Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ANKARA5175
2006-09-07 14:39:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Ankara
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 005175
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
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2006
In Today's Papers
Court Chief on Secularism, National Unity
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Cumhuriyet, Radikal, Zaman, Yeni Safak
and others report the
head of the Court of Appeals (Yargitay) Osman Arslan, said in a
speech to mark the opening of the new judicial year that freedoms
cannot be exploited in a way to harm the state. "The state
apparatus cannot be based on religion. The judiciary is responsible
for protecting secularism," Arslan added that political
administrators, too, should abide by judicial rules. He stated
there was no ethnic discrimination in Turkey, stressing that
privileges demanded by citing democracy and human rights were
designed to undermine national unity.
Annan Discusses Lebanon International Force with Turks
All papers report United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan said
during a joint press briefing with Prime Minister Erdogan in Ankara
yesterday that the UN peacekeeping force for Lebanon will not be
tasked to disarm Hezbollah. Annan said Turkey is a regional player
and noted that Turkey's role is important for the implementation of
UN resolution 1701. He hinted that Turkey would send some 1,000
troops to participate in the peace force. Milliyet reports Turkish
troops will be deployed between the Litani River and the blue line
that separates Lebanon and Israel. Radikal says the deployment of
Turkish soldiers to Lebanon will kick off on September 25. Annan
also met with Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and President Sezer
before departing Ankara yesterday afternoon.
In a second day of protests, hundreds of youths clashed with riot
police in Ankara on Wednesday to protest the parliament's decision
to send troops to Lebanon. Demonstrators also blocked off roads and
threw stones at offices of the ruling AK Party. Police used tear
gas to disperse the crowd, detaining 35.
Editorial Commentary on Turkish Participation in UNIFIL
Murat Yetkin, writing in the liberal-intellectual Radikal,
speculates on the causes of the public opposition to participation:
"Turkey has made a decision in spite of the public opinion. We
should start thinking about the reasons for the growing opposition.
PKK terrorism is certainly one of the main factors for the negative
attitude toward Lebanon deployment. People don't understand why
this force is acceptable but to use force against the PKK is not. On
the other hand, there is an ongoing anti-Western campaign, tolerated
by the ruling AKP, which has had a significant impact on public
opinion as well."
Fikret Bila observes in the mainstream Milliyet that there are risks
to participation: There are two risk-filled issues which pose a
threat to peace and have potential for creating armed conflict. One
of them is if and when Hezbollah will give up its weapons. The
second is if and when Israel decides to start new operations against
Syria, Iran and other parts of Lebanon, using the presence of UNIFIL
as a buffer for its future military actions. In the near future,
Hezbollah's actions regarding disarmament and the Israeli policy in
the aftermath of UNIFIL deployment are equally important."
General Yasar Buyukanit Comments on UNIFIL and the Struggle against
the PKK
Hurriyet, Vatan, Radikal and others: Speaking to journalists at
Pakistani Embassy's Military day reception, newly installed Chief of
General Staff General Yasar Buyukanit said regarding Turkey's UNIFIL
participation, "We are not going to Lebanon - we are being sent
there. The scope, location and in how many regions Turkey is going
to provide humanitarian assistance, is not yet clear. After the
region is clarified, a sufficient force will be allocated." Radikal
reports Buyukanit as saying that "Turkish troops in Lebanon would
not go beyond the tasks given to them by the parliamentary motion.
Turkey's main goal is humanitarian aid and when we go there we will
ANKARA 00005175 002 OF 003
be protecting our own people like the Red Crescent, State Water
Works and Ground forces." Responding to a question about the
families of martyrs [members of the military killed in the line of
duty], Buyukanit answered with a Turkish proverb, saying that "A
fire burns where it falls. We have great understanding for every
sort of reaction the families of martyrs would give, I respect them.
Consequently, whatever might be said, I kiss the hands of those
mothers of martyrs." Buyukanit's remarks were contrasted with those
Prime Minister Erdogan made the previous day, widely interpreted as
showing "insensitivity" to the families of "martyrs."
EU Lauds, AI Slams Turkey on Ongoing Torture, Anti-Terror Law
Milliyet, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman report Council of Europe's
Committee for the prevention of torture and inhuman treatment (CPT)
said in a report torture and mistreatment in Turkish police
stations, prisons and psychiatric institutions is declining compared
to previous years. The CPT, however, noted that mistreatment by law
enforcement officials continues in different parts of the country,
calling on Turkish authorities to pursue their efforts to combat all
forms of abuse. On the other hand, the London-based Amnesty
International (AI) strongly criticized in a report the court cases
launched under Turkey's new anti-terror law. AI Europe and Central
Asia Programs Director Nicola Duckworth said despite pledges made by
the Turkish government, evidence obtained through torture continued
to be accepted by penal courts. Duckworth said although the
European Court of Human Rights rulings on behalf of plaintiffs grant
them the right to retrial in Turkey, Turkish judges and prosecutors
handling of such cases was 'Kafkaesque.'
Transatlantic Trends 2006 Report
Sabah, Vatan, Radikal and others: A report titled "Transatlantic
Trends 2006" prepared by Think Tank organization German Marshall
Fund showed that only 7% of the Turkish people support President
Bush's international policies. Vatan says according to this survey
43% of the Turkish people are sympathetic towards Iran. While the
negative feelings for the US and the EU are increasing, sympathy for
Iran increases as well.
A Nuclear Iran: Editorial Opinion
Zafer Atay observes in the economic-political daily Dunya that
Turkey "will have to take action against Iran" eventually:
"Regardless of the good bilateral relationship at the moment, Turkey
will have to take action against Iran eventually due to Tehran's
insistence on becoming a nuclear power. There are indications of
Iran trying to export its Shiite influence to a vast geography, from
Palestine to Syria and Lebanon to Saudi Arabia. Once that area of
influence is achieved, Iran will undoubtedly use this power against
others. Even though we share a common border, Iran has always
suffered from political instability, like most of our neighbors.
The issue of a threat coming from Iran as a nuclear power is
something we will not be able to avoid. We had better start making
plans right now to counter this threat if and when it occurs."
TV Highlights
NTV, 7.00 A.M.
Domestic News
- Following the parliamentary approval of Turkey's participation in
the international force for Lebanon, the ruling AKP government will
instruct the Turkish General Staff to prepare for deployment as well
as authorize the Turkish Foreign Ministry to carry out talks on the
issue with the UN.
- Turkey's chief EU negotiator Ali Babacan is in the Netherlands to
join Thursday the opening of screening procedures in judiciary and
fundamental rights in Turkey.
- The Political Affairs Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of
the Council of Europe (PACE) will be held in the southeastern city
ANKARA 00005175 003 OF 003
of Gaziantep on September 9-12.
International News
- Britain's Daily Telegraph reports NATO is pressuring France,
Germany, Italy, and Turkey to take part in combat operations against
Taliban fighters in the south of Afghanistan.
- US President Bush said the threat of Shiite extremism coming from
Iran and Hezbollah was as great as the threat posed by groups such
as al-Qaida.
- Financial Times claim Olli Rehn, the EU enlargement commissioner,
is seeking to persuade both Turkey and Cyprus to take the ports
question to the European Court of Justice.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/
WILSON
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
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2006
In Today's Papers
Court Chief on Secularism, National Unity
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Cumhuriyet, Radikal, Zaman, Yeni Safak
and others report the
head of the Court of Appeals (Yargitay) Osman Arslan, said in a
speech to mark the opening of the new judicial year that freedoms
cannot be exploited in a way to harm the state. "The state
apparatus cannot be based on religion. The judiciary is responsible
for protecting secularism," Arslan added that political
administrators, too, should abide by judicial rules. He stated
there was no ethnic discrimination in Turkey, stressing that
privileges demanded by citing democracy and human rights were
designed to undermine national unity.
Annan Discusses Lebanon International Force with Turks
All papers report United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan said
during a joint press briefing with Prime Minister Erdogan in Ankara
yesterday that the UN peacekeeping force for Lebanon will not be
tasked to disarm Hezbollah. Annan said Turkey is a regional player
and noted that Turkey's role is important for the implementation of
UN resolution 1701. He hinted that Turkey would send some 1,000
troops to participate in the peace force. Milliyet reports Turkish
troops will be deployed between the Litani River and the blue line
that separates Lebanon and Israel. Radikal says the deployment of
Turkish soldiers to Lebanon will kick off on September 25. Annan
also met with Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and President Sezer
before departing Ankara yesterday afternoon.
In a second day of protests, hundreds of youths clashed with riot
police in Ankara on Wednesday to protest the parliament's decision
to send troops to Lebanon. Demonstrators also blocked off roads and
threw stones at offices of the ruling AK Party. Police used tear
gas to disperse the crowd, detaining 35.
Editorial Commentary on Turkish Participation in UNIFIL
Murat Yetkin, writing in the liberal-intellectual Radikal,
speculates on the causes of the public opposition to participation:
"Turkey has made a decision in spite of the public opinion. We
should start thinking about the reasons for the growing opposition.
PKK terrorism is certainly one of the main factors for the negative
attitude toward Lebanon deployment. People don't understand why
this force is acceptable but to use force against the PKK is not. On
the other hand, there is an ongoing anti-Western campaign, tolerated
by the ruling AKP, which has had a significant impact on public
opinion as well."
Fikret Bila observes in the mainstream Milliyet that there are risks
to participation: There are two risk-filled issues which pose a
threat to peace and have potential for creating armed conflict. One
of them is if and when Hezbollah will give up its weapons. The
second is if and when Israel decides to start new operations against
Syria, Iran and other parts of Lebanon, using the presence of UNIFIL
as a buffer for its future military actions. In the near future,
Hezbollah's actions regarding disarmament and the Israeli policy in
the aftermath of UNIFIL deployment are equally important."
General Yasar Buyukanit Comments on UNIFIL and the Struggle against
the PKK
Hurriyet, Vatan, Radikal and others: Speaking to journalists at
Pakistani Embassy's Military day reception, newly installed Chief of
General Staff General Yasar Buyukanit said regarding Turkey's UNIFIL
participation, "We are not going to Lebanon - we are being sent
there. The scope, location and in how many regions Turkey is going
to provide humanitarian assistance, is not yet clear. After the
region is clarified, a sufficient force will be allocated." Radikal
reports Buyukanit as saying that "Turkish troops in Lebanon would
not go beyond the tasks given to them by the parliamentary motion.
Turkey's main goal is humanitarian aid and when we go there we will
ANKARA 00005175 002 OF 003
be protecting our own people like the Red Crescent, State Water
Works and Ground forces." Responding to a question about the
families of martyrs [members of the military killed in the line of
duty], Buyukanit answered with a Turkish proverb, saying that "A
fire burns where it falls. We have great understanding for every
sort of reaction the families of martyrs would give, I respect them.
Consequently, whatever might be said, I kiss the hands of those
mothers of martyrs." Buyukanit's remarks were contrasted with those
Prime Minister Erdogan made the previous day, widely interpreted as
showing "insensitivity" to the families of "martyrs."
EU Lauds, AI Slams Turkey on Ongoing Torture, Anti-Terror Law
Milliyet, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman report Council of Europe's
Committee for the prevention of torture and inhuman treatment (CPT)
said in a report torture and mistreatment in Turkish police
stations, prisons and psychiatric institutions is declining compared
to previous years. The CPT, however, noted that mistreatment by law
enforcement officials continues in different parts of the country,
calling on Turkish authorities to pursue their efforts to combat all
forms of abuse. On the other hand, the London-based Amnesty
International (AI) strongly criticized in a report the court cases
launched under Turkey's new anti-terror law. AI Europe and Central
Asia Programs Director Nicola Duckworth said despite pledges made by
the Turkish government, evidence obtained through torture continued
to be accepted by penal courts. Duckworth said although the
European Court of Human Rights rulings on behalf of plaintiffs grant
them the right to retrial in Turkey, Turkish judges and prosecutors
handling of such cases was 'Kafkaesque.'
Transatlantic Trends 2006 Report
Sabah, Vatan, Radikal and others: A report titled "Transatlantic
Trends 2006" prepared by Think Tank organization German Marshall
Fund showed that only 7% of the Turkish people support President
Bush's international policies. Vatan says according to this survey
43% of the Turkish people are sympathetic towards Iran. While the
negative feelings for the US and the EU are increasing, sympathy for
Iran increases as well.
A Nuclear Iran: Editorial Opinion
Zafer Atay observes in the economic-political daily Dunya that
Turkey "will have to take action against Iran" eventually:
"Regardless of the good bilateral relationship at the moment, Turkey
will have to take action against Iran eventually due to Tehran's
insistence on becoming a nuclear power. There are indications of
Iran trying to export its Shiite influence to a vast geography, from
Palestine to Syria and Lebanon to Saudi Arabia. Once that area of
influence is achieved, Iran will undoubtedly use this power against
others. Even though we share a common border, Iran has always
suffered from political instability, like most of our neighbors.
The issue of a threat coming from Iran as a nuclear power is
something we will not be able to avoid. We had better start making
plans right now to counter this threat if and when it occurs."
TV Highlights
NTV, 7.00 A.M.
Domestic News
- Following the parliamentary approval of Turkey's participation in
the international force for Lebanon, the ruling AKP government will
instruct the Turkish General Staff to prepare for deployment as well
as authorize the Turkish Foreign Ministry to carry out talks on the
issue with the UN.
- Turkey's chief EU negotiator Ali Babacan is in the Netherlands to
join Thursday the opening of screening procedures in judiciary and
fundamental rights in Turkey.
- The Political Affairs Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of
the Council of Europe (PACE) will be held in the southeastern city
ANKARA 00005175 003 OF 003
of Gaziantep on September 9-12.
International News
- Britain's Daily Telegraph reports NATO is pressuring France,
Germany, Italy, and Turkey to take part in combat operations against
Taliban fighters in the south of Afghanistan.
- US President Bush said the threat of Shiite extremism coming from
Iran and Hezbollah was as great as the threat posed by groups such
as al-Qaida.
- Financial Times claim Olli Rehn, the EU enlargement commissioner,
is seeking to persuade both Turkey and Cyprus to take the ports
question to the European Court of Justice.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/
WILSON