, Land
Forces Commander Yasar Buyukanit and Jandarma Commander
Fevzi Turkeri will attend the meeting. Justice Minister
Cemil Cicek told the press yesterday that a parliamentary
investigation into the bombings may not comply with Turkey's
constitution. Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc, however,
strongly backed the probe. Meanwhile, Hakkari Governor
Erdogan Gurbuz was reassigned by the Government yesterday to
a position in Tokat Province. The media interpreted the
move as an effort by the Prime Minister to be responsive to
the citizens of Hakkari on the Semdinli incident. Many
citizens called for the Governor to be removed during the
Prime Minister's recent visit to the troubled province.

Kretschmer Backs Investigation into Semdinli Blasts: The
European Commission Representative to Turkey, Ambassador
Hans Jorg Kretschmer, said that by investigating the
Semdinli bombings thoroughly regardless of the identity of
the perpetrators, Turkey can show that it is a country that
abides by the rule of law. Kretschmer recalled that some

ANKARA 00007013 003 OF 005


elements connected to the state may have been implicated in
the blasts. Kretschmer noted that he saw Prime Minister
Erdogan's recent visits to Diyarbakir and Hakkari as `very
important gestures.' Kretschmer also urged Turkey to be
`less defensive' about the Lausanne Treaty and more flexible
in approaching issues related to minorities. He said that
Turkey needed to align itself with European standards in the
treatment of minorities rather than being tied to the narrow
definition established at Lausanne. The Foreign Ministry
promptly issued a statement saying that provisions of the
Lausanne Treaty `can never be open to debate.'

Motaki to Visit Ankara Next Week: Iranian Foreign Minister
Manuchehr Motaki will make an offical visit to Ankara on
November 30. The visit will be the first by a senior
Iranian official since President Ahmadinajad took office.
Motaki will meet with Prime Minister Erdogan and Foreign
Minister Gul. Bilateral ties and regional developments will
be discussed during the visit. Ankara is expected to advise
Motaki that Tehran must respond positively to the
international community's expectations regarding Iran's
nuclear program. Iran's former ambassador to Ankara, Motaki
was known for making radical statements during his tenure in
Turkey. Iranian sources said that during his visit, Motaki
will convey a message from Tehran that the Iranian
Government wants to strengthen its ties with Turkey.

Turkish Cyprus Drafts Bill to Return Greek Cypriot Assets:
Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat drafted a bill that
will give Greek Cypriots the right to reclaim property
through Turkish Cypriot courts, "Hurriyet" reports. The
draft will pave the way for the European Court of Human
Rights (ECHR) to recognize `TRNC' courts as part of the
domestic legal system in Cyprus. If the ECHR accepts the
Turkish Cypriot initiative, Greek Cypriots will no longer be
allowed to file new lawsuits against Turkey in the European
Court, and the existing 1,300 cases will be transferred to
`TRNC.'

Bryza to Visit Nicosia in December: The Independent Greek
Cypriot daily "Politis" reported on Friday that US Deputy
Assistant Secretary Matt Bryza will visit Nicosia in the
first half of December in an effort to sound out both sides
in Cyprus on the solution process. Bryza will convey to
President Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Talat a
message from the State Department leadership that any new
initiative on the Cyprus issue must begin on the island
rather than abroad. He will stress that the two sides must
begin preliminary negotiations to find common ground that
will allow the resumption of the process. Within this
framework, the United States will seek to arrange a one-on-
one meeting between Papadopoulos and Talat in the presence
of a UN representative. The Americans believe a meeting
between the two leaders would constitute proof that the two
communities have the necessary political will to bridge
their differences.

Syria Sends Delegation to Turkish Cyprus: Following
initiatives by Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkmenistan to end
the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots, Syria sent an
official delegation to the `TRNC,' "Yeni Safak" reports.
The paper sees the shift in Damascus' policies on the Cyprus
issue as part of Syrian efforts to seek rapprochement with
Turkey.

Gul to Represent Turkey at OIC Mecca Summit: Turkey will be
represented by Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul at the
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) summit meeting
in Mecca on December 7-8, papers report. President Ahmet

ANKARA 00007013 004 OF 005


Necdet Sezer has decided not to attend the meeting, and
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan will be on an official visit
to Australia and New Zealand during that timeframe.

Two Turkish Hizbullah Members Sentenced to Life
Imprisonment: Two members of the Turkish Hizbullah
organization were sentenced to life without parole on
Thursday, and two others received long prison terms.
Revelations concerning a series of assassinations carried
out by the Hizbullah militants had shocked Turkey in the
late 1990s. Mehmet Emin Aksoy and Sehmuz Aksoy, believed to
have been the senior military operatives in the terrorist
organization, were sentenced to life in prison for
attempting to change Turkey's constitutional order. Two
other Hizbullah members, Abdulsamet Yildiz and Sadullah
Arpa, were sentenced to seven years and six months each.
Six suspects were cleared of charges, while the remaining
26, who were convicted of aiding the terrorist organization
but benefited from a `repentance law' for defectors, were
set free.

Poll: AKP Would Win a General Election: A new opinion poll
conducted by the ANAR company, known to be close to the
ruling AK Party, shows support for the AKP running at 45
percent, with the main opposition CHP in second position at
13 percent, "Vatan" reports. All other political parties
would fall below the 10 percent threshold for parliamentary
representation if an election were held today, according to
the survey.

Al-Jazeera Silences Broadcasts Briefly to Protest Bush:
Qatar-based al-Jazeera TV silenced its broadcasts for 15
minutes as a symbolic protest on Thursday to urge the US and
UK to clarify press reports claiming that President Bush
sought to bomb al-Jazeera, Turkish papers report. The
protest was held at the al-Jazeera headquarters in Qatar and
in its overseas bureaus, including in Turkey. Al-Jazeera
noted that the British newspaper "The Daily Mirror" had
reported that President Bush told Prime Minister Tony Blair
at a White House summit on April 16, 2004 that he wanted to
bomb Al-Jazeera's headquarters in Doha. If these
allegations are true, al-Jazeera said, it would be a
`shocking and distressing event' not only for al-Jazeera,
but for the whole media world.

19 PKK Members Arrested in Istanbul: Turkish police
arrested 19 suspected PKK terrorists in four separate
security operations in Istanbul yesterday, papers report.
Anti-Terror units also arrested 2 suspected PKK members
charged with the smuggling of handguns. Police seized 34
handguns, 53 cartridges, and 150 bullets in searches of the
homes and offices of the two terrorists.


EDITORIAL OPINION

"Turkish Intelligence Chief Meets Barzani"
Editor-in-Chief Ertugrul Ozkok commented in the mass-appeal
"Hurriyet" (11/24): "Turkish National Intelligence
Organization (MIT) Undersecretary Emre Taner met with the
regional President of Iraqi Kurdistan, Massoud Barzani, in
northern Iraq last month, four days before Barzani flew to
Washington for talks. This meeting indicates changes in
Turkish policies with regard to northern Iraq. US may leave
Iraq one day, but it will never leave the northern part of
the country. If it did, it would be a nightmare scenario
for the Kurds -- angry Sunni Arabs on one side, and Turkey,
Syria and Iran on the other, besieging the Kurdistan zone
from all sides. People in the US will not approve of troops

ANKARA 00007013 005 OF 005


rushing to the aid of the Kurds in such a scenario. Turkey
must face the reality of the region since March 1, 2003.
However, the Kurds also need a sense of realpolitik."

"Turkey's Northern Iraq Vision to be Determined by December
15 Polls in Iraq"
Ferai Tinc observed in the mass-appeal "Hurriyet" (11/25):
"Prime Minister Erdogan's chief foreign policy advisor
Professor Ahmed Davudoglu said Turkey has been in close
contact with all Iraqi groups, including the Shiites.
Turkey deems achieving stability in Iraq essential. If
December elections are held in a transparent way, and Sunnis
are given a chance to be represented at the Iraqi
parliament, said Davudoglu, problems in Iraq can be overcome
by establishing economic interdependence among Baghdad and
its neighbors. On the Hariri assassination probe, Davudoglu
said Turkey has been in continuous contact with Damascus and
UN in an effort to keep the channels for dialogue open.
Ankara opposes imposing long-term economic sanctions on
Damascus, and has stressed to the US that such embargoes
would not be in line with Turkey's interests. Iranian
Foreign Minister Mottaki's upcoming visit to Turkey next
week is another indication of Turkey's increasing influence
in the Middle East."

MCELDOWNEY

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