ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000449 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 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007 ANKARA 00000449 001.2 OF 002 In Today's Papers Gul Warns the Kurds to "Stop Fantasizing" All papers report Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul responded to questions about a recent sta region. The Kurds should be realistic in their aspirations," Gul said, drawing attention to the example of Saddam Hussein's actions against the Kurds. Gul also said Turkish officials would like to go to Iraq to show solidarity with the Iraqi government and people, but that there was no visit planned. Tenth Anniversary of the "Postmodern Coup" Columnists in several papers comment on the 10th anniversary of the "postmodern military coup" in Turkey, when the military forced the then-Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan from power in February 28, 1997, for angering the secularist establishment by actions such as inviting religious leaders to his residence and by drawing closer to Iran and Libya. Hurriyet's chief editor Ertugrul Ozkok says February 28 was a "fine-tuning" of Turkish democracy against an inept Islamist government which was keen on changing the regime in Turkey, based on only 25 percent of the voters' support. In the tabloid Posta, Mehmet Ali Birand says there were still some circles in Turkey who want the Turkish military to intervene if someone who wants to change the secular regime into a "religious republic" becomes the new president. Mustafa Unal in the conservative/opinion maker Zaman writes Turkey cannot go through another February 28, expressing hope that the military will "not be provoked by those who want another military takeover." Fehmi Koru of the Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak says the February 28 process has been "a total shame for Turkey," stressing that today Turkey is sure of itself and "the constitutional order will not be disrupted." The leftist/nationalist Cumhuriyet's chief editor Ilhan Selcuk points to the ongoing "externally-supported counter-revolutionary period" in the country, warning against attempts to turn Turkey into a "moderate Islamic state." Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Erbakan is quoted in Vatan as saying the United States, not the Turkish military, was the real architect of his downfall. Editorial Commentary: ICJ on Srebrenica After the recent ruling by the ICJ on Srebrenica, Rauf Tamer comments in the tabloid Posta, comparing more recent events: "The US lost 3,500 people in the Twin Towers attacks, and in return at least 700,000 Muslims were killed in Iraq. That's what I would call a genuine genocide. America has never been so unsympathetic to the world in its entire history. Today's America is certainly not the US of Clinton times. And more importantly, Busards and bias, the real face of Europeans. Europe spread anti-Muslim and anti-Turkish sentiment throughout the continent for more than 100 years. Regarding the massacre of Bosnians, the steps for that genocide were taken by Europe as well. Therefore, The Hague ruling does not come as a surprise. History is just repeating itself. Just think about the Hojali massacre by Armenians. Do you remember any reaction from Europe about the murder of hundreds of Azeris? Yes indeed, there was only one reaction - a pat on the back to the Armenians." ANKARA 00000449 002.2 OF 002 Iraqi Neighbors Conference Milliyet, Sabah, Yeni Safak, Aksam and others: Papers report that the US will be sitting at the same table with Syria and Iran for the first time at the Iraqi Neighbors Conference in Baghdad in the middle of March. Yeni Safak quotes White House spokesperson Dana Perino as saying "If an Iraq conference is convened and we are invited, of course we will participate. It would be natural for Secretary Rice to represent the US at such a conference." Sabah SIPDIS reports that when asked if Turkish PM Erdogan would travel to Iraq, FM Gul saiUS to count ` TV Highlights NTV (6 A.M.) Domestic News - Turkish Parliament has rejected a motion filed by the main opposition CHP against Prime Minister Erdogan and Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu for "breach of duty" in a series of events including the murder of Turkish Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, the attack on the Council of State, and the killing of Father Andrea Santoro, the priest in Trabzon. - Turkey's main Kurdish party DTP will hold its extraordinary convention in Ankara today. International News - Turkish Cyprus leader Mehmet Ali Talat is to visit Brussels today for talks with EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn. - On Tuesday, a car bomb killed 18 children at a soccer field near the Iraqi city of Ramadi. - The Iraqi government has approved a draft law that will govern all oil and gas development in the country. - Iran's Revolutionary Guards have killed three high-level officials of PEJAK, a PKK offshoot in Iran. - Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said Hamas has pledged to end missile attacks and violence against Israel. http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON