ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002444

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
WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2006


In Today's Papers

Turkish Military Activities on Iraqi Border
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Vatan, Cumhuriyet, Radikal,
Zaman, Yeni Safak and others report the Turkish General
Staff (TGS) operations chief General Bekir Kalyoncu as
saying at a press briefing Tuesday that the presence of
Turkish troops in northern Iraq is no secret. Kalyoncu
said: "Turkish troops in northern Iraq are not operational
units. Our presence will keep on as long as the terrorist
activities continue in the region." Ambassador Ross Wilson
told the press at yesterday's Israeli National Day reception
that while in Iraq, Secretary Rice had made clear Turkey's
views with regard to the PKK presence in northern Iraq.
"There are a limited number of Turkish troops in northern
Iraq. The Turkish forces are not doing anything new; they
are protecting their own borders. Turks take strong
measures to prevent PKK infiltrations across the border into
Turkey," Wilson said, denying warning the Turks to pull
back, "Neither the US nor Iraq has made such a demand."
Wilson noted Iraq was not disturbed by the Turkish presence
in northern Iraq, but someday the Turks will have to leave
when the trouble ends.

Several Turkish papers quote US State Department Spokesman
Sean McCormack as saying in response to a question about
Turkish operations in northern Iraq, "This is a topic on
which we have a continuing dialogue with the Turkish
government. We would call upon all of Iraq's neighbors to
respect Iraq's sovereignty and to work with the Government
of Iraq on any issues that they may have regarding borders
and that anything that is done is done in a transparent
manner and through mutual agreement."

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said Turkish troops will stay
at the border until the PKK terror ends. "We are talking
with Iraq. Iraq knows we have no secret plans. Our forces
have to be maintained there because there is infiltration.
I hope that in a short time the Iraqi forces will be able to
prevent that but until then we will take action. We have the
right to take action according to international law," Gul
emphasized.

Writing in the left-leaning Cumhuriyet, Orhan Birgit notes
that at the same time the Turkish General Staff (TGS) was
stating that the Turkish Military had the right to conduct
cross-border operations in Northern Iraq and that the
presence of Turkish soldiers in the region will last "until
the PKK is completely eliminated from the region," news was
coming in that Iran was "taking action" against PKK threats
inside the Iraqi border. Birgit comments that the two
different countries, "unofficially established sort of an
imaginary 'joint security defense' action against the same
target."

Erdogan Due to Meet Ahmadinejad, Karamanlis
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Radikal, Cumhuriyet and others: On May
5, Prime Minister Erdogan is expected to meet with the
Iranian President Ahmadinejad on the margins of the Economic
Cooperation Organization (ECO) summit in Baku. On Tuesday,
a delegation headed by Erdogan's foreign policy advisor
Ambassador Ali Yakital went to Baku to prepare for the
bilateral meeting. Hurriyet reports before his trip to
Baku, Erdogan told visiting Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh
al-Khalifa that Iran had the right to use nuclear technology
for peaceful purposes, but that there should be no nuclear
powers in the Middle East. On Thursday, Erdogan will meet
his Greek counterpart Karamanlis in Greece to discuss the
Cyprus problem and Turkey's EU drive.

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Dink to Apply to ECHR against Turkish Court Decision
All papers: Hirant Dink, the editor-in-chief of Armenian-
Turkish daily Agos told BBC after a Turkish high court
decided to overrule a lower court decision to postpone the
six month prison sentence for ridiculing Turkish identity
that if not cleared, he might leave the country. Dink said
he will appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR)
against the high court decision. The European Commission
Representative in Turkey, Ambassador Hansjorg Kretschmer
said on the overruling freedom of expression was
jeopardized, and the reforms process was threatened in
Turkey.

Turkish Companies to Join Iraq Rebuilding Fair
Aksam reports 102 Turkish companies will participate in
"Rebuild Iraq 2006" trade fair to be held in Amman from May
8-11. US had pledged to allocate USD 18.6 billion, and
global donors USD 33 billion to rebuild Iraq. More than
1,000 companies from 40 countries will join the fair.


TV Highlights
NTV (7 a.m.)

Domestic News
- The Turkish General Staff, the Jandarma and the Police
have announced uneasiness over Article 6 of the new anti-
terror bill which was criticized by the main opposition CHP
on the grounds that it will pave the way for an amnesty to
the PKK's imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan. Justice
Minister Cemil Cicek said they might require a closed
session for the Parliamentary Justice Commission to begin
discussing the draft.

- Early Wednesday morning, an Armenian jetliner flying to
Istanbul crashed near the Russian resort of Sochi while
trying to make an emergency landing, killing all 113 people
aboard.

- A woman, Sumru Cortoglu has been elected to head Turkey's
Council of State (Danistay).

- Three officials of the disbanded Kurdish association, Kurd-
Der, have been detained in Istanbul while releasing a press
statement. The Diyarbakir-based Kurd-Der was disbanded last
month for accepting Kurdish as its official language.

International News
- Iran's Revolutionary Guards commander has warned Iran
would strike Israel first if the US attacks Iran.

- Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has resigned four
weeks after being defeated by a narrow margin in the general
elections by a centre-left coalition headed by Romano Prodi.

- Britain's Guardian reported contaminated British blood
products sold to other countries including Turkey might
cause mad cow disease. The Turkish Health Ministry rejected
the claims.

- Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis expressed Athens'
sensitivity with regard to Halki Seminary and the Greek
Orthodox Patriarchate in Istanbul, urging Turkey to reopen
the seminary.

- Three US troops have been killed as a roadside bomb went
off near the Turkish Embassy in Baghdad.



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