ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 002401 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 MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2007 ANKARA 00002401 001.2 OF 002 In Today's Papers Controversy Regarding the New Constitution Sabah, Turkiye, Cumhuriyet, Radikal, Hurriyet and others: Today's papers highlighted the comments of Guler Sabanci, chairperson of the Sabanci Group Board of Executives, at an interview with Bloomberg TV, broadcasting from London. Giving information about Turkey and the Turkish business environment Sabanci said "Women in business life are the product of the 83-year-old Republic. I have confidence in our republic. Secularism and democracy are coded in our DNA. Mainstream Sabah reported that AKP Vice Chairman Dengir Mir Firat said that "if AKP wanted the headscarf to be worn freely, then they would have done it with a simple amendment rather than writing a whole constitution. The rectors are acting with disrespect. We want a constitution which does not limit freedoms." Meanwhile, leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet says that the ruling AKP plans to use the constitutional amendments to change the structure of Turkey. The provision listing the tasks of the state does not contain references to the independence of Turkish nation, the integrity of the Turkish state, and to the democratic republic structure of the country. Blackwater Accused of Selling Arms to PKK Sabah, Cumhuriyet, Hurriyet, Vatan, Yeni Safak and others: Today's and weekend papers draw attention to allegations that US security company Blackwater was supplying the PKK with arms. US Federal prosecutors are investigating claims that employees of Blackwater illegally brought in weapons into Iraq and sold them in the black market to terrorists. Calling Blackwater 'a secret army with deep roots,' columnist Ferai Tinc writes in the mainstream Hurriyet: "We cannot be very hopeful about results of the ongoing investigation by the Maliki administration into Blackwater's misconduct. This is simply because Paul Bremer gave Blackwater and other American security firms in Iraq immunity in 2004, and he made this a provision of Iraqi law. One of the points in the investigation into Blackwater is related to the missing American weapons falling into the hands of the PKK. Even though a denial came from the firm, the prosecutor has said there is enough evidence to open a case. This is an example of how the Iraq war differs from conventional wars. There are mercenaries in Iraq and nobody can question their whereabouts or the nature of their operations. They are accountable to the firm not to the state. Therefore their primary concern is to get the job done regardless of who dies and who gets wounded. In this atmosphere, there is no way to talk about war crimes or human rights violations. There can be any kind of irregularity or misconduct as long as money is paid. Blackwater is VP Cheney's project. He and Rumsfeld made their approach very clear even in 2001 by saying that the Pentagon should be managed like a private company. Blackwater in particular has deep roots within the Bush administration. Blackwater's former lawyer is now a private lawyer for President Bush and leads an Evangelist organization in addition to his fund-raising efforts for the Bush campaign. Cofer Black, the chief of the counter-terror department at the CIA during 9/11 is the name behind the Blackwater operations. John Warner, former Chairman of Armed Services Committee used to call Blackwater 'the silent partner in America's war against global terrorism.' Creepy but true, the idea is that you need terror to continue to wage war so that the economy keeps functioning." Iraqi Interior Minister Bolani Comes to Turkey Sabah reports that Iraqi Interior Minister Jawad Al-Bolani will arrive in Ankara tomorrow to complete unfinished tasks. If the memorandum of understanding signed during Iraqi PM Maliki's visit could be converted into an agreement, then Iraq will extradite 150 PKK members, including Riza Altun, to Turkey. One Million American Tourists to Visit Turkey ANKARA 00002401 002.2 OF 002 Milliyet reports that the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism intensified its promotion work in the US. As a result of this campaign, it is expected that one million American tourists will be coming to Turkey in 2008. Editorial Comment: US View on Turkey-EU Relations: Semih Idiz observes from Washington in the mainstream daily Milliyet: "US official policy continues to support Turkey's EU membership and sees it as an important element to counter the thesis that there is a conflict of civilizations. However, there are significant numbers of American experts who are pessimistic about Turkey's EU prospects. Some even believe that potential developments in the near future might block the entire process. Steven Cook from the Council on Foreign Relations belongs to this group. He claims that a cross-border operation into Northern Iraq would bring Turkey-EU relations to an end. Washington-based CSIS sees serious challenges before the Erdogan government especially due to internal debates in Turkey, the popular opposition against membership in the EU and the no-settlement status for Cyprus. I don't necessarily agree with this pessimism. The EU perspective in Turkey acts like an engine for political, economic and social standards. Once Turkey fully meets those standards, if the EU continues to leave the door closed to Turkey, then the responsibility will be entirely the EU's." TV News: NTV Domestic News Protests were staged in Istanbul yesterday to denounce the suspicious killing of Nigerian refugee Festus Okey at the Beyoglu police station Security forces detained 46 people in Sirnak on suspicion of assisting and sheltering PKK terrorists PM Erdogan's wife Emine Erdogan will attend a lunch hosted by first lady Laura Bush International News Spanish police have found 15 immigrants inside a Turkish cargo ship in the northeastern port of Barcelona EU Commission accepted on Friday the Green Line Regulation annual report Iranian President Ahmedinejad demands a visit to 'Ground Zero' in New York. WILSON