Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ANKARA5329
2006-09-14 13:51:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Ankara
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 005329
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 14, 2006
In Today's Papers
The Deadly Bombing in Diyarbakir
All papers report the Turkish police said the bomb that killed 11,
including five children, in Diyarbakir on 12 September had been
detonated by a cell phone and radio. The youngest of the children
killed in the explosion was only three years old. The
Turkish Revenge Brigade claimed responsibility for the bomb attack
in the mainly Kurdish city in southeast Turkey. In a statement
posted on its website, the organization stated that they would kill
10 Kurds in Diyarbakir for every Turkish soldier that was killed.
Some papers say preliminary investigation shows the explosives were
A-4 and C-4, the types used by the PKK in its previous bomb attacks.
Milliyet claims the real target was the Diyarbakir Police
Headquarters, located one mile from the site of the blast, but the
bomb went off prematurely.
Turkey's main Kurdish party DTP deputy chairman Sirri Sakik said
that before the bombing, intellectuals had extended support to a
ceasefire call by DTP for the PKK to unilaterally lay down its
weapons, reports Yeni Safak. Sakik noted the blast occurred in
Diyarbakir's Bagcilar neighborhood, known to be a stronghold of DTP.
Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir called the attack "a provocation,"
condemning that civilians had been explicitly targeted. The
Diyarbakir Bar Association also condemned the attack, saying
problems should only be solved through dialog. The Council of
Europe Parliamentary Assembly President Ren Van Der Linden strongly
denounced the bombing. Van Der Linden said the attack was
"barbaric," stressing it proved the need to further improve
international coordination against terrorism.
General Ralston Visits Ankara
All papers report the US Special Envoy for Countering the PKK,
retired Air Force General Joseph Ralston, expressed sympathy for the
victims of Tuesday's bomb attack in Diyarbakir at a news conference
with Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) officials in Ankara. "We need
visible measures urgently so that not only the Turkish public, but
the Iraqi and the American publics can also see that we are serious
about eliminating the threat of terrorism," Ralston said. In the
meeting, Turks have given Ralston the message that their patience
was running out. Tuygan signaled that Turkey would start unilateral
action against the PKK in northern Iraq unless the US moves to
combat terrorism.
In a later meeting with his Turkish counterpart Edip Baser, Ralston
said he would give President Bush the details about the deadly
bombing in Diyarbakir. Ralston later met with Prime Minister
Erdogan who expressed Turkish concerns over possible bargaining with
the PKK. Ralston assured Erdogan that the US would not deal with
the terrorist organization. Papers report Ralston as saying that
military operations would the last option for combating the PKK.
"The PKK offices in Iraq must be closed down, and criminals must be
captured. The three-party mechanism among Turkey, the US and Iraq
should be activated for swift action against the PKK," Ralston said.
Murat Celik writes in the nationalist-sensational Bugun: "The US
envoy for countering PKK terrorism made a good impression during his
first visit to Ankara. Ankara thinks that Ralston demonstrated a
strong stance in understanding the importance of PKK terrorism to
Turkey and the sensitivities over this issue. He underlined during
every meeting that the PKK will never ever be considered a
negotiating partner, which was very much appreciated by the Turkish
officials he met. A Turkish official summed up the meetings with
Ralston in an overall positive way by saying that Ralston seems very
determined to deal with the issue and he is capable of establishing
political will on this problem within the Washington
administration."
The Ismailaga Mosque Murder
ANKARA 00005329 002 OF 003
All papers: Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan lashed out at the media
reports concerning the killing of a Muslim preacher (Imam) and the
subsequent lynching of the assailant, saying the reporting of the
incident was "provocative." At a meeting with AKP provincial
leaders, Erdogan criicized the press for focusing on the alleged
lynching of the murderer while ignoring the incident itself.
Erdogan said there is no evidence that the murderer had been lynched
in the mosque, and slammed the press for not even extending
condolences to the family of the preacher killed. Interior Minister
Aksu said the Ismailaga Mosque murder is being investigated and
there is no question of covering up the incident. In a related
story, Turkish religious affairs "Diyanet" chief Ali Bardakoglu
complained about the Diyanet's need for more staff, saying "Wherever
we cannot appoint preachers, the communities pick their own. At
present, some 15,000 mosques do not have Diyanet preachers."
Senator Blocks Hoagland's Nomination as Ambassador to Yerevan
Hurriyet, Zaman: Democrat Senator Robert Menendez put a hold on the
nomination of Richard Hoagland to be Ambassador to Armenia to
protest the Bush Administration's refusal to describe the events of
the early 20th century as 'Armenian genocide.' Last week, the
Senate Foreign Relations committee voted to send Hoagland's
nomination to the full Senate for a vote. Under Senate rules, until
Menendez lifts his hold, the Senate cannot vote on Hoagland's
nomination. Hoagland had refused to use 'genocide' at his
confirmation hearing in June to describe the events, whereas, the
current Ambassador John Evans, at a social event, referred to the
events as 'genocide.'
British Artist Taken into Custody for Insulting Prime Minister
Erdogan
Sabah, Radikal, Cumhuriyet: British artist Michael Dickinson faces
from one to three years in prison for depicting PM Erdogan as a dog
attached to a leash made out of the American flag. Michael
Dickinson was taken into custody on Tuesday after he refused to put
away the poster which he displayed in a court hearing for anti-war
activist Erhan Kara. British daily The Guardian quoted Dickinson as
saying "I wasn't even planning to open the poster up. But, then I
said, if I am here to defend the freedom of speech, here it is."
Editorial Commentary on Afghanistan
Commenting in the economic-political daily Dunya, Zafer Atay notes
that NATO is facing a "difficult challenge" in Afghanistan: "NATO
failed to establish significant fundamental changes in Afghanistan
during Operation Enduring Freedom, which started five years ago.
The recent attacks by the Taliban against NATO forces demonstrate
the fact that the NATO operation led to the collapse of the Taliban
but the leadership remained there. Despite the elections and a
parliament with elected members, Afghanistan is still living in the
feudal age where thousands of rural gangs are controlling the area
outside of Kabul and they are all involved in drug trafficking. The
Taliban continues to exploit religious sensitivities of poor and
illiterate people all over Afghanistan. Moreover the Taliban finds
it very easy to conduct its propaganda because there is no
difficulty with money flow. Bin Laden and other radical groups are
providing cash, and rural gangs in Pakistan are providing militants
as well as weapons. NATO faces a very difficult challenge because
many NATO members have dedicated very little to the Afghanistan
mission."
TV Highlights
NTV, 7.00 A.M.
Domestic News
- Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, in Paris to attend the conference
"Dialog of the Peoples and Cultures," met with his French
counterpart Philippe Douste-Blazy and President Jacques Chirac to
discuss Lebanon, Afghanistan, Iran and Cyprus.
ANKARA 00005329 003 OF 003
- Speaker Arinc called the Turkish Parliament into an extraordinary
meeting on September 19 to discuss EU harmonization bills.
- A report by the International Campaign 2006 against landmines
urged Turkey, a party to the Agreement Prohibiting Land Mines, to
destroy its stock before the year 2008. The report said Turkey kept
three million landmines in stock.
- The ruling AKP receives 15,000 letters and emails from around
Turkey every month in which 90 percent voice objections to
deployment of Turkish troops to Lebanon.
International News
- An Iraqi insurgent group, Lions of Truth Brigades, threatened
Wednesday to kill a Turkish driver, Yildirim Tek, abducted on July
27, unless Ankara pulls back the Vinsan Co operating in Samarra,
Iraq.
- Turkey will take the regional command of ISAF in Kabul in April
2007 instead of deploying additional troops to Afghanistan.
- Turkish Cyprus "President" Mehmet Ali Talat tasked the outgoing
Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Syer with forming a new government.
Soyer is expected to set a coalition government with a new party
formed by four lawmakers who have resigned from UBP and DP last
week.
- Palestinian President Abbas confirmed that he would ask Prime
Minister Haniya to form a new government.
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 14, 2006
In Today's Papers
The Deadly Bombing in Diyarbakir
All papers report the Turkish police said the bomb that killed 11,
including five children, in Diyarbakir on 12 September had been
detonated by a cell phone and radio. The youngest of the children
killed in the explosion was only three years old. The
Turkish Revenge Brigade claimed responsibility for the bomb attack
in the mainly Kurdish city in southeast Turkey. In a statement
posted on its website, the organization stated that they would kill
10 Kurds in Diyarbakir for every Turkish soldier that was killed.
Some papers say preliminary investigation shows the explosives were
A-4 and C-4, the types used by the PKK in its previous bomb attacks.
Milliyet claims the real target was the Diyarbakir Police
Headquarters, located one mile from the site of the blast, but the
bomb went off prematurely.
Turkey's main Kurdish party DTP deputy chairman Sirri Sakik said
that before the bombing, intellectuals had extended support to a
ceasefire call by DTP for the PKK to unilaterally lay down its
weapons, reports Yeni Safak. Sakik noted the blast occurred in
Diyarbakir's Bagcilar neighborhood, known to be a stronghold of DTP.
Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir called the attack "a provocation,"
condemning that civilians had been explicitly targeted. The
Diyarbakir Bar Association also condemned the attack, saying
problems should only be solved through dialog. The Council of
Europe Parliamentary Assembly President Ren Van Der Linden strongly
denounced the bombing. Van Der Linden said the attack was
"barbaric," stressing it proved the need to further improve
international coordination against terrorism.
General Ralston Visits Ankara
All papers report the US Special Envoy for Countering the PKK,
retired Air Force General Joseph Ralston, expressed sympathy for the
victims of Tuesday's bomb attack in Diyarbakir at a news conference
with Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) officials in Ankara. "We need
visible measures urgently so that not only the Turkish public, but
the Iraqi and the American publics can also see that we are serious
about eliminating the threat of terrorism," Ralston said. In the
meeting, Turks have given Ralston the message that their patience
was running out. Tuygan signaled that Turkey would start unilateral
action against the PKK in northern Iraq unless the US moves to
combat terrorism.
In a later meeting with his Turkish counterpart Edip Baser, Ralston
said he would give President Bush the details about the deadly
bombing in Diyarbakir. Ralston later met with Prime Minister
Erdogan who expressed Turkish concerns over possible bargaining with
the PKK. Ralston assured Erdogan that the US would not deal with
the terrorist organization. Papers report Ralston as saying that
military operations would the last option for combating the PKK.
"The PKK offices in Iraq must be closed down, and criminals must be
captured. The three-party mechanism among Turkey, the US and Iraq
should be activated for swift action against the PKK," Ralston said.
Murat Celik writes in the nationalist-sensational Bugun: "The US
envoy for countering PKK terrorism made a good impression during his
first visit to Ankara. Ankara thinks that Ralston demonstrated a
strong stance in understanding the importance of PKK terrorism to
Turkey and the sensitivities over this issue. He underlined during
every meeting that the PKK will never ever be considered a
negotiating partner, which was very much appreciated by the Turkish
officials he met. A Turkish official summed up the meetings with
Ralston in an overall positive way by saying that Ralston seems very
determined to deal with the issue and he is capable of establishing
political will on this problem within the Washington
administration."
The Ismailaga Mosque Murder
ANKARA 00005329 002 OF 003
All papers: Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan lashed out at the media
reports concerning the killing of a Muslim preacher (Imam) and the
subsequent lynching of the assailant, saying the reporting of the
incident was "provocative." At a meeting with AKP provincial
leaders, Erdogan criicized the press for focusing on the alleged
lynching of the murderer while ignoring the incident itself.
Erdogan said there is no evidence that the murderer had been lynched
in the mosque, and slammed the press for not even extending
condolences to the family of the preacher killed. Interior Minister
Aksu said the Ismailaga Mosque murder is being investigated and
there is no question of covering up the incident. In a related
story, Turkish religious affairs "Diyanet" chief Ali Bardakoglu
complained about the Diyanet's need for more staff, saying "Wherever
we cannot appoint preachers, the communities pick their own. At
present, some 15,000 mosques do not have Diyanet preachers."
Senator Blocks Hoagland's Nomination as Ambassador to Yerevan
Hurriyet, Zaman: Democrat Senator Robert Menendez put a hold on the
nomination of Richard Hoagland to be Ambassador to Armenia to
protest the Bush Administration's refusal to describe the events of
the early 20th century as 'Armenian genocide.' Last week, the
Senate Foreign Relations committee voted to send Hoagland's
nomination to the full Senate for a vote. Under Senate rules, until
Menendez lifts his hold, the Senate cannot vote on Hoagland's
nomination. Hoagland had refused to use 'genocide' at his
confirmation hearing in June to describe the events, whereas, the
current Ambassador John Evans, at a social event, referred to the
events as 'genocide.'
British Artist Taken into Custody for Insulting Prime Minister
Erdogan
Sabah, Radikal, Cumhuriyet: British artist Michael Dickinson faces
from one to three years in prison for depicting PM Erdogan as a dog
attached to a leash made out of the American flag. Michael
Dickinson was taken into custody on Tuesday after he refused to put
away the poster which he displayed in a court hearing for anti-war
activist Erhan Kara. British daily The Guardian quoted Dickinson as
saying "I wasn't even planning to open the poster up. But, then I
said, if I am here to defend the freedom of speech, here it is."
Editorial Commentary on Afghanistan
Commenting in the economic-political daily Dunya, Zafer Atay notes
that NATO is facing a "difficult challenge" in Afghanistan: "NATO
failed to establish significant fundamental changes in Afghanistan
during Operation Enduring Freedom, which started five years ago.
The recent attacks by the Taliban against NATO forces demonstrate
the fact that the NATO operation led to the collapse of the Taliban
but the leadership remained there. Despite the elections and a
parliament with elected members, Afghanistan is still living in the
feudal age where thousands of rural gangs are controlling the area
outside of Kabul and they are all involved in drug trafficking. The
Taliban continues to exploit religious sensitivities of poor and
illiterate people all over Afghanistan. Moreover the Taliban finds
it very easy to conduct its propaganda because there is no
difficulty with money flow. Bin Laden and other radical groups are
providing cash, and rural gangs in Pakistan are providing militants
as well as weapons. NATO faces a very difficult challenge because
many NATO members have dedicated very little to the Afghanistan
mission."
TV Highlights
NTV, 7.00 A.M.
Domestic News
- Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, in Paris to attend the conference
"Dialog of the Peoples and Cultures," met with his French
counterpart Philippe Douste-Blazy and President Jacques Chirac to
discuss Lebanon, Afghanistan, Iran and Cyprus.
ANKARA 00005329 003 OF 003
- Speaker Arinc called the Turkish Parliament into an extraordinary
meeting on September 19 to discuss EU harmonization bills.
- A report by the International Campaign 2006 against landmines
urged Turkey, a party to the Agreement Prohibiting Land Mines, to
destroy its stock before the year 2008. The report said Turkey kept
three million landmines in stock.
- The ruling AKP receives 15,000 letters and emails from around
Turkey every month in which 90 percent voice objections to
deployment of Turkish troops to Lebanon.
International News
- An Iraqi insurgent group, Lions of Truth Brigades, threatened
Wednesday to kill a Turkish driver, Yildirim Tek, abducted on July
27, unless Ankara pulls back the Vinsan Co operating in Samarra,
Iraq.
- Turkey will take the regional command of ISAF in Kabul in April
2007 instead of deploying additional troops to Afghanistan.
- Turkish Cyprus "President" Mehmet Ali Talat tasked the outgoing
Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Syer with forming a new government.
Soyer is expected to set a coalition government with a new party
formed by four lawmakers who have resigned from UBP and DP last
week.
- Palestinian President Abbas confirmed that he would ask Prime
Minister Haniya to form a new government.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/
WILSON