ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 007439 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, DECEMBER 19, 2005 THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE THEMES: HEADLINES BRIEFING EDITORIAL OPINION -------------- -- Monday, December 17-19, 2005 HEADLINES MASS APPEAL Turkish Translators' Iraq Story - Hurriyet Suleymaniye Looks Like `Little America' - Sabah Defense Minister Gonul Disturbed by Words of Suleymaniye Translators - Milliyet NATO General Secretary Scheffer in Ankara - Milliyet Court Decision Might Have Impact on Pamuk Case - Aksam Kissinger: "A Secure Iraq Depends on Turkey" - Turkiye The US: "We Do Not Have Some Magic Bullet" - Milliyet (12/17) Ambassador Wilson: "PKK is on our List of Priorities" - Hurriyet (12/17) New York Times: "Bush Authorized NSA to Spy on Americans" - Milliyet (12/17) Court Orders Halt in Orhan Pamuk Case - Hurriyet (12/17) OPINION MAKERS FM Gul: "We are not Against the Halki Seminary" - Cumhuriyet Turkish MFA has no Information Regarding Suleymaniye Translators - Radikal PKK Bargaining with NATO - Radikal Cheney in Iraq for the Fist Time Since the Occupation - Zaman Turkish F-16s Almost Shot a CIA Plane Down - Yeni Safak Assassination Attempt Against Ahmedinejad - Yeni Safak Message from the US Ambassador - Radikal (12/17) Spying Scandal in the US - Cumhuriyet (12/17) BRIEFING Ambassador Wilson's Press Event: Over the weekend all papers extensively covered new US Ambassador Ross Wilson's first press conference in Ankara. The Ambassador said that cooperation between Turkey and the US in the fight against the PKK and on issues related to Iran, Syria and Cyprus would increase. All papers quoted the Ambassador as saying that `We know that Turkey's fight against the PKK has been difficult for the past twenty years, especially for those who lost loved ones. In the last few months we have been working together with the Turkish government trying to develop a package of measures. Fighting against the PKK is a complex and multifaceted problem. The US doesn't have some magic bullet that it can use against this problem and solve it. If that were the case, Turkey would have solved the problem twenty years ago. It requires complex measures.' Court Orders Halt in Pamuk Case: The trial of Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk, charged with insulting the Turkish national identity (article 301 of the penal code),was halted Friday when the Judge said the court would need the approval of the Justice Ministry to proceed. The next hearing for the trial was set for February 7. "Hurriyet" draws attention to another decision that might impact the Pamuk trial. Journalist Rahmi Yildirim was acquitted of insulting the army in violation of the same penal code article. The court based its ruling on freedom of expression and added that Turkey had to abide by European Court of Human Rights standards. The verdict of the Supreme ANKARA 00007439 002 OF 003 Court in Yildirim's trial will be taken into account in the trial of Orhan Pamuk. Turkish Translators in Suleymaniye Incident: Weekend papers carried the story of two Turkish citizens who worked as translators between Turkish and US military officials during the Suleymaniye incident (July 4, 2003). The two translators, worried they would be accused of treason in Turkey, asked for political asylum in the US. Today's "Milliyet" says that the Turkish Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul was disturbed by the translators' comments that Gonul had shouted at American officers to find the people responsible for the incident immediately. Minister Gonul denied the allegations saying that this is "not my style." Cheney in Iraq: "Radikal" and "Yeni Safak" reported that US Vice President Dick Cheney paid a surprise visit to Iraq on Sunday, on his way to Afghanistan. Assassination Attempt Against Ahmedinejad: "Hurriyet" and "Yeni Safak" reported that an assassination attempt against Iran's Ahmedinejad last Thursday failed. Ahmedinejad wasn't in the car during the incident, but his driver and one of his bodyguards were killed in the attempt. EDITORIAL OPINION: US-Turkey Relations; Ambassador Ross Wilson "US-Iran Tension Line Going Through Turkey" Mustafa Balbay commented in the leftist-nationalist "Cumhuriyet" (12/19): "The press conference new US Ambassador Ross Wilson held after the CIA and FBI visits clarified the Bush Administration's demands from Turkey. After months without assigning a new Ambassador to Ankara, the US has now indicated that they have some good news for Turkey in 2006. During his press conference Ambassador Wilson made the following points: Turkey and the US agree on Iran and Syria, however, there are policy differences on how to solve the issues; the US has no magic wand to use to resolve the PKK issue; the PKK has financial sources in Europe; and new steps should be taken to resolve the Cyprus situation. We mentioned last week that the PKK wasn't the main topic during the CIA and FBI meetings in Turkey. Ambassador Wilson's remarks during his press conference confirmed this fact. We do not want to give a cold welcome to Ambassador Wilson but we do want to offer the following responses: It is true that you don't have a `magic wand' in your hand but there is definitely a `poisonous wand' around; it is true that PKK's financial sources are in the Europe but the US has now become Turkey's southeast neighbor and the PKK has increased its activities mostly in that area; and if we evaluate the CIA visit once again, the CIA delegation revealing all of Iran's activities to the Turkish officials reminded them that Iran has not yet acknowledged that the PKK is a terrorist organization!" "While Listening to Ross Wilson" Kamuran Ozbir wrote in the nationalist "Ortadogu" (12/19): "While listening to Ambassador Wilson at his meeting with diplomatic correspondents last week, I couldn't help being impressed by his respectful and strong personality. The Ambassador said some interesting things about the PKK, relations with Iran, CIA planes and about Ataturk. It is a well known fact that the US has supported Turkey's fight against the PKK for the last twenty years. As we all remember, a short while ago US Embassy counselor, Nancy McEldowney stressed the determination of Washington on this issue when she said `it is not possible to allow the PKK to continue its bloody acts.' Ambassador Wilson urged Turkey ANKARA 00007439 003 OF 003 to cooperate more closely on Iran and Syria-related issues. Regarding the CIA planes, the Ambassador referred to comments made by Secretary Rice and FM Gul and added that such activities take place without violating Turkey's sovereignty. At the end of his speech Ambassador Wilson praised Ataturk highly and said that `Ataturk's success is a source of pride for the Turkish people and the same success has inspired other countries on the way to democracy.' The Ambassador completed his remarks by saying that he'll do his best to improve the strategic relations between the US and Turkey." WILSON