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. ANKARA 00002444 002 OF 003 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. ANKARA 00002444 003 OF 003 Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON