ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 004887 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, AUGUST 23, 2006 In Today's Papers Lebanon Gul Meets with the Families of Abducted Israeli Soldiers Hurriyet, Sabah, Bugun and others: In addition to scheduled meetings with Israeli PM Olmert, FM Livni, and Defense Minister Peretz, FM Gul met with the families of the abducted Israeli soldiers during his one day visit to Israel last weekend. Gul promised the families that he would exert every effort to obtain information on the soldiers' whereabouts. Gul in Syria All papers: During his one day visit to Damascus, FM Gul received support from Damascus for Turkey's peacekeeping role in Lebanon and revival of the peace process in the Middle East. Following his meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus, Gul told reporters that Syria would welcome a decision by Turkey to send troops to Lebanon. Asked about the possible Turkish contribution to the UN peacekeeping force at a joint press conference with his Syrian counterpart, Gul said that Turkey still had not yet made a final decision on the issue. Advising Turkey to be extremely cautious on the peacekeeping force decision, columnist Fehmi Koru writes in the Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak: "Even if the Turkish peacekeeping force won't consider disarming Hizbullah as part of its mission, Turkish forces would be vulnerable to provocations. In an event of a slightest provocation, Israel might interfere in Lebanon despite the existence of a peacekeeping force. Regarding the role of a peacekeeping force for Lebanon, Israel and Lebanon have one hundred percent different expectations. It would be extremely difficult for a UN peacekeeping force to succeed in Lebanon. If Turkey decides to send troops, then Ankara would become part of extremely deep-rooted Middle East conflicts. Turkey has to look for other options in order to contribute to a solution." UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to Visit Turkey on September 6 All papers: UN Secretary General Annan is expected to visit Ankara on September 6 as part of a regional tour, where he will discuss Lebanon and the Middle East. It is also said that he will lobby for Turkey's participation in UNIFIL. The US Army Wants to Carry Out Biological and Chemical Cleaning of its Tanks in Turkey Cumhuriyet reports that the US wants to use Iskenderun as a sea base 
to carry out the Biological and Chemical cleaning of its tanks to be withdrawn from Iraq. US officials already inspected the port on March 2006 and passed their request to the officials in Ankara. Iran Responses to Nuclear Offer All papers: Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani hand delivered Iran's response to the Western Package of nuclear incentives to Ambassadors of the UK, China, Russia, France, Germany and Switzerland. According to Iranian officials, Larijani asked for fresh negotiations with the West on the dispute. Chief of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Mohammed Saeedi said on Tuesday that "Iran's response to the package is a comprehensive reply that can open the way for resumption of talks for a final agreement." Columnist Erdal Safak of mass appeal daily Sabah thinks that with its response to the UN, the Iranian administration tied President Bush's hands for taking any further action. He writes: "Considering the fact that the US administration has been applying sanctions against Iran since 1979 to no avail, no further measures will be a deterrent for Tehran to change its tactics. Iran always comes up with counter-proposals to pave the way for future bargaining. By doing that, Tehran gains time for the continuation of its nuclear program and thereby hopes to impose its terms in the course of time. At this point there are only two effective ways to have Tehran give ANKARA 00004887 002 OF 002 up its nuclear program: an oil embargo, or a military operation. The former does not seem possible since Russia and China are not supportive of the idea. Besides, even the Bush administration may not be sympathetic to an oil embargo option because it will only help for the acceleration of oil prices towards $100 per barrel. As for the military option, it only paves the way for colossal chaos and terror in the world. Given the facts, negotiation seems to be the only way to deal with the Iran issue, but even so the terms will be determined by Iran. Apparently, Iran wants to have talks with the US directly and wants to bring every issue to the table, from Iraq to Lebanon and from diplomatic relations to its nuclear program. It remains to be seen whether Iran will be successful enough to have direct negotiations with the US, but the real question is whether Bush has some other options unless he opts for a military solution. Probably not." Mainstream Milliyet's Sami Kohen considered Iran's response as both yes and no at the same time: "In the aftermath of the Israel-Hezbullah war, another danger signal comes from the Middle East. Tehran's answer to the west's nuclear offer contains both a yes and a no. Iran seems to be playing games so as to gain time by not giving a clear no to the UN. The same tactic also goes on the issue of stopping nuclear program, as Iran did not give a clear yes to this either. If the answers frm Iran are going to be interpreted as I see it, there will be a mounting Iran crisis in the days ahead." TV Highlights NTV (7 a.m.) Domestic News Q PKK claimed responsibility for forest fires raging throughout Turkey Q UN Secretary General Kofi Annan will come to Turkey on September 6 International News Q A Russian passenger Jet crashed in Ukraine, killing 170 passengers, including 10 crew members. Q Iraqi Kurdish Leaders' consultant in US Peter Galbraith said that a Kurdish State in Northern Iraq is inevitable and that Turkey cannot block establishment of independent Kurdish State. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON