ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000617 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 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2006 -------------- In Today's Papers FM Gul Remarks on Iran Hurriyet: In an exclusive interview, Hurriyet quoted Foreign Minister Gul as saying "We will not give the US permission to use Turkish territory to attack our neighbors. Gul added that "the border with Iran was drawn in 1639, and is older than the US itself," implying that Turkey-Iran relations have a long and important history. Gul reiterated Turkey's concerns regarding nuclear weapons and said that countries should spend their resources to improve the welfare and prosperity of their people. Cyprus/British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw Remarks All major papers: The Greek Cypriot Government launched an official protest against Britain over remarks by Foreign Secretary Jack Straw criticizing the government for creating SIPDIS obstacles to the efforts for a settlement in Cyprus. Straw has blamed the Greek Cypriots for blocking the settlement process. Cartoon Crisis All papers: Protests over the publication of Prophet Mohammed cartoons continue. Turkish Foreign Minister Gul and Austrian Foreign Minister Plassnik released a joint statement highlighting the importance of respect for religious beliefs. The statement also stresses that the cartoon tensions had revealed the lack of dialogue between the west and Islam. The impact of the cartoon crisis continues to be a high priority for editorial commentary. Prominent columnists analyzed the cartoons and the violent protest within a "conflict of civilization" context. Moderate columnist Sami Kohen maintained hope for the future, in his column in mainstream Milliyet: "Even to this day many European countries continue to treat the cartoon issue as a sign of freedom of expression while Muslim nations interpret it as humiliating and repugnant. Interestingly, however, the Western countries do not have a single voice on the issue. Some European leaders have openly countered the argument about defending the cartoons as freedom of expression. The US denounced the incident right from the beginning. The ongoing efforts, by EU and ICO as well as other organizations and government leaders, to prevent the current crisis from turning into a real conflict are boosting hopes." Foreign affairs columnist Erdal Guven believes that at this point an apology from Danish government or press will not lower the tension. Commenting in the liberal intellectual Radikal, Guven wrote, "This was a clear act of discrimination, humiliation and insult. And it happened at a time when the Islamic world interpreted it as a demonstration of intense anti-Muslim feelings in the West after 9/11. The mistake has become irreparable. The developments with the cartoon crisis have lowered the possibility even more than before for establishing a dialogue among civilizations." US-Turkey Rice War Yeni Safak, Cumhuriyet, Radikal, Milliyet: The dispute between Turkey and the US over the rice imports has entered into the legal realm. The US filed a complaint to the WTO against Turkey's regulations on rice imports following the failure of bilateral talks to produce a settlement. The US started the WTO procedure on February 6 and the formal notification on this issue was sent to Ankara. ANKARA 00000617 002 OF 002 In Today's Papers TV Highlights NTV (8 a.m.) Focus on Turkey - PKK bombing of an Internet caf in Istanbul kills one and injures 15, seven of whom are police officers - The schoolteacher involved in the court ruling that teachers may not wear headscarves in public when going to and from school is interviewed saying she will abide by the decisions but hopes the case will be appealed to the European Court of Human Rights - The suspect in the killing of the priest in Trabzon is formally charged. US in the News - Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Pace is slated to visit Turkey in March to at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart to attend a conference on "Global Terrorism and International Cooperation." WILSON