Cablegate: Ankara Media Reaction Report

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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
MONDAY, MAY 14, 2007

In Today's Papers

The Republic Rally
All papers report that 1.5 million people gathered yesterday in the
Aegean city of Izmir, decorating the city's Kordon district with
flags and chanting slogans against the government. Mainstream Vatan
says that hundreds of thousands of people turned the city into a
poppy field with the flags and they were "as ardent as they would be
if they were there to meet Ataturk." Mainstream Sabah describes the
rally as a "feast of democracy." Papers report that there was
disappointment in Izmir when leaders of the Republican People's
Party (CHP) and Democratic Left Party (DSP) did not jointly announce
their alliance, as had been expected. Popular slogans at the rally
included "Union on the Left," "Turkey is Secular and Will Stay
Secular" and "We do not Want a Sharia State."

Editorial Comment on the Rally: "Listen to the Voice of Masses"
Nationalist-leftist daily Cumhuriyet editorialized on page one:
"When the ruling party organized a rally recently, it had a
political purpose. However the rally of the masses in Izmir belongs
to neither a political party nor the government. The rally was a
unique people's movement, an effort to bring a broader vision to
Turkey. These rallies are bi-partisan popular acts and receive no
financing. It also demonstrates the overall political awareness
level - the people are more alert than the politician. The
participants are calling for opposition parties, particularly in the
left wing, to unite as soon as possible. Politicians should
urgently work to find ways to turn this energy of the masses to
synergy. The voice of the masses cannot be ignored."

A Counter Memorandum from Intellectuals against the Military
Memorandum
Mainstream Milliyet and liberal Radikal report that 500
intellectuals issued a "counter memorandum" in response to the
military memorandum of April 27. They stated that they reject the
memorandum, they have right to resist against all kinds of
initiatives that would interfere in democracy and that politics
could not be conducted under the shadow of military force.

Iraq's Future and Transatlantic Relations Conference
Liberal Radikal reports that the first session of Istanbul meetings
arranged by Radikal newspaper and Turkish Foreign Policy
Association, sponsored by Garanti Bank, took place in Istanbul
yesterday. Turkish and foreign media members, representatives of
non-governmental offices discussed the situation in Iraq and agreed
that the US always supported Turkey on the path to EU and in its
relations with the EU. However, it is generally believed that the
US Administration's Iraq policy has had a negative role in Turkey's
stability.

Meanwhile, mainstream Sabah reports that the International Iraq Fair
will be held in the southeastern Turkish city of Gaziantep May
23-27. Reportedly, more than one thousand companies from thirty
different countries will attend the fair. The report comments that
the fair will help Gaziantep become the industrial and commercial
center of the Middle East.

TV News:
(NTV, 8 A.M.)
Domestic News

- The world's premiere press freedom organization opened its annual
meeting in Istanbul yesterday. The speakers at the World Congress
of the International Press Institute (IPP) discussed Turkish
secularism and censorship in the US.

- DSP Leader Zeki Sezer said cooperation with main opposition CHP is
aimed at unseating the ruling AKP.

- Chairperson of the Constitutional Court Tulay Tugcu said,

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referring to the constitutional change package now under
consideration by President Sezer, "constitutional reforms passed by
parliament do not amount to regime changes."

International News

- World media gives extensive coverage to the Izmir rally for
secularism.

- Former CIA president George Tenet says war between Turkey and
Greece in 1996 was averted with Washington's efforts.

- A suicide truck bomber crashed into the offices of the KDP in
Erbil, killing at least 50 people and wounding 70.

- The United States and Iran will meet in Baghdad in the next few
weeks to discuss Tehran taking a productive role in Iraq's
security.
-

WILSON

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