ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002529 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 8, 2006 In Today's Papers Larijani Visits Ankara All papers: Iran's national security advisor and chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani is to meet with Prime Minister Erdogan, Foreign Minister Gul, and National Security Council (MGK) Secretary General Alpogan in Ankara on Monday. Ankara is expected to tell Larijani that Turkey will comply with UN Security Council decisions on Iran and will move together with the international community. If the UN decides to impose sanctions and suspend diplomatic ties with Tehran, Turkey will cut the transport of Iranian natural gas and halt official contacts with Iran. Turks will tell Larijani that a proliferation of WMD in the Middle East would bring grave consequences. Tehran has failed to meet the expectations of the international community, and Iran's secrecy over its nuclear program has fed concerns and mistrust. Turkey does not plan to act as an intermediary between the sides. Larijani told reporters on his arrival in Ankara that if threatened, Iran would withdraw from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Erdogan-Ahmadinejad Meet in Baku Prime Minister Erdogan met the Iranian President Ahmadinejad on Friday on the margins of the Economic Cooperation (ECO) Summit in Baku. At the meeting, Erdogan urged that there be more transparency regarding Tehran's nuclear program while Ahmadinejad stressed that their program had peaceful purposes. Ahmadinejad underlined that they had the right to use nuclear energy. He noted Iran had been subjected to several sanctions since 1979, but did not concede in the face of pressures. Ahmadinejad also doubted the reliability of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reports, saying IAEA was controlled by a few countries. Erdogan pointed to the Iraqi example, and noted that the Middle East could not stand a new crisis. Weekend papers comment that Iran ignored Erdogan's warnings. Sabah said Ahmadinejad said the US had no right to meddle in Iranian affairs and that Iran had the right to defend itself. Erdogan reportedly said the request for the meeting had come from the Iranian side. Erdogan's Weekend Visit to Diyarbakir All papers: In the mainly Kurdish southeastern city of Diyarbakir to participate in a party congress over the weekend, Prime Minister Erdogan said Turkey will not give in to terrorism. Erdogan strongly criticized the PKK terrorist organization, saying that they used children in rallies in Diyarbakir and bombed children in Hakkari, referring to last week's PKK attack on a bus carrying the children of Turkish military officers which injured 11 school children. Erdogan stressed that while continuing the fight against terrorism, the government would also continue its efforts for economic development and democratic openness in the region. Papers say that Erdogan, failing to draw crowds during a previous visit to Diyarbakir last year, this time made a "show of force" by gathering 20,000 at the AKP congress despite calls by the "PKK mouthpiece" Roj TV to boycott the gathering. Milliyet says that Erdogan had "softened" his earlier remarks in the city, and that he had used the word "Kurdish" only once. Papers also report that the trial of 94 children charged with involvement in the protest rallies following the funerals of four PKK members on March 28 will begin on Monday. Lagendijk Calls for More Kurdish Rights in Diyarbakir Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Cumhuriyet, Radikal and others: Turkish-European Union Joint Parliament Commission Co- Chairman Joost Lagendijk said at the "Civil Rights in the Southeast Turkey" conference in Diyarbakir on Saturday that ANKARA 00002529 002 OF 003 there was no place for violence in the struggle for Kurdish rights. Lagendijk told the press he will urge the ruling AK Party government to speed up reforms to improve rights in the region. Lagendijk noted that he had great difficulty in understanding why regional television and radio broadcasts in Kurdish were limited to 45 minutes a day and four days a week, stressing that he expected progress on the issue. Kurds Approve a Single Government in Northern Iraq All papers: In Erbil over the weekend, the regional parliament in northern Iraq unanimously approved the establishment of a single government for the Kurd- administered region. Necirvan Barzani from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) was chosen to be the prime minister of the new government, with Omar Fattah from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) as his deputy. The KDP and KYB will be given 11 ministries each out of the total of 27 in the new administration, and the remaining five ministries are to be shared among the smaller parties. Ferai Tinc, commenting in Hurriyet, observes that the PKK in Iraq poses a serious threat to Iraq's stability. Tinc explains that while northern Iraq is in the process of establishing itself, the PKK is accelerating terrorist activities against Turkey and Iran, calling this "a bad sign for the future of northern Iraq." Noting that the policy of the PKK is to "impose Kurdish nationalism, rooted in the Baath style of governing, by force on Turkey, Iraq and the entire region, Tinc argues that "given the consequences of Baath-style Arab nationalism" it is not difficult to conclude that it will lead to "oppressive totalitarian regimes and pave the way for international interventions." Turkey Recalls its Ambassador to Canada Hurriyet, Milliyet, Cumhuriyet, Radikal, Yeni Safak and others: Turkish Ambassador to Ottawa Aydemir Erman had been recalled to Ankara for "consultations," a move regarded by Turkish papers as retaliation against the statements of the Canadian Prime Minister in support of Armenian genocide claims. Papers claim that Ankara was preparing to chill ties with Canada and to ban Canadian companies from Turkish state auctions, and that similar measures would be applied to France. TV News (NTV, 8.00 a.m.) Domestic News - Turkish Parliament's justice commission will debate the new anti-terror bill on May 10. Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said that the controversial Article 6 of the bill would not be scrapped. International News - On Sunday, two car bombs rocked northern Baghdad while another struck a Shiite holy city to the south in attacks that killed at least 33 and wounded 78 others. - The Palestinian Authority President Abbas and Prime Minister Haniya have failed to come up with a plan to ease a financial crisis that threatens to bankrupt the Hamas-led government. Economy News - Deputy PM Abdullatif Sener said according to 2004 figures, 18 million people in Turkey live below the poverty line. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at ANKARA 00002529 003 OF 003 http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON