ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001652 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 TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2006 In Today's Papers ATC Conference in Washington All papers: Brent Scowcroft, Chairman of the American- Turkish Council (ATC,) said at the 25th annual ATC conference in Washington that both Turkey and the United States must work hard to maintain their important relationship. Ambassador Ross Wilson noted that Turkey is the fastest growing economy in Europe, adding that the US is among the countries that made the most foreign investment in Turkey in 2005. Wilson praised the Turkish government's implementation of its IMF program. He also said that Iraq would move toward stability and prosperity with the establishment of a new government, which would also help in efforts to eliminate the PKK presence in the country. Wilson noted that "Turkey's support will be key in ensuring an international consensus" on Iran's nuclear program. "Turkey called on Iran to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency, and that is important," he added. Turkish Ambassador Nabi Sensoy said that Turkey and the United States have mutual interests in the spread of democracy across the world. Turkish Union of Chambers (TOBB) President Rifat Hisarciklioglu said the Erez industrial zone formed by Israel, Palestine and Turkey would contribute to the Israel-Palestinian peace process. EU Parliamentarian Joost Langedijk (Holland) pointed to potential problems in Turkey's relationship with the EU. Lagendijk said that a mini-crisis over the Cyprus is likely before this autumn, and noted that the pace of reforms in Turkey has slowed in recent months. Pace: High Level Talks Important in Reducing Misunderstandings between Friends Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Cumhuriyet, Radikal, Zaman, Yeni Safak and others quote General Peter Pace, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, as telling journalists en route to the US from Turkey over the weekend that he tried "to solidify the superb relationship" between Turkey and the US. Pace pointed to the importance of high-level meetings "to reduce misunderstandings between friends." "I looked them in the eye and told them the truth," Pace said, adding that ups and downs might be seen at times in relations with all countries. Erdogan in Sudan to Attend Arab League Summit Hurriyet, Milliyet, Vatan, Sabah, Cumhuriyet,Radikal, Yeni Safak: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in Sudan to participate in the Arab League Summit meeting, told the gathering yesterday that laws adopted in EU countries and the US against Muslims had caused "fault lines" that threaten social peace. Erdogan said that nations around the world should cooperate against terrorism, and warned against traps set by those who seek a clash of civilizations. He encouraged intelligence sharing among countries in the struggle against terrorism. Erdogan noted that cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad had prompted a crisis, and that freedom of speech should have limits. "Jesus and Moses are also our prophets. We expect the same attitude toward Islam from the followers of other faiths," Erdogan said. Erdogan also criticized the 'trillions of dollars' spent for military armament around the world. Vatan says that Erdogan's planned visit to Darfur might be cancelled due to security reasons. Unity among Arab nations at the summit is a remote possibility, writes a columnist from the conservative daily Turkiye. In his column, Yilmaz Oztuna reminded about Arab League summits held in the past and concluded: "History tells us that unity among Arab countries is possible only on ANKARA 00001652 002 OF 003 paper. Those nations do not have a sense of unity and solidarity. As the Arab League Summit convenes in Sudan, we shall see how much unity emerges. Turkey has been the only country making efforts on Iraq. None of the Arab countries has done anything significant on the Iraq issue. Iraq is the main problem for discussion at the Arab League summit, but frankly speaking, a productive reslt will be as elusive today as it has been atthe League's first 17 summits." Tensions betwen US-Shiites on Rise in Iraq All papers: Tensions in Iraq increased after an American raid on a mosque in Baghdad's Sadr district, which killed at least 22. Following the raid, the Shiites asked the US to hand over the security of Baghdad, and Governor al-Tahan suspended cooperation with the Americans until an independent investigation is completed. The Iraqi government, al-Sadr's militia, and Prime Minister Jafari accused US forces of 'massacring' people praying in the mosque. A statement by the US military said the attack was perpetrated by Iraqi security forces. Meanwhile, a suicide attack against a US-Iraq military base in Mosul reportedly killed 40, most of whom were Iraqis waiting at the base entrance to be recruited. President Bush Praises Turkey in a Letter to Ambassador Sensoy Hurriyet reports that President Bush, in a letter to Turkey's new Ambassador in Washington, Nabi Sensoy, expressed gratitude for Turkish efforts to convince Sunni groups to join the democratic process in Iraq. Bush expressed support for Turkey's EU membership bid, and welcomed Turkish efforts to prevent a clash of civilizations. Bush said that recent visits of the FBI and CIA directors to Turkey show the importance attributed by the US to cooperation with Turkey in the struggle against terrorism. President Bush also thanked the Turkish people for their assistance to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. "Democracy a La Carte is not an Option" Sami Kohen observed in the mainstream Milliyet (3/28): "Expanding democracy throughout the world has become a major goal for the US and the western community. But what they really want is to establish Western-style democracies with pro-Western leaders. When those expectations are not realized, democracy advocates find themselves in a quandary. There are various examples of this, such as Afghanistan and Palestine. Everyone is aware of the fact that once other Arab nations like Egypt, Jordan and Syria transform to a democratic system and go to free elections, all of them will end up with religious fundamentalists as the winners. Westerners should take a lesson from these developments and understand better about these different socio-cultural dynamics. They must also accept that their own democratic models may not necessarily produce the same results elsewhere. Working for the expansion of human rights and freeoms in other countries also requires the willinness to bear the consequences of democratic results. The fact is that there is no such thing as democracy a la carte." TV Highlights NTV (8 a.m) Domestic News - The main opposition CHP hosted 30 spouses of ambassadors in Ankara, including the US and Japan, for a discussion of women's issues. ANKARA 00001652 003 OF 003 - Secretary Rice sent a get-well message to Foreign Minister Gul following his ear surgery. Rice also said she was looking forward to meeting with FM Gul. International News - Polls show Israeli Prime Minister Olmert's Kadima Party far ahead of its competitors. Observers expect Kadima to win one-third of the seats in the Knesset today. - A suicide bomb attack against a US-Iraq base in Mosul killed over 30 people, mostly Iraqis. - Prime Minister Blair has pledged to keep British troops in Iraq and Afghanistan until the two countries are stabilized. - Preliminary results indicate that Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has lost to rival Yulia Tymoshenko and the pro-Russian candidate Viktor Yanukovych in Ukrainian parliamentary elections held on Sunday. - Greek Cypriot President Papadopoulos said he is ready to meet Turkish Cypriot 'President' Talat to discuss the fate of people who went missing following Turkey's occupation of the northern part of the island in 1974. Economy News - The State Statistics Institute reported that Turkey's jobless rate rose to 11.2 percent (21,332 million) in the November-January period, compared with 10.6 percent reported for the last three months of 2005. Despite sound economic growth, targeted at 5 percent for this year, unemployment -- at 10.3 percent for the whole of 2005 -- has remained a weak spot as large numbers of young people enter the labor market. - The Fitch Credit Rating Agency said that IMF warnings and ambiguity over the appointment of a new Central Bank governor have delayed positive developments on Turkey's international credit rating. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ MCELDOWNEY