Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ANKARA1107
2007-05-10 13:28:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Ankara
how-toVZCZCXRO1248 OO RUEHDA DE RUEHAK #1107/01 1301328 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 101328Z MAY 07 FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2038 RUEKJCS/CJCS WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC//PA RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU INFO RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 8045 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 2663 RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 1933 RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 5903 RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 5672 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2285 RUEUITH/DET 1 39LG ANKARA TU RHMFIUU/USDOCO 6ATAF IZMIR TU RHMFIUU/39OS INCIRLIK AB TU RHMFIUU/AFOSI DET 523 IZMIR TU RHMFIUU/39ABG INCIRLIK AB TU RHMFIUU/AFOSI DET 522 INCIRLIK AB TU RUEUITH/AFLO ANKARA TU
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001107
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, MAY 10, 2007
In Today's Papers
Constitutional Reforms, July Elections Process
All papers report the Turkish Parliament will hold Thursday a second
round of voting on constitutional reforms allowing direct election
of the president by people and changing the presidential term to a
maximum of two consecutive five year terms. On Wednesday, the
parliament accepted Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul's petition to
withdraw from the presidential contest, in which he had been the
sole candidate. Meanwhile, President Sezer signaled he will veto
constitutional reforms related to the presidential election, saying
the reforms had not been discussed enough and the process was moving
too fast. Prime Minister Erdogan said on Wednesday the AKP would
field candidates 25 years of age and older in the forthcoming
general elections.
The main opposition CHP chairman Deniz Baykal said his party has
reached full consensus with the center-left DSP with regard to
election alliance, adding he was NOW waiting for final confirmation
from DSP leadership. Several papers report DSP provincial branches
opposed unification with CHP. Papers expect Baykal and DSP leader
Zeki Sezer to participate together in the March 13 "republic rally"
in Izmir, the Aegean port city known to be a bastion of secular
republicans.
Prime Minister Erdogan told the press yesterday the parliament would
recess from May 11-14 this week, but would continue working until
the end of May.
Turkey's Kurdish Party to Run as Independents in Elections
All papers report Turkey's main pro-Kurdish party DTP said on
Wednesday it would field independent candidates in the July 22
parliamentary elections to circumvent the 10 percent threshold for
parties to enter the parliament. DTP aims to win 37 parliamentary
seats in 40 provinces. Former Kurdish lawmakers Leyla Zana, Hatip
Dicle, Orhan Dogan and Selim Sadak will run as independent
candidates from the DTP. Papers remind readers of a political ban
on these former MPs, saying the High Election Board (YSK) will
decide whether they will be allowed to enter the elections.
Papers expect AKP and CHP to act together to block DTP plans.
According to constitutional reforms to be passed by the parliament,
the names of independent candidates will be placed in the ballot
lists together with the names of the other candidates, and not on
separate sheets of paper as was the implementation in previous
elections. This is expected to bring considerable loss of votes for
DTP in east and southeast Turkey where most of the voters are
illiterate, comment papers.
Editorial Commentary on Barzani, DTP
Semih Idiz writes in the mainstream daily Milliyet: "When Barzani
talked about the political solution to the PKK problem, he knew what
he was talking about and he knew that his approach would be received
positively by Europeans. Given the positive developments in the
Northern Ireland issue, unlike Turkey, Barzani apparently watches
the European agenda very closely and thus he was trying to create a
parallel between the Northern Ireland issue and the PKK issue.
Since the most recent consensus on Northern Ireland/IRA was very
much welcomed by the US and the EU, Barzani is NOW suggesting the
same method to resolve PKK issue. Knowing that his approach would
be immediately rejected by Ankara, he passes the ball to the
European's with the hope that Ankara will face pressure from the EU.
In short, Barzani is broadening his area of diplomatic influence
against Turkey."
Okay Gonensin writes in the mainstream daily Vatan: "The Democratic
Communal Party (DTP)'s base is made up of Turkey's Kurdish citizens
and therefore it retains a nationalistic character. If DTP joins
the parliament this time, it will be an important milestone for the
pro-Kurdish party's participation in the democratic process. The
ANKARA 00001107 002 OF 003
terrorism dimension of the Kurdish issue has not yet been resolved.
Any members of the DTP in the parliament will be expected to
contribute to efforts to end PKK terrorism. At this point, the DTP
should be getting rid of the PKK shadow over itself. If that goal
is achieved, it will benefit everybody -- Kurdish citizens and
Turkish citizens."
F-16 Contract to be Signed Tomorrow
Liberal Radikal reports that US Ambassador to Turkey Ross Wilson and
Turkish Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul will sign a $1.6 billion
contract tomorrow for the sale of 30 F-16 war planes to Turkey.
According to the agreement the F-16s will be manufactured in Turkey
by the Turkish Aerospace Industry (TAI). The manufacturer of F-16s,
the Lockheed Martin Corp., will transfer F-16 manufacturing
equipment to Turkey and will cease manufacturing F-16s in the US.
In the past, the F-16 project had caused controversy between the
Turkish Defense Industry (SSM) and the Pentagon.
Ambassador Edelman Denies the Allegations that he was Angry with the
AKP
Mainstream Milliyet reports that in an interview with the newspaper,
former US Ambassador to Turkey and number three of the US Defense
department, Eric Edelman denied the allegations that he was angry
with the AKP. Edelman said "I fully support Turkey's EU membership
and appreciate the efforts of the AKP government in that direction."
He added that he learned about the military memorandum of April 27
the next day and he did not take part in the shaping of the US
reaction to the memorandum.
TV Highlights
NTV, 6.00 A.M.
Domestic News
- Yasin Hayal, a key suspect in the assassination of Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink, said in several letters to the prosecutor
that he would not have joined the plot if he could foresee the
terrible consequences the murder inflicted on Turkey.
- Professor Turkan Saylan, the head of the association for
supporting modern life, expects attendance in May 13 Izmir rally to
surpass the previous rallies held in defense of the secular
republic.
- Education Minister Huseyin Celik said in Turkey only five
provinces will be left without universities after the implementation
of his government's plan of opening new universities in 17
provinces.
- More than 30 were injured yesterday in fighting between Kemalist
and leftist students in Ankara University.
- Moody's Investors Service said in a statement the recent political
uncertainty in Turkey is unlikely to derail the country's current
ratings and its ongoing economic and political reforms.
International News
- A suicide car attack on the interior ministry in the Kurdish city
of Erbil killed 19 people, including a Turk, and injured dozens.
The attack came on the day Vice President Dick Cheney made a
surprise visit to Iraq.
- Four Iraqi journalists were shot dead by gunmen on Wednesday near
the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk.
- A NATO air strike killed 21 civilians, including women and
children, in southern Afghanistan.
- The German government has earmarked Euro 6.3 million to fit
ANKARA 00001107 003 OF 003
together about 600 million shreds of secret police files ripped up
in panic by Stasi agents after the Berlin Wall came down in 1989.
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, MAY 10, 2007
In Today's Papers
Constitutional Reforms, July Elections Process
All papers report the Turkish Parliament will hold Thursday a second
round of voting on constitutional reforms allowing direct election
of the president by people and changing the presidential term to a
maximum of two consecutive five year terms. On Wednesday, the
parliament accepted Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul's petition to
withdraw from the presidential contest, in which he had been the
sole candidate. Meanwhile, President Sezer signaled he will veto
constitutional reforms related to the presidential election, saying
the reforms had not been discussed enough and the process was moving
too fast. Prime Minister Erdogan said on Wednesday the AKP would
field candidates 25 years of age and older in the forthcoming
general elections.
The main opposition CHP chairman Deniz Baykal said his party has
reached full consensus with the center-left DSP with regard to
election alliance, adding he was NOW waiting for final confirmation
from DSP leadership. Several papers report DSP provincial branches
opposed unification with CHP. Papers expect Baykal and DSP leader
Zeki Sezer to participate together in the March 13 "republic rally"
in Izmir, the Aegean port city known to be a bastion of secular
republicans.
Prime Minister Erdogan told the press yesterday the parliament would
recess from May 11-14 this week, but would continue working until
the end of May.
Turkey's Kurdish Party to Run as Independents in Elections
All papers report Turkey's main pro-Kurdish party DTP said on
Wednesday it would field independent candidates in the July 22
parliamentary elections to circumvent the 10 percent threshold for
parties to enter the parliament. DTP aims to win 37 parliamentary
seats in 40 provinces. Former Kurdish lawmakers Leyla Zana, Hatip
Dicle, Orhan Dogan and Selim Sadak will run as independent
candidates from the DTP. Papers remind readers of a political ban
on these former MPs, saying the High Election Board (YSK) will
decide whether they will be allowed to enter the elections.
Papers expect AKP and CHP to act together to block DTP plans.
According to constitutional reforms to be passed by the parliament,
the names of independent candidates will be placed in the ballot
lists together with the names of the other candidates, and not on
separate sheets of paper as was the implementation in previous
elections. This is expected to bring considerable loss of votes for
DTP in east and southeast Turkey where most of the voters are
illiterate, comment papers.
Editorial Commentary on Barzani, DTP
Semih Idiz writes in the mainstream daily Milliyet: "When Barzani
talked about the political solution to the PKK problem, he knew what
he was talking about and he knew that his approach would be received
positively by Europeans. Given the positive developments in the
Northern Ireland issue, unlike Turkey, Barzani apparently watches
the European agenda very closely and thus he was trying to create a
parallel between the Northern Ireland issue and the PKK issue.
Since the most recent consensus on Northern Ireland/IRA was very
much welcomed by the US and the EU, Barzani is NOW suggesting the
same method to resolve PKK issue. Knowing that his approach would
be immediately rejected by Ankara, he passes the ball to the
European's with the hope that Ankara will face pressure from the EU.
In short, Barzani is broadening his area of diplomatic influence
against Turkey."
Okay Gonensin writes in the mainstream daily Vatan: "The Democratic
Communal Party (DTP)'s base is made up of Turkey's Kurdish citizens
and therefore it retains a nationalistic character. If DTP joins
the parliament this time, it will be an important milestone for the
pro-Kurdish party's participation in the democratic process. The
ANKARA 00001107 002 OF 003
terrorism dimension of the Kurdish issue has not yet been resolved.
Any members of the DTP in the parliament will be expected to
contribute to efforts to end PKK terrorism. At this point, the DTP
should be getting rid of the PKK shadow over itself. If that goal
is achieved, it will benefit everybody -- Kurdish citizens and
Turkish citizens."
F-16 Contract to be Signed Tomorrow
Liberal Radikal reports that US Ambassador to Turkey Ross Wilson and
Turkish Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul will sign a $1.6 billion
contract tomorrow for the sale of 30 F-16 war planes to Turkey.
According to the agreement the F-16s will be manufactured in Turkey
by the Turkish Aerospace Industry (TAI). The manufacturer of F-16s,
the Lockheed Martin Corp., will transfer F-16 manufacturing
equipment to Turkey and will cease manufacturing F-16s in the US.
In the past, the F-16 project had caused controversy between the
Turkish Defense Industry (SSM) and the Pentagon.
Ambassador Edelman Denies the Allegations that he was Angry with the
AKP
Mainstream Milliyet reports that in an interview with the newspaper,
former US Ambassador to Turkey and number three of the US Defense
department, Eric Edelman denied the allegations that he was angry
with the AKP. Edelman said "I fully support Turkey's EU membership
and appreciate the efforts of the AKP government in that direction."
He added that he learned about the military memorandum of April 27
the next day and he did not take part in the shaping of the US
reaction to the memorandum.
TV Highlights
NTV, 6.00 A.M.
Domestic News
- Yasin Hayal, a key suspect in the assassination of Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink, said in several letters to the prosecutor
that he would not have joined the plot if he could foresee the
terrible consequences the murder inflicted on Turkey.
- Professor Turkan Saylan, the head of the association for
supporting modern life, expects attendance in May 13 Izmir rally to
surpass the previous rallies held in defense of the secular
republic.
- Education Minister Huseyin Celik said in Turkey only five
provinces will be left without universities after the implementation
of his government's plan of opening new universities in 17
provinces.
- More than 30 were injured yesterday in fighting between Kemalist
and leftist students in Ankara University.
- Moody's Investors Service said in a statement the recent political
uncertainty in Turkey is unlikely to derail the country's current
ratings and its ongoing economic and political reforms.
International News
- A suicide car attack on the interior ministry in the Kurdish city
of Erbil killed 19 people, including a Turk, and injured dozens.
The attack came on the day Vice President Dick Cheney made a
surprise visit to Iraq.
- Four Iraqi journalists were shot dead by gunmen on Wednesday near
the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk.
- A NATO air strike killed 21 civilians, including women and
children, in southern Afghanistan.
- The German government has earmarked Euro 6.3 million to fit
ANKARA 00001107 003 OF 003
together about 600 million shreds of secret police files ripped up
in panic by Stasi agents after the Berlin Wall came down in 1989.
WILSON