ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000568

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, FEBRUARY 9, 2006


In Today's Papers

Investigation into Priest Killing Continues
Sabah, Hurriyet, Milliyet, Yeni Safak and others: Papers
continue to speculate about the circumstances surrounding
the murder of an Italian Catolic priest in Trabzon as the
investigation moves forward. Radikal highlights the
suspect's father's remarks that his son received medical
treatment two years ago for psychological problems.
According to Hurriyet, the suspect's father said his son
received instructions to carry out the murder through the
internet, and claimed that the real murderers were the ones
who had given the gun to his son. There are also
allegations that the suspect belonged to a religious sect,
which had manipulated him into the atack. Vatan says the
suspect's father denied allegations that his son had
murdered the priest.

Protests over Cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed:
All papers: While violent protests continue over the
published cartoons of Mohammed, UN Secretary General Annan,
OIC General Secretary Ihsanoglu, and the EU's Javier Solana
appealed for calm. There were small, peaceful protests in
many provinces of Turkey yesterday. Speaking to reporters
yesterday, MFA spokesman Namik Tan said that people should
remember their responsibilities while they are enjoying the
freedom of expression. Presidents Bush and Putin called for
calm and restraint.

Columnists Akif Emre and Ibrahim Karagul, writing in the
Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak, commented the cartoon crisis
is an indication of strong Islamophobia in Europe and the
US.
In the mainstream daily Milliyet, Melih Asik draws attention
to the fact that the cartoon crisis started in Denmark.
After reminding about Denmark's participation in the Iraq
coalition, the commentator said, "the Danish paper is not
testing freedom of expression. The cartoon issue has
nothing to do with that. In reality, it is attacking the
spiritual values of the Muslim world, which results in
indirect support for the occupiers of the Middle East."

Ambassador Wilson Remarks in Zaman:
Visiting the Ankara bureau of the Islamist-oriented daily
Zaman, US Ambassador Ross Wilson explained US views on
issues of mutual concern. Zaman highlighted Wilson's
remarks on Iran as a front-page story under the headline "US
is pleased with Turkey's stance on Iran." Ambassador Wilson
said Iran should be persuaded to abandon its nuclear weapons
and negotiate with the international community. "This is
what Turkey has been calling for as well." Responding to a
question on the cartoon crisis, Ambassador Wilson criticized
the cartoons as "repugnant" while emphasizing that the
violent protests are "unacceptable." Zaman carried Wilson's
remarks on other issues, including Cyprus, the PKK and
Hamas. He noted the importance the US attaches to an
effective solution to the PKK problem. Regarding Hamas,
Wilson said that Turkish PM Erdogan had given the right
messages to Hamas when he called on the organization to
renounce terrorism and recognize Israel. The Zaman story
mentioned that the Ambassador did not want to speak in
detail on domestic political issues, but emphasized that
Turkey's democratic system remains an assurance for
stability and good US-Turkish relations.

Iran:
All papers carried the statement by MFA spokesman on Iran
pointing to diplomacy for the settlement of the Iran issue.
Tan said that Iran has until March 6 to decide to pursue

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diplomacy, and urged Iran to make use of this opportunity.

Commenting on the Iran issue, Yilmaz Oztuna wrote in the
conservative Turkiye about the growing American support for
war with Iran. "A recent opinion poll showed that 57
percent of Americans support a possible military operation
against Iran. The figure is horrifyingly high considering
the fact that this is about another cross-Atlantic war. The
result can be interpreted as evidence that Washington's
project on Iran has attained a national consensus despite
the negative aspects of the current Iraq operation. If we
remember the Israeli air attack in 1981 against a nuclear
facility in Iraq, we can expect that the US will benefit
from that experience and repeat it on a larger scale" the
writer observed.

In the mainstream Hurriyet, columnist Cuneyt Ulsever thinks
Iran has a broader goal in escalating the tension. "The
quest for global Islamic hegemony has become an ideological
fixation in Iran. By defying the US and Israel, Iran hopes
to gain more of a footing in the Islamic world and to play a
leadership role in the region. Given the current
international circumstances, particularly the situation in
the Middle East, Iran seems to be carried away with
imagining itself as the pioneer for a global Islamic
hegemony free from Western imperialism. It is possible that
Iran is interpreting the current environment as suitable for
playing this kind of chess game" the writer argued.

Television (NTV, 7:00)

Focus on Turkey:

Turkey's Supreme Court (Danistay) ruled that a primary
school principal should not be allowed to wear a headscarf
as she approaches and departs from the school each day. The
court argued that wearing a headscarf in close proximity to
the school would set a bad example for the students.

Focus on the United States:

Turkish Energy Minister Hilmi Guler spoke to the press in
Washington before his meeting with Energy Secretary Bodman.
Guler described Turkey's long-term energy needs, and said
the development of a nuclear power industry would be part of
meeting those needs. He added that Turkey is ready to work
with the Iraqi authorities on joint development of oil
resources in northern Iraq.

EUCOM Commander General James Jones made positive comments
in Washington on the state of the US-Turkish military
rlationship, and praised the leadership shown by Turkish
Chief of General Staff General Hilmi Ozkok. WILSON