Cablegate: Ankara Media Reaction Report

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Dianne Wampler 08/09/2006 04:40:29 PM From DB/Inbox: Dianne Wampler

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UNCLAS ANKARA 04525

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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
MONDAY, AUGUST 7, 2006

In Today's Papers

PKK Kills Soldiers; Bahceli Slams Government PKK Policy
All papers report four Turkish soldiers were killed and eight others
wounded in an ambush by PKK militants in the mountainous province of
Gumushane near the Black Sea coast on Sunday. Over the weekend,
Turkey's extreme nationalist party MHP made a show of force with
around 400,000 supporters attending an annual party meeting. MHP
leader Devlet Bahceli criticized the ruling AK Party for
"encouraging PKK terrorism," stressing that Prime Minister Erdogan
will be held to account for those killed by the PKK separatists.
Bahceli called for early elections. Meanwhile, Turkey's main
Kurdish party DTP chairman Ahmet Turk warned the government against
a cross-border military incursion into northern Iraq, saying it
would not solve problems but only worsen the situation.

Conflict in the Middle East
All papers continue coverage of the ongoing Israeli offensive as
well as the Hezbollah attack on Kfar Giladi in which 11 Israeli
troops were killed. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem said
"Syria is prepared for a regional war." News commentaries say
Israel's bloody attacks in Lebanon have overshadowed the
deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza. Additionally, papers
report that over the weekend, a group of 45 Turkish "Volunteers for
Palestine" departed Istanbul for Damascus to show solidarity with
Palestine and Hezbollah against Israel.

Commenting in conservative Turkiye, Yilmaz Oztuna argues that the
actions of Israel, backed by the US, may have the opposite of their
intended effect: "It is not possible to disarm such terrorist
organizations by attacking them -- the only way is to dry up their
sources of arms. Israel and the US were disturbed by Hamas and
Hezbollah militants winning seats in parliament. The US believes
that such developments are the biggest insult for democracy. The
two allies, the US and Israel, together with the UK want to warn
Palestine and Lebanon on this issue. Hezbollah and Hamas supporters
are increasing with every passing day. If the spreading war ends,
there is a big possibility that both organizations could end up
ruling their countries as the majority party in their governments
after the next elections."

Editorial Commentary: The War on Terror
Ergun Babahan argues in the mass appeal Sabah that US actions over
the past few years reveal it to be "the biggest threat": "The Bush
Administration invaded Afghanistan first in the name of democracy
and the fight against terrorism, but, now the administration is
struggling to fight against the powerful Taliban. The occupation of
Iraq followed the Afghanistan occupation. President Bush claimed
that the US would establish democracy there; however, Iraq also
turned into a hell with innocent people dying everyday. The US's
biggest ally in the region, Israel, followed in the US's footsteps
and decided to bring democracy to Lebanon and Palestine. Everyday,
innocent people, the majority Muslim, are killed with American
ideology and weapons. Every terrorist attack in the West causes the
world to shake, but all countries prefer to remain silent in the
current situation. While they are causing the deaths of so many
innocent people, they are shamelessly talking about Islamic terror.
This past year's death toll alone is enough to prove that they are
the biggest threat for the world. After all this, they seem to be
shocked to see increased anti-Americanism in the region from Turkey
to Pakistan."

TGS on Handcuffing of Turkish Major in Incirlik Airbase
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Zaman, Yeni Safak and others
report the Turkish General Staff (TGS) issued a statement over the
weekend with regard to the brief handcuffing of a Turkish pilot,
Major Ferih Dincer, and his wife by a US sergeant on Incirlik
Airbase in south Turkey last year. TGS said the Turkish major was
drunk, that he violated traffic rules in the parking lot, and that
Dincer and his wife were removed from the vehicle and taken into
custody when they resisted an order to get out of their vehicle.
After a discussion with US officers, a judicial procedure was
launched against the US sergeant who was then sent home from Turkey,
said the TGS statement. Dincer later resigned, blaming the Turkish
military for "doing nothing about the incident."

Turkish Imam to Attend 9/11 Court Case against US
Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Zaman, Yeni Safak and others report a
Turkish imam, Ibrahim Turkmen, will travel to New York on a "special
visa" to attend the court hearing of his case against former
Attorney General John Ashcroft and former FBI Chairman Robert
Mueller for ethnic and religious discrimination. Turkmen said he
was detained and tortured in New Jersey Passaic Prison after the
September 11 attacks. "If I win the case, it will set a model for
some 100 victims who have suffered from inhuman treatment similar to
what I was subjected to," Turkmen said.

Poll: AKP Leads in Possible Early Elections
Saturday's Sabah carries a survey conducted by the polling company
ANAR according to which if elections were held today, the ruling AK
Party would receive 32.7 percent of votes, followed by CHP 11.5,
pro-Kurdish DTP 5.3, MHP 5.1, DYP 4.9, ANAP 3.3. One-third -- 33.9
percent -- of respondents were undecided.

TV News:
(NTV, 8.00 A.M.)

Domestic News

- Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, accompanied by a 400-person
delegation including 45 businessmen, is due to pay a three-day visit
to Turkey on Tuesday to sign agreements on military cooperation and
trade. King Abdullah will be received by President Sezer in Ankara
before meeting with Prime Minister Erdogan on August 9 in Istanbul.

- Turkish police on Sunday detained 17 demonstrators in Istanbul as
they attempted to protest against the ongoing Israeli military
offensive in Lebanon. Following the morning prayers in the
conservative Fatih neighborhood of Istanbul the same day, a group of
people prayed for those killed in Palestine and Lebanon, and chanted
slogans protesting Israel.

- Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF) Chairman Sadettin Ergec and six other
Turkmen officials are to visit Turkey on Monday to discuss the 2007
referendum in Kirkuk as well as the strains between Turkmen and
Kurdish groups in the region.

- A public opinion survey conducted by international polling company
GfK shows that the military tops the list of most trusted
institutions in Turkey by 91 percent whereas politicians are
regarded as the least trusted by 23 percent, down from 32 percent in
2005. The survey was carried out in 20 countries with one-on-one
interviews with 19,674 people.

International News

- Hezbollah killed 11 Israeli conscripts in its deadliest rocket
attack since the beginning of the Israeli offensive on Lebanon.
Over the weekend, US Assistant Secretary of State David Welch met
with Lebanese officials in Beirut on ways to end the conflict.

- The UN expressed deep concern that the deteriorating humanitarian
situation in the Gaza Strip was being neglected due to Israel's
ongoing operations in Lebanon.

- Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani said Tehran will not
suspend uranium enrichment as demanded by the UN Security Council.

- A suicide bomber attacked a funeral in Tikrit, killing 10 and
wounding 18 others.

Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at

http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/

WILSON

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