ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000960

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SUBJECT: ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2006


In Today's Papers

Iraqi PM to Visit Turkey
All papers: Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan speaking at a
party function Sunday said that Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim
Jafari is to visit Turkey Tuesday to discuss how neighbors
can help defuse the sectarian violence in his country.
Erdogan added that Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr is also
expected to visit Turkey soon. Erdogan charged that the
unrest was the result of "provocation" aimed at deepening
the security crisis in Iraq. Milliyet expects Turkey to
express to Jafari concerns over the military exercises held
by the heavily armed Kurdish militia in northern Iraq, and
the campaign launched by the PKK for the release of Abdullah
Ocalan. A news commentary in Cumhuriyet claims that US has
permitted the sectarian clashes in Iraq to replace the
Shiites' prime minister nominee Ibrahim Jafari with the
Sunni politician Iyad Allawi. Papers cite a New York Times
article which said Turkey, in an effort to protect the
Turkmen, may enter northern Iraq in the event of a civil
war.

Columnists continued to express worry about the future of
Iraq because of the ongoing sectarian violence. Washington-
based Yasemin Congar focused on what US official circles are
thinking. In mainstream Milliyet she elaborated on the
possibility of a failure to prevent a civil war in Iraq:
"the failure to prevent a civil war will bring everybody
involved to a losing situation. The concern is that a civil
war will not only mean sectarian war but also war between
the sects. A failure to prevent civil war in Iraq will lead
to the overall blame of the Bush administration, both
domestically and internationally. The Republicans will
likely go through a political tremor if that happens. And
it goes without saying that if that happens, a predominant
majority of the American people will call for the return of
the US troops."

Addressing speculations that Turkey could intervene in case
of a civil war in Iraq, columnist Ferai Tinc said in her
Hurriyet column entitled, "Better Watch Iran Than Turkey"
that an empowered Shiite influence in Iraq has the
"potential to inspire the entire region, from Jordan to
Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries. Southern Iraq now has
the potential to create more troubles than the north, if the
current conflicts move deeper into the country."

The Samarra bombings as well as situations in Iran and
Palestine are all indications of the failure of the Bush
administration's policy, says Kamuran Ozbir in the
nationalist Ortadogu: "It is still not very clear whether
Washington will give up its 'democracy missionary' role or
try to establish a dialogue with fanatic leaders in hopes of
converting them to a moderate position in the long run. The
US seems to be in a deep quagmire."


Annan Hails Turkey's Hamas Initiative
PAPERS: United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan praised
Turkey regarding the visit of Hamas officials to Ankara last
week. "It was very beneficial," Annan said in his meeting
with Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul in Qatar. On Sunday,
Prime Minister Erdogan said that Turkey, the co-chairman of
the Broader Middle East and North Africa Initiative
(BMENAI,) had been selected for a mission that targets
peace. Erdogan claimed that in time, Hamas would soften its
rhetoric: "Because you cannot achieve a result if guns are
not silenced," Erdogan stressed.


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UN, OIC Call for Restraint in Prophet Muhammad Cartoons Row
Hurriyet, Radikal, Zaman, Yeni Safak and others: United
Nations Secretary-General, the Organization of the Islamic
Conference (OIC) Secretary General, the foreign ministers of
Turkey, Spain, and Qatar, and Arab League chairman attended
a UN-sponsored meeting to discuss the crisis over the
cartoons of the prophet Muhammad in Doha this weekend.
Freedom of speech should not be exploited to disseminate
hatred, warned the joint declaration of the meeting in Doha,
calling for restraint and dialogue to ease tensions. Annan
said in the joint statement that the UN deeply regretted the
offence given by the cartoons, as well as the loss of life
and damage to property in several countries.

Gul to Visit Athens
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Vatan, Sabah, Cumhuriyet, Zaman and
others: Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyiannis told To
Vima that she was looking forward to the visit of Foreign
Minister Abdullah Gul to Athens soon. Bakoyiannis
reiterated the Greek support for Turkey's EU membership,
adding that the support was not unconditional. She noted
that Greek Cypriots must be given access to Turkish ports
and airports by the end of 2006.

US: Trade with Northern Cyprus Not Illegal
Milliyet, Turkiye: Sunday papers report State Department
Spokesman Adam Ereli as saying that "commercial transactions
with the northern part of Cyprus are not illegal." Milliyet
says that the US had revealed documents showing that since
2004, the US administration had taken a series of measures
to encourage American companies to launch direct trade with
Turkish Cyprus. The released documents say that the visit
of US officials to north Cyprus would send an important
signal that the US is doing all it can to help fulfill the
promise of the international community to take steps to ease
the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots.

Pro-PKK Protestors Clash with Police in Diyarbakir
All papers: A group of PKK supporters clashed with riot
police in the mainly Kurdish southeastern province of
Diyarbakir on Sunday. The group was waiting at Diyarbakir
hospital to receive the body of a PKK terrorist killed,
together with six other militants, in Mardin over the
weekend. After receiving the remains of the PKK member, the
group began to chant slogans in favor of the PKK and its
imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan, and pelted the police,
shops and official buildings with stones. Ten were injured,
and police detained 12 demonstrators.

Land forces Commander General Yasar Buyukanit, in Diyarbakir
for inspections, pledged that Turkish security forces will
continue the struggle against terrorism. Interior Minister
Aksu reported to Parliament that in the past three years 246
members of the Turkish security forces were killed by
terrorists and that 1325 terrorists were captured.

TV HIGHLIGHTS
NTV News (7: 00 a.m.)

Domestic News
- Prime Minister Erdogan said Turkey would fulfill its
responsibilities as co-chairman of the project for alliance
of civilizations and would continue to play an active role
in the Middle East.

- Six terrorist PKK defectors turned themselves in to the
security forces in Sirnak.

International News

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- Iran and Russia have agreed in principle Sunday to
establish a joint uranium enrichment venture.

- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas warned that he will
resign if Hamas does not begin peace talks with Israel.

- Greek Foreign Minister Bakoyiannis said Greece's support
for Turkey's European membership "is not unconditional and
terms have already been set both by us and the rest of our
partners."

- Four people have been killed in an inmate uprising at a
jail in Afghanistan's capital.

- 30 were killed yesterday in Iraq in rising violence
following the attack on a holy Shiite shrine in Samarra.

Economy News
- Turkey is expected to become the 13th largest economy
among the OECD countries in 2006.
- World Bank Turkey Director Andrew Vorkink said the
floating exchange rate regime was more effective than a
fixed one, and Turkey should continue it. State Minister
Ali Babacan said Turkey will not abandon its free exchange
regime.


WILSON