ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 002287 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, SEPTEMBER 7, 2007 In Today's Papers New Judicial Year Opens in Turkey All papers report President Abdullah Gul, Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan and Prime Minister Erdogan as well as cabinet ministers participated in a ceremony held Thursday on the occasion of the opening of the new judicial year. Osman Arslan, Chief Judge of the Supreme Court of Appeals (Yargitay,) said in opening remarks that separatist terror "supported by overseas centers" still prevailed in Turkey. "All countries have an obligation to take preemptive measures to block transfer of their weapons to terrorist organizations," said Arslan, emphasizing the failure to do so would imply "clear support to the terrorists." Several papers comment Arslan's remarks were a indirect referral to the US. Also addressing the ceremony, Ozdemir Ozok, chairman of the Turkish Bars' Union, criticized the fact that the AKP government's constitutional amendment work has been carried out secretly. "We hope that the draft will be made public soon. We want a constitution which favors full independence, unity and democratization, and one which does not deny the founding philosophy and values of Turkey to be prepared under social compromise," said Ozok. Survey: Turks' Alienation Growing All papers report the results of the German Marshall Fund's "Transatlantic Trends Survey" shows Turks are distrustful of other countries and that only 26 percent believe that the country will enter the European Union. A majority of Turks, 54 percent, viewed EU leadership as undesirable, a seven percent increase from 2006. The survey found 74 percent of Turks considered US leadership in world affairs undesirable and only 3 percent approved of President Bush's handling of international policies. On a 100-point thermometer scale, positive sentiments toward the US dropped to 11 from 20 degrees in 2006 and feelings toward the EU cooled to 26 degrees from 45. The survey also found Turkish support for NATO declines, with only 35 percent seeing the alliance as essential to Turkey's security, compared to 44 percent last year. Turks' positive sentiments toward Iran also dropped to 30 degrees from 43. Papers report the results revealed Turkey's growing isolation from the East and West, with mainstream Sabah saying it "displays the psychology of Turks: Turks don't like anyone and are negative to the EU". Turkish Suspect Arrested in Germany Linked to "Milli Gorus" Cumhuriyet reports on its front page that Adem Y., a Turk arrested in Germany alongside two other suspects for plotting attacks on the US base in Ramstein and Frankfurt Airport, had ties with the Germany-based "Milli Gorus" (National View) organization. The paper also carries a report by the Department for Protection of German Constitution which says 27,250 of 32,150 fundamentalist organizations in Germany were of Turkish origin. The majority of these organizations are members of Milli Gorus, and they also have ties with the al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Milli Gorus aims at creating Islamic regimes although they use moderate rhetoric in meetings open to public, according to the report which sees the radicalization of Islam as the gravest threat to security and stability in Europe, says Cumhuriyet. Syria Accuses Israel of Bombing its Territory Sabah, Milliyet, Radikal, Yeni Safak and others: Syrian news agency SANA claimed that the Israeli warplanes violated Syrian airspace and bombed deserted areas in Syria. Speaking to SANA, a Syrian military spokesman said that Syrian air defenses opened fire on Israeli planes which had entered Syrian airspace through the northern border coming from the direction of the Mediterranean. Islamist oriented Yeni Safak reports that Prime Minister Erdogan denied the allegations that the Israeli war planes took off from a base in Turkey. ANKARA 00002287 002 OF 002 A Call from Ambassador Sensoy to Jewish Institutions in the US Radikal and Sabah reported that Turkish Ambassador to the US Nabi Sensoy called on all Jewish institutions in the US to support Turkey in the Congress during the debates on Armenian Resolution and prevent the draft passing the Congress. Editorial Commentary on Iraq Kubilay Celik writes in the nationalist Tercuman: "The most discussed issue in the US Congress and among the public recently is troop withdrawal from Iraq. It is almost certain that the US will withdraw its troops from Iraq -- the main issue is when and how. Some are concerned that the Iraqi people will suffer heavily from the lack of authority after the withdrawal. Nevertheless, the fact is that following the UK withdrawal, the US will withdraw too. There are allegations that the US will not pull out of Iraq completely, however, it is a well-known fact that the US, which occupied Iraq in 2003, will leave a ruined Iraq behind it. In short, the US will pull out of Iraq at the end but the civil war in Iraq will never end. And President Bush's name will be registered as the President who made the most mistakes in US history." TV Highlights NTV, 7.00 A.M. Domestic News - Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin has rejected charges coming from CHP leader Deniz Baykal that the new constitution would jeopardize the interests of the Turkish Republic and gains secured with the Lausanne Treaty. - CHP expects around 100,000 activists and citizens to participate in ceremonies to take place in Ataturk's Mausoleum on September 9 to mark the party's 84th anniversary. - Foreign Minister Ali Babacan is to attend the second day of the EU foreign ministers meetings to be held in Portugal on September 7-8. - Energy Minister Hilmi Guler expects the parliament to give priority to pass legislation for construction of nuclear plants in Turkey. International News - Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) called on Armenians living in the US to exert pressure on US Congress members for the approval of the Armenian genocide resolution. - State Department Spokesman Tom Casey said in response to a question about Turkey's prosecution of Patriarch Bartholomew I over using the title "Ecumenical" that the US "would expect all countries to fully respect international obligations to observe the religious freedom and rights of all individuals." - British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said in Istanbul he was visiting Turkey because terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda seek to fracture the world along religious lines. - Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has met Iraq's top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, to discuss a government crisis in which nearly half his Cabinet has quit. WILSON