ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000493 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, MARCH 5, 2007 In Today's Papers Gul Joins Arab League Meeting in Cairo Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Zaman and others report Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, in Cairo to attend the Arab League Foreign Ministers' meeting over the weekend, told a press conference held after meeting with Secretary-General Amr Moussa that Turkish territories would never be used in attacks against Turkeys' neighbors. Gul also underlined the importance of protecting Iraq's unity, warning a divided Iraq would become a source of big trouble for the region. He also noted that the fate of Kirkuk was important for keeping Iraq intact. Radikal reported over the weekend that the meeting was a preparation for a meeting of Iraq's neighbors scheduled to take place in Istanbul or Cairo in April. On his return from Cairo, Gul told the press Turkey was "not in a hurry" to impose sanctions on Iran. "We will do as others do; I must remind you that UN resolutions are binding for all members," said Gul. Lantos to Back Turkey against Armenian Resolution Mainstream Sabah reports Congressman Tom Lantos has promised to work against the Armenian genocide resolution in the US Congress. While Lantos was holding talks with visiting Turkish Chief of General Staff Yasar Buyukanit in Washington last month, Ankara told the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that the approval of the genocide resolution would harm not only Turkey-US ties, but Turkey's ties with Israel too. Olmert spoke with Lantos and other representatives of the Jewish lobby, convincing them to work against the bill, says Sabah. Ergun Babahan noted in the mainstream Sabah that over the weekend The Wall Street Journal published an op-ed written by Mark Parris, US Ambassador to Turkey from 1997 to 2000, in which Parris argues that it would be "wrong for a country's parliament to adopt a resolution in order to try some other nation." Babahan writes that "after stressing Turkey's importance for the US interests in the region, Parris concludes that the passage of the resolution will definitely be against US interests." US Draft Calls on Turkey to Establish Ties with Armenia Mainstream Milliyet reported Sunday that on March 6 the US Senate foreign relations committee will discuss a draft condemning the murder of Armenian journalist Hrant Dink and pressing Turkey to 
scrap article 301 of the penal code. The draft praises Turkey for inviting Armenian clerics and politicians to the funeral of Dink, stressing Turkey should establish diplomatic, political, and economic ties with Armenia. Even if approved by the Senate, the draft will not be binding. Editorial Commentary: Turkey in the Middle East Semih Idiz commented in the mainstream daily Milliyet: "The meeting between Iranian president Ahmedinejad and Saudi King Abdullah in Riyadh and the meeting in Baghdad on March 10 which will bring the US, Iran and Syria to the same table are concrete signs of new developments in the region. Turkish Foreign Minister Gul will attend this meeting in Baghdad as well. But Turkey never seems to be right in the middle of these developments in the region -- never takes an active role in the regional problems but acts more like a reactive regional power. President Sezer continues to reject meeting Kurdish leaders, one of whom is the president of the country and the other is the leader of the regional administration. With this kind of stance, Turkey will always be left out of developments occurring right next to us while Saudi Arabia, Iran and others steal our role with their more relaxed attitudes. While we are shaping our world according to personal understandings, the world is moving us to the back seat." Prosecution of DTP Members on the Rise The liberal/opinion maker Radikal reports an increase in operations against Turkey's main Kurdish party DTP, as seen in the arrest and ANKARA 00000493 002 OF 003 detention of more than 60 party members over the last ten days. Hilmi Aydogdu, the DTP head in Diyarbakir, was arrested for saying they will perceive an attack on Kirkuk as an attack on Diyarbakir. Four DTP officials in Batman have been detained for supporting Aydogdu. Twenty DTP members were arrested in Van for making PKK propaganda. DTP co-chairpersons Ahmet Turk and Aysel Tugluk were given prison sentences for distributing declarations in Kurdish, calling Abdullah Ocalan a "public leader." The Ankara prosecutor has launched an investigation into the DTP congress held on February ¶28. The DTP head in Silopi was detained for saying in a statement "Mr. Ocalan," and now faces investigation for praising criminals. Evren Investigated for Proposing Federation in Turkey All papers over the weekend and Monday report a prosecutor launched a lawsuit against former president Kenan Evren for proposing to set up a federation in Turkey. The prosecutor asked for a 15-year prison sentence for the junta leader of the September 1980 military takeover in Turkey. Evren backpedaled by saying he was not suggesting a federation, but was just proposing to appoint regional governors. Hrant Dink Commemorated 40 Days after His Death Hurriyet, Milliyet, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman, Yeni Safak and others report Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was remembered at the Armenian Virgin Mary Church and at his grave in Istanbul forty days after he was murdered on January 19. Armenian Patriarch Mesrob Mutafyan said prayers for Dink, and lamented the fact that those behind the murder were not caught yet. After the mass, two unidentified persons shot in the air in front of the church and escaped. TV News: (NTV, 8 A.M.) Domestic News - Turkish political parties agreed on a new regulation to lower the election age to 25 years to take effect in the next general elections. - Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin said charges about the poisoning of PKK's imprisoned leader Ocalan were "provocation." - Turkish Council of Ministers will discuss Monday a report drafted by Environment Minister Osman Pepe on the impact of global warming. - Turkish banks are expected to open 600 new branches this year, recruiting 8,000 new employees. International News - The Turkish government is to make a deal with a new lobby company in the US, DLA Piper, a company close to the Democrats, before the discussion of Armenian genocide claims in the US Congress. - Iraq's Prime Minister said he will reshuffle his cabinet within two weeks and pursue criminal charges against political figures linked to extremists. - Former US Ambassador to Turkey Mark Parris said the approval of Armenian genocide resolution in the US Congress would harm American interests. - Major powers failed to settle differences over a second UN sanctions resolution against Iran for its nuclear program. http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ ANKARA 00000493 003 OF 003 WILSON