ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000467 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, MARCH 1, 2007 ANKARA 00000467 001.2 OF 002 In Today's urkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) told Yeni Safak Turkey will participate in a March 10 foreign ministerial meeting in Baghdad, which would include the US, UK, France, Russia, and China. Zaman says the first meeting will be held in Baghdad on March 11 and then Cairo will host the second gathering. Several papers say Ankara is trying to incorporate the G-8 members, Germany, Japan and Italy and the UN Security Council's permanent members, into the second meeting expected to be held in Istanbul. Vatan reports Ankara will invite Talabani to attend a meeting of Iraq's neighbors in Istanbul in April. If the meeting takes place, says Hurriyet, Secretary Rice will come together with the representatives of Iran and Syria, countries characterized by the US as "rogue states." Turks React to Secretary Rice's Use of 'Kurdistan' Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman, Yeni Safak and others report on Turkish leaders' reaction to Secretary Rice's testimony at the US Senate Appropriations Committee, during which the Secretary said, "The PKK, operating on the border between Turkey and Kurdistan, is responsible for attacks into Turkey." Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said "Turkey's neighbor to the south is Iraq. We do not accept such statements." Prime Minister Erdogan told CNN-Turk yesterday that Rice's was "a wrong statement," and that "such statements do not matter that much, what matters is some 60-70 Muslims are killed in Iraq every day. It disturbs us a lot." In addition, Zaman says Rice has signaled change to the three-party mechanism among Turkey, the US, and Iraq when she said, "When we speak of negotiations, it's really discussions between the Kurds and the Turks and the Iraqi government, and we are facilitating that. And I have retired General Ralston as an envoy to do this, to try and mitigate those circumstances and to try to diminish the ability of the PKK to attack Turkish territory." Commenting in the mass appeal Vatan, Okay Gonensin urges a change in the Turkish debate over "the Kurdish issue and Kurdistan": "When it comes to the debate about Kurdistan and the Kurdish issue, we see the resurrection of old-fashioned formulas. In fact the discussion of Kurdistan requires that it be taken up in combination with the Kurdish issue in Turkey as well as the terrorism problem. How can we explain the double standard, as we support sovereign status for Turkish Cypriots? The Kurdistan issue should be taken up free from k and vention in Ankara the Kurdish issue and added that the PKK should be given the chance to take part in the political process. Turk told his party members that the party will be elected to Parliament even if candidates have to run as Independents. Tugluk also said that the solitary confinement of jailed PKK leader Ocalan should be ended. Netherlands Queen Beatrix Visits Turkey ANKARA 00000467 002.3 OF 002 Sabah, Milliyet, Radikal and others: Queen Beatrix was in the central Anatolian province of Kayseri yesterday, the home province of many of The Netherlands' 350,000 strong Turkish community. FM Gul and his wife accompanied the queen to Kayseri. Prince Willlem Alexander and Princess Maxima were in Ankara to attend a meeting on intercultural dialogue at Middle East Technical University. The Queen met with PM Erdogan on the second day of her visit to Turkey on the sidelines of an economy meeting at the Prime Minister's residence. Speaking at the meeting Beatrix said company representatives would discuss ways to improve bilateral relations. Today, the Royal party will be in Istanbul. Editorial Commentary: Withdrawing from Iraq Zafer Atay comments in the economic-political Dunya: "The British government has been pulling forces out of Iraq without announcing it -- disguising it under other pretexts, such as tactical reasons. This time it was made official and Blair declared that the number of troops will be reduced first to 5,500 and then to 5,000 this summer. Since Denmark, South Korea and Poland are also preparing to pull out from Iraq, there will be almost no coalitiontic News - Turkey has asked France to extradite the PKK militants captured in recent police raids. - The Diyarbakir court has rejected the objections to the arrest of DTP provincial head Hilmi Aydogdu who had said "a Turkish attack on Kirkuk will be perceived as attack on Diyarbakir." - Turkey Green Coordination Group continues a signature campaign for Turkey to sign the Kyoto Protocol. The group hopes to submit to the Turkish Parliament 100,000 signatures in April. - An IMF delegation led by Turkey desk chief Lorenzo Giorgianni will come to Turkey on Thursday. International News - The Iranian parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee member Hamid Reza Haji-Babai called on Turkey to support the nuclear ambitions of Iran, warning that otherwise Turkey will become the next target of US aggression. - Iraqi police officials said Wednesday a report that 18 boys were killed Tuesday in a bomb attack in Ramadi was false. - Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the US may have a military presence in Iraq for a "prolonged period." - The British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said no one is doing enough to tackle a Taliban-led insurgency gripping Afghanistan. http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON