ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002416 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 WEDNSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2007 In Today's Papers NGOs, Universities Warn AKP on Draft New Constitution All papers report on the process of drafting a new constitution and the contents of the draft written by the ruling AKP. Far right MHP said in a letter to Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan that work for drafting a new constitution should be carried out in the parliament, and called for setting up a special commission. Eight leading NGOs with 13 million members warned the government that the new constitution currently being drafted should not divide the Turkish people into rival camps and should not erase the importance of the country's founder, Ataturk. "Ataturk's principles and the fundamental characteristics of the republic cannot be amended," said in a statement Turkish Union of Chambers (TOBB) President Rifat Hisarciklioglu on behalf of the NGOs. Meanwhile, Ankara's Hacettepe University rector Tuncalp Ozgen told an academic year opening ceremony held Tuesday that views of universities should be taken into account with regard to the draft new constitution. President Abdullah Gul, present at the ceremony, said universities cannot remain silent on what is happening in society. Mainstream papers comment that President Gul struck a contrasting tone from Prime Minister Erdogan who had said university chancellors should mind their own business when it comes to the issue of the constitution and whether the headscarf ban in universities should be lifted. Turkish Leaders Continue Talks in US All papers report Prime Minister Erdogan held Tuesday "fruitful and comprehensive" talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy on the sidelines of the UNGA meetings in New York. Sarkozy reportedly told Erdogan that he plans to send his Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner to Turkey in October. Erdogan's meeting with his Italian counterpart Romano Prodi focused on cooperation and joint projects in energy and defense. Erdogan also met German Chancellor Angela Merkel and discussed Turkey's EU negotiation process and integration of Turkish citizens living in Germany. Merkel reportedly invited Erdogan to Germany. Erdogan also held talks with Henry Kissinger and Richard Holbrooke, papers report. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Ali Babacan met with yesterday Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari on the margins of the summit. Zebari reportedly told Babacan that the Iraqi administration deems highly important the upcoming expanded Iraq's neighbors' meeting in Istanbul in October. Babacan had a meeting with EU's foreign policy chief Javier Solana, and also came together with foreign ministers of Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Iraq, Niger, Jordan and Slovakia. Together with Erdogan, Babacan also attended a round-table meeting on democracy held under the auspices of President Bush. Editorial Commentary on UNGA Sami Kohen writes in the mainstream daily Milliyet: "It was nice to see that the global warming problem has finally become an internationally recognized issue. The world leaders, although belatedly, talked at the UN about problems related to climate change and global warming. Turkey is one of the countries suffering from the impact of global warming. As UNSG Ban Ki-Moon noted, this is the time for action and cooperation. It remains to be seen whether countries with excessive carbon dioxide gas emissions, like the US, China and India will be able to fulfill their obligations. The Kyoto Protocol which will terminate by 2012 needs to be replaced with a new international environmental agreement -- the purpose of the upcoming meeting in Bali in December. Turkey also demonstrated willingness to develop a new strategy on global warming as stated by PM Erdogan during the UN Climate Change meeting. Turkey is ready to sign the Kyoto Protocol as long as it is listed in the developing countries category within OECD. According to a leading Turkish environmentalist NGO, this is a fair condition considering Turkey's economy but it is very important that for the first time Turkey ANKARA 00002416 002 OF 003 declared its intention to be a part of Kyoto." Iraq's Bolani in Turkey to Discuss Anti-Terror Agreement All papers report that visiting Iraqi Interior Minister Jawad al-Bolani is expected to sign an anti-terror agreement with Turkey today. Papers say Turkey is mainly demanding the "right of hot pursuit" into Iraq, but are not optimistic that the agreement would create a solid legal basis for cross-border military operations. Mainstream Hurriyet says Iraq was cold to the idea. Hurriyet also reports that "Blackwater and US-originated weapons falling into the hands of the PKK" were also discussed. Mainstream Sabah expects the sides to agree on opening "coordination offices" in Baghdad and Ankara, increasing the number of Iraqi security forces deployed between Mount Kandil and Bamerin region, and restricting the operations of the PKK. PKK Kills 2 Soldiers in Tunceli and Sirnak All papers report that on Tuesday, a Turkish gendarme private was killed and four others were injured when a car bomb exploded at an outpost in the eastern province of Tunceli. A bread delivery truck was driven up to the gendarme post in a village in Tunceli and detonated by remote control, military sources said. In separate fighting between security forces and the PKK terrorists, a non-commissioned officer and four militants were killed in the southeastern province of Sirnak. Editorial Commentary on Syria, Iran Cengiz Candar observes in the business daily Referans: "Northern Iraq or Iraqi Kurdistan is not Turkey's only southern neighbor. Turkey has to consider Syria as well as Israel regarding its political strategy assessments. This is simply because these two are, from international security perspectives, more important than Northern Iraq. There is not much official information from the Syrian government but there is also credible information about the undeclared nuclear activities of Syria. Turkey, as a member of NATO, will have to live with Iran and Syria as next door neighbors engaged in nuclear activity. Can we pretend that all is well right next door? How will Turkey be able to cope with the fact that these two countries are on the verge of becoming a target of the western system? Turkey faces an enormous challenge in making its foreign policy priorities very clear. Even though we continue to bring up Northern Iraq and the PKK issue at every possible venue vis-`-vis the US, the genuine international issue is becoming Iran and Syria and we should realize that sooner or later. All of this calls for rational foreign policy making which does not seem likely in Turkey at least for the time being because of ongoing internal debates." TV Highlights NTV Domestic News - Government officials and labor unions have failed to agree on wage hikes in 2008. The final decision will be made by the Council of Ministers. - Turkey plans a roadshow in London on Wednesday for the long-delayed privatization of Tekel Cigarette. The Privatization Administration (OIB) plans to launch a tender for the former monopoly in October. British American Tobacco, South Korea's KT&G and Imperial Tobacco are interested in the sale. - Ten people are injured as more than 10,000 people rushed at the opening of the first branch of a German chain store of electronic goods in Istanbul. International News - The European Union has wiped Turkey off the map on its new Euro coin. "The EU Council is not embarrassed that the new European map ANKARA 00002416 003 OF 003 should include some dictatorships such as Belarus or authoritarian ones like Russia, but it refuses to feature a democratic country like Turkey with which accession negotiations are underway," European Parliament MPs Marco Cappato and Marco Pannella said in a statement. - Iran has confirmed that it shelled suspected PJAK positions inside Iraq. - A suicide bomber blew himself up in a Ramadan dinner inside a Shiite mosque in central Baquba killing 26 people. - President Bush announced new US sanctions against Myanmar's military rulers on Tuesday amid Myanmar's biggest anti-government protests in 20 years. WILSON