ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 006387 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, NOVEMBER 9, 2006 In Today's Papers EU Releases Turkey Progress Report All papers report the EU Commission's Turkey progress report released Wednesday stresses that Turkey should open its ports and airports to Greek Cypriot vessels and airplanes. The document criticizes the influence of the military in politics, implying that the military meddled in the judicial process of the Semdinli bombing. It points to the problems with regard to the independence of the judiciary and notes that Turkey should open its border with Armenia. It also says that dialogue with local authorities is critical for the normalization of the situation in the mainly Kurdish southeast, asking the government to develop strategies for protecting the rights of Kurds. The report mentions that Halki Seminary in Istanbul is still closed, adding that the Greek Orthodox Patriarch is not allowed to use his ecumenical title. It also notes that Turkey needs more reforms in freedom of expression, Article 301 should be amended to meet European standards, and there is limited progress in the fight against corruption, the blueprint underlines. Turkish dailies say the EU Commission gave Turkey until the EU summit on December 14-15 to open its ports and airports to Greek Cypriot traffic. The whole negotiation process would be influenced unless Turkey changes Article 301 and takes forward steps on Cyprus, Radikal says in an evaluation of the process. Joost Lagendijk, co-chairman of Turkish-EU Joint Parliament Commission, said talks with Turkey over eight or nine chapters could be suspended if Turkey fails to record progress in Cyprus in the next three weeks. The Turkish government said the report confirmed Turkish commitment to reforms, and indicated that there were some problems concerning implementation. In a statement yesterday the Turkish government called on the EU countries to act with common sense, adding that the future of Turkey's EU process depended on the political vision of European leaders. It noted the Cyprus problem should not be linked to Turkey's membership in the bloc. "The Cyprus question is a political one and is not an obligation for our accession process, which is of a technical nature," the statement said. Prime Minister Erdogan said on Wednesday Turkey would not open its ports to Cypriot vessels unless the EU moved to end the isolation of the Turkish enclave in northern Cyprus. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said Turkey was determined to meet the criteria for EU membership. Gul reiterated that Turkey supports Finland's efforts on Cyprus. Commenting on the EU's demand for reform of the military's role in Turkey, Oktay Eksi observes in the mass appeal Hurriyet: "According to the EU progress report, Turkey's military-civilian relations should be up to EU standards. True, but for us to be able to meet this standard the government should stop violating the principle of a secular regime. As long as this violation continues in Turkey, civilian-military relations will not be at the level the EU demands. As a result of this, Turkey may not become an EU member but at least it will be able to protect the secular regime." State Funeral to be Held for Ecevit All papers report a state funeral will be held for former Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit in Ankara over the weekend. On Saturday morning, Ecevit's coffin will be taken from the military hospital GATA to the veteran politician's Democratic Left Party (DSP) headquarters, from where to be moved on to the Parliament before a funeral service at the Kocatepe Mosque around noon. Mainstream papers expect a mass rally with the participation of hundreds of thousands of Turks, which will likely turn into a "secular show of ANKARA 00006387 002 OF 003 force" against the Islamist AKP government. Erdogan Says He's "Not Fixed on" Becoming President Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman and others report Prime Minister Erdogan said Turkey's next president would be chosen from the ranks of the current parliament. "It is our decision that the president must emerge from this parliament," Erdogan said at a meeting with Turkish press on Wednesday. Parliament selects the president under Turkey's constitution. Erdogan said the AKP would listen to public opinion and consult other parties before deciding on its candidate. He did not elaborate further on whether he would seek the presidency, although several columnists interpret his remarks as a signal that he is interested in the post. Zabari on Ties with Turkey The Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zabari told Hurriyet in Paris that Iraq and Turkey shared mutual interests. "I will accompany our Prime Minister on a visit to Turkey in mid-November. We are working with Turkey against the PKK. The Iraqi government is determined on this issue; the three-party mechanism should be worked," said Zabari. He added the Iraqi government closed the Ocalan Cultural Center in Baghdad, banning the PKK front organizations in the country as well as pressing them for a ceasefire. On Kirkuk, Zabari said the constitutional process regarding the oil-rich northern Iraqi city should be supported. "Kirkuk is not a Turkish city, and its future will be decided on by the Iraqis," he stressed. Zabari also emphasized that the death penalty given to Saddam Hussein will not cause chaos in Iraq, but will contribute to stability. ATC Delegation Visits TOBB Aksam reports that Wednesday the American-Turkish Council (ATC) leaders James Holmes and Brent Scowcroft and an accompanying delegation paid a visit to Turkish Union of Chambers (TOBB) in Ankara. Holmes told the press after the meeting that the existing strong trade and investment ties between the two countries needed to be enhanced. "Turkey and the US are only exploiting a mere .3 percent of their bilateral trade potential; we want to increase significantly this truly modest amount. We of course want Turkey to succeed in its EU drive, carrying on as an economically and politically strong partner with the United States," said Holmes. AKP Expected to Change Article 301 The conservative/opinion-maker Zaman reports the ruling AKP government will change Article 301 of the Penal Code in a way to expand free speech, and will welcome proposals coming from NGOs to that end. One possible change is that the concept of "Turkishness" in Article 301 will be replaced with "Turkish nation." The paper expects the changes to be approved by the parliament before the EU summit in December. Editorial Commentary on US Congressional Elections Ibrahim Karagul commenting in the Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak sees a possible post-election "softening" in the US stance toward Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Iran: "Now, a very difficult era is starting for the Bush Administration, which is responsible for the Iraqi occupation, Iraq's division, torture and loss of hundreds of innocent lives. It is possible that the US stance might soften toward the crisis in Lebanon, Syria, and Iran. The occupation of Iraq might be questioned, war budgets could be inspected and there could be huge public pressure for the US to withdraw from Iraq. Because, since the US has lost in Iraq, there is nothing else left for the US to do there. Everyone, including the US commanders and the architect of the war, Richard Perle confess that the US has lost the war in Iraq. Actually, they did not loose only in Iraq, but in the whole geography of Islam." Commenting in the leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet, Mustafa Balbay points out that the sentencing of Saddam did little to help President Bush: "The recent congressional elections in the US were ANKARA 00006387 003 OF 003 seen as a "vote of confidence" for the Bush Administration's Iraq policy. That is why the decision date for Saddam's death sentence was brought forward. The Bush Administration believed that the death sentence for Saddam would impress the voters in favor of Bush. However, the electors did not ask for Saddam's head but Bush's. And, that is why Bush, in a last-minute, quick effort, asked for Rumsfeld's head! Will there be any change in US Iraq policy after Bush's defeat? Of course not. But, it is still promising to see that the public in the US do not approve of the Bush policies either. This will directly affect the global policies in our region." TV Highlights NTV, 7.00 A.M. Domestic News - Prime Minister Erdogan will meet with the Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero and UNSYG Annan in Istanbul on November 12 at a high-level group meeting of the Alliance of Civilizations Initiative. - Turkish National Security Council (MGK) Secretary-General Yigit Alpogan is to pay an official visit to Poland Thursday. - The ruling AKP will hold its party convention in Ankara over the weekend. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON