Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ANKARA5247
2006-09-12 12:44:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Ankara
how-toVZCZCXRO8567 OO RUEHDA DE RUEHAK #5247/01 2551244 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 121244Z SEP 06 FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8565 RUEKJCS/CJCS WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC//PA RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU INFO RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 7418 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 1237 RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 1082 RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 5428 RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 5142 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1793 RUEUITH/DET 1 39LG ANKARA TU RHMFIUU/USDOCO 6ATAF IZMIR TU RHMFIUU/39OS INCIRLIK AB TU RHMFIUU/AFOSI DET 523 IZMIR TU RHMFIUU/39ABG INCIRLIK AB TU RHMFIUU/AFOSI DET 522 INCIRLIK AB TU RUEUITH/AFLO ANKARA TU
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 005247
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, SEPTEMBER 11, 2006
In Today's Papers
9/11 Anniversary
On the fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks Sabah reports
that over the weekend, President Bush, preparing for the upcoming
Congressional elections in November, visited Ground Zero in New
York, the Pentagon and Pennsylvania to mark the fifth anniversary of
September 11 - while Osama bin Laden remains at large. Milliyet and
Yeni Safak report more than 62,000 have died in the war against
terrorism, including 50,000 civilians killed in Iraq. Yeni Safak
says 9/11 was been the "greatest political earthquake" the US has
ever seen, and that who actually perpetrated the attacks was still
being debated. Hurriyet reports 70 percent of the 40,000 Americans
working among the rubble on Ground Zero have been diagnosed with
lung cancer. The paper quotes Senate Intelligence Committee member
John Rockefeller as slamming President Bush for "fooling the
American people," and that the war with Iraq liquidated the funds
that were meant for the struggle against global terrorism. Radikal
reports the USD 440 billion cost of the Iraq war could have saved
all destitute people around the world. Zaman quotes some European
academics and journalists as claiming that President Bush has
exploited the 9/11 attacks both at home and abroad, originating
extremely dangerous terms such as "Islamofascism."
Editorial Commentary: Fifth Anniversary of the September 11 Attacks
Ferai Tinc commented in the mass appeal Hurriyet: "When the twin
towers attack occurred five years ago, the entire world took the
side of the US and declared war on terrorism. While Afghanistan
used to be one of the successful fronts in the fight against
terrorism, the situation today has not improved because of the Iraq
war. Today even supporters of the Iraq war admit that it was a
mistake. On the fifth anniversary of 9/11 we see a change in the
war on terrorism concept. The war on terrorism has now turned into
a right to declare war against people with different values. For
instance, Israel bombed Lebanon as kind of a stand-in for its main
target Hezbollah, and the Bush administration considered this act
legitimate."
Commenting in Islamist-opinion maker Yeni Safak, Yasin Aktay writes:
"After the attacks on 9/11, President Bush was wondering why there
is hate against the US. But in these past five years he has managed
to globalize anti-American sentiment. The mistakes as well as
irrational measures led to the worst American image throughout the
world. The US plans are not working out around the world -- in
Iraq, in Afghanistan, and in the Middle East. The Broader Middle
East project has proven to be a raw dream. And the pre-emptive
strike doctrine established by the US administration has opened the
door to a more dangerous world."
Erdal Safak observes in the mass appeal Sabah: "When the 9/11
attacks occurred the international press had a consensus on the
interpretation. There were two main leads: 'we all are Americans'
and 'nothing will ever be the same.' Thanks to the Bush
administration, 'we are all Americans' -- which used to be a symbol
of global solidarity -- is now considered an insult. The Bush
administration manipulated the 'war on terrorism' concept to use as
a pretext for its global hegemony. The administration promised
widespread democracy in the world while the reality has become
nothing but chaos. As for the second lead of September 11 five
years ago, after five years nothing really is the same. Everything
has changed for the worse, and in a very unprecedented way. The
norms of security have completely changed and worst of all there is
a tendency to ignore everything if it is happening in the name of
the fight against terrorism."
Erdogan Reiterates Turkish Participation in UNIFIL
All papers report Prime Minister Erdogan said over the weekend that
Turkey would not turn down a hand seeking help, referring to the
call from Lebanese Prime Minister Siniora for Turkish participation
in UNIFIL. "Turkey has an important mission to fulfill, helping the
ANKARA 00005247 002 OF 003
people in the Middle East, Balkans, and Africa," said Erdogan,
underlining that Turkey cannot remain indifferent to regional and
global developments.
Controversial Sect Allegedly Enjoys State Protection
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman and others continue
criticism of the ruling AK Party after no one was detained in
connection with the killing of a religious sect figure by a man who
was subsequently lynched, asking if the "Ismailaga" sect has some
form of immunity from investigation. The community has reportedly
extorted money even from the Mafia in the middle of Turkey's largest
city Istanbul. Mainstream papers believe the leader of the sect,
Mahmut Ustaosmanoglu, known as Mahmut Hodja, had formed "an armed
gang," and that his sect had strong connections in the police,
bureaucracy and government.
Turkish Security Panel in Washington
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Cumhuriyet, Radikal, Zaman and others:
Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) director-general for security
affairs, Hayati Guven, told a counterterrorism panel held by the
Turkish Institute for Police Studies in Washington that 91 members
of Turkish security forces had been killed in fighting with the PKK
in the first seven months of the year. Guven said some 3,000 PKK
fighters were based in northern Iraq and about 2,000 of them
operated in Turkey. Guven criticized the EU's failure to take on
the PKK, calling on European countries to cooperate with Ankara
against the terrorist organization.
TV News:
(NTV, 7.00 A.M.)
Domestic News
- State Minister for economy, Kursad Tuzmen, leads a 100-member
delegation of Turkish businessmen to the US from September 10-16.
Tuzmen said Turkey wanted to increase trade with the US from the
existing USD 5 billion to 15 billion over the course of the next
three years.
- Turkish police detained two PKK as well as four al-Qaeda members
preparing for bomb attacks in Istanbul.
- The Turkish cabinet is to convene on Monday to discuss the latest
on the deployment of Turkish peacekeepers in south Lebanon.
- The Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Political Affairs
Committee is to hold a meeting in the southeastern city of Gaziantep
with participation of 60 lawmakers from 46 countries on September
11-12.
- On September 12, Turkish Airlines (THY) will resume flights to
Beirut's Rafiq Hariri International Airport which was closed to
international air traffic on July 14.
- The main opposition party CHP holds celebrations to mark its 83rd
anniversary.
International News
- Palestinian President Abbas said he was ready to meet Israeli
Prime Minister Olmert as soon as possible to resume peace
negotiations.
- President Bush said he believes dividing Iraq into Kurdish, Shiite
and Sunni regions with a central government in Baghdad would be a
mistake.
- NATO said it killed almost 100 Taliban fighters in its largest
offensive against terrorists in Afghanistan.
ANKARA 00005247 003 OF 003
- Iran's nuclear negotiator Larijani and EU's Solana said progress
had been made during talks on Iran's nuclear program and they would
meet again next week.
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
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2006
In Today's Papers
9/11 Anniversary
On the fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks Sabah reports
that over the weekend, President Bush, preparing for the upcoming
Congressional elections in November, visited Ground Zero in New
York, the Pentagon and Pennsylvania to mark the fifth anniversary of
September 11 - while Osama bin Laden remains at large. Milliyet and
Yeni Safak report more than 62,000 have died in the war against
terrorism, including 50,000 civilians killed in Iraq. Yeni Safak
says 9/11 was been the "greatest political earthquake" the US has
ever seen, and that who actually perpetrated the attacks was still
being debated. Hurriyet reports 70 percent of the 40,000 Americans
working among the rubble on Ground Zero have been diagnosed with
lung cancer. The paper quotes Senate Intelligence Committee member
John Rockefeller as slamming President Bush for "fooling the
American people," and that the war with Iraq liquidated the funds
that were meant for the struggle against global terrorism. Radikal
reports the USD 440 billion cost of the Iraq war could have saved
all destitute people around the world. Zaman quotes some European
academics and journalists as claiming that President Bush has
exploited the 9/11 attacks both at home and abroad, originating
extremely dangerous terms such as "Islamofascism."
Editorial Commentary: Fifth Anniversary of the September 11 Attacks
Ferai Tinc commented in the mass appeal Hurriyet: "When the twin
towers attack occurred five years ago, the entire world took the
side of the US and declared war on terrorism. While Afghanistan
used to be one of the successful fronts in the fight against
terrorism, the situation today has not improved because of the Iraq
war. Today even supporters of the Iraq war admit that it was a
mistake. On the fifth anniversary of 9/11 we see a change in the
war on terrorism concept. The war on terrorism has now turned into
a right to declare war against people with different values. For
instance, Israel bombed Lebanon as kind of a stand-in for its main
target Hezbollah, and the Bush administration considered this act
legitimate."
Commenting in Islamist-opinion maker Yeni Safak, Yasin Aktay writes:
"After the attacks on 9/11, President Bush was wondering why there
is hate against the US. But in these past five years he has managed
to globalize anti-American sentiment. The mistakes as well as
irrational measures led to the worst American image throughout the
world. The US plans are not working out around the world -- in
Iraq, in Afghanistan, and in the Middle East. The Broader Middle
East project has proven to be a raw dream. And the pre-emptive
strike doctrine established by the US administration has opened the
door to a more dangerous world."
Erdal Safak observes in the mass appeal Sabah: "When the 9/11
attacks occurred the international press had a consensus on the
interpretation. There were two main leads: 'we all are Americans'
and 'nothing will ever be the same.' Thanks to the Bush
administration, 'we are all Americans' -- which used to be a symbol
of global solidarity -- is now considered an insult. The Bush
administration manipulated the 'war on terrorism' concept to use as
a pretext for its global hegemony. The administration promised
widespread democracy in the world while the reality has become
nothing but chaos. As for the second lead of September 11 five
years ago, after five years nothing really is the same. Everything
has changed for the worse, and in a very unprecedented way. The
norms of security have completely changed and worst of all there is
a tendency to ignore everything if it is happening in the name of
the fight against terrorism."
Erdogan Reiterates Turkish Participation in UNIFIL
All papers report Prime Minister Erdogan said over the weekend that
Turkey would not turn down a hand seeking help, referring to the
call from Lebanese Prime Minister Siniora for Turkish participation
in UNIFIL. "Turkey has an important mission to fulfill, helping the
ANKARA 00005247 002 OF 003
people in the Middle East, Balkans, and Africa," said Erdogan,
underlining that Turkey cannot remain indifferent to regional and
global developments.
Controversial Sect Allegedly Enjoys State Protection
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman and others continue
criticism of the ruling AK Party after no one was detained in
connection with the killing of a religious sect figure by a man who
was subsequently lynched, asking if the "Ismailaga" sect has some
form of immunity from investigation. The community has reportedly
extorted money even from the Mafia in the middle of Turkey's largest
city Istanbul. Mainstream papers believe the leader of the sect,
Mahmut Ustaosmanoglu, known as Mahmut Hodja, had formed "an armed
gang," and that his sect had strong connections in the police,
bureaucracy and government.
Turkish Security Panel in Washington
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Cumhuriyet, Radikal, Zaman and others:
Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) director-general for security
affairs, Hayati Guven, told a counterterrorism panel held by the
Turkish Institute for Police Studies in Washington that 91 members
of Turkish security forces had been killed in fighting with the PKK
in the first seven months of the year. Guven said some 3,000 PKK
fighters were based in northern Iraq and about 2,000 of them
operated in Turkey. Guven criticized the EU's failure to take on
the PKK, calling on European countries to cooperate with Ankara
against the terrorist organization.
TV News:
(NTV, 7.00 A.M.)
Domestic News
- State Minister for economy, Kursad Tuzmen, leads a 100-member
delegation of Turkish businessmen to the US from September 10-16.
Tuzmen said Turkey wanted to increase trade with the US from the
existing USD 5 billion to 15 billion over the course of the next
three years.
- Turkish police detained two PKK as well as four al-Qaeda members
preparing for bomb attacks in Istanbul.
- The Turkish cabinet is to convene on Monday to discuss the latest
on the deployment of Turkish peacekeepers in south Lebanon.
- The Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Political Affairs
Committee is to hold a meeting in the southeastern city of Gaziantep
with participation of 60 lawmakers from 46 countries on September
11-12.
- On September 12, Turkish Airlines (THY) will resume flights to
Beirut's Rafiq Hariri International Airport which was closed to
international air traffic on July 14.
- The main opposition party CHP holds celebrations to mark its 83rd
anniversary.
International News
- Palestinian President Abbas said he was ready to meet Israeli
Prime Minister Olmert as soon as possible to resume peace
negotiations.
- President Bush said he believes dividing Iraq into Kurdish, Shiite
and Sunni regions with a central government in Baghdad would be a
mistake.
- NATO said it killed almost 100 Taliban fighters in its largest
offensive against terrorists in Afghanistan.
ANKARA 00005247 003 OF 003
- Iran's nuclear negotiator Larijani and EU's Solana said progress
had been made during talks on Iran's nuclear program and they would
meet again next week.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/
WILSON