ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000844

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, APRIL 11, 2007


A QUICK LOOK AT THE TURKISH PRESS
April 11, 2007


In Today's Papers

Turkish National Security Council Discusses Iraq, Barzani
All papers report that a declaration released at the end of the
Turkish National Security Council (MGK) meeting was seen as a
diplomatic warning to Iraq. The declaration said "political,
economic, and other approaches" were to be applied in dealings with
Iraq, without making a direct reference to Iraqi Kurdish leader
Massoud Barzani or cross-border military measures. It also said
security operations against terrorism will continue with
determination. Developments in Kirkuk, Iran, and Cyprus as well as
the fundamentalist threat in Turkey were also discussed at the
meeting. Radikal says Ankara, after presenting a note of protest to
Iraq demanding concrete measures against the PKK, now will watch
developments in Iraq over the next two weeks. If Baghdad fails to
move against the PKK, Turkey will implement "sanctions" such as
closing Turkish airspace to civilian flights to and from northern
Iraq, and closing the Habur border crossing. Turkey, in the
meantime, will tell the US and UN Security Council that anti-PKK
cross-border military incursions into northern Iraq were inevitable.
Intellectual Islamist-oriented Zaman and mainstream Milliyet quote
US Ambassador to Turkey Ross Wilson as saying in reference to the
Barzani remarks about a possible Turkish intervention in Kirkuk,
"this kind of rhetoric is unhelpful." Ambassador Wilson said
Turkey, like all countries, had "a right to defend itself."

Editorial Commentary: Turkey's Iraq Policy
Abdulhamit Bilici writes in the intellectual Islamist-oriented
Zaman: "Barzani's remarks provide some clues to Ankara as to how to
shape a strategy regarding Barzani as well as the region. First of
all, the situation indicates the strong need for Turkey to engage in
dialogue with the leaders in the region. For instance Talabani, a
Kurdish leader, for the first time criticized Barzani -- thanks to
the dialogue initiated with him by Turkey during the Riyadh summit.
The second important point is that Barzani received open criticism
from Washington about his remarks. In a statement by the State
Department, Barzani was referred as 'Mr.' as opposed to 'president'
which symbolizes the tone of Washington's reaction. The third
important point for Turkey is to keep its cool regarding Barzani and
try not to fall into the trap set by his statements. Both Turks and
Kurds must realize that the long lasting and realistic way to handle
the issue goes through transparent borders not through border
wars."

Oktay Eksi comments in the mainstream daily Hurriyet: "Barzani
should not be underestimated because he knows what he is doing. He
is capable of making threatening remarks against Turkey's crucial
national interests and he should be taken seriously. We should be
able to come up with a better policy to handle the issue rather than
give the usual, empty response such as 'we will do whatever is
needed.' This is not about Barzani only, nor is it about the PKK.
The US, which supports them on one hand, and tries to divert
Turkey's attention on the other hand, is also a part of the picture.
Thus a national policy is needed to evaluate every aspect of
foreign policy and it certainly requires a national consensus.
Turkey should seriously consider its options for handling this
problem. Every option, including the military operation needs to be
discussed thoroughly before a policy line is established. Sadly
enough Turkey is now fully busy with something else. Whether the PM
is going to announce his candidacy for the presidency seems to be
occupying every part of the national agenda."

Turkish Commercial Airliner Hijacked
All papers report Mehmet Goksingol, an unemployed man from
Diyarbakir with a drug-related criminal record, hijacked a Pegasus
Airline passenger plane on Tuesday after take off from Diyarbakir,

ANKARA 00000844 002 OF 003


but then gave himself up to the police after the plane landed in
Ankara. Papers quote authorities as saying the hijacker acted from
personal, not political motives, and may be mentally ill.

Presidential Election Process
Milliyet, Cumhuriyet, Radikal, Sabah and others: Today's papers
report that Parliament speaker Arinc will start the Presidential
election process today. Arinc is going to announce that the
Presidential candidacy submission period will start on April 16 and
end on April 25. At an interview with NTV Arinc said that PM
Erdogan, who had said that he would not meet with the opposition due
to their recent rhetoric, should meet with other political parties
about the Presidential election. Arinc reiterated his view that 184
is the quorum number for the general assembly to convene and that to
start the Presidential election process 184 will be enough rather
than 367, as opposition leaders claim. Meanwhile, responding to a
question, the Head of the Constitutional Court, Tulay Tugcu, said
that in case of application to the court regarding the number of
deputies required to be present during first round of the
presidential election vote, the court would quickly issue a decision
on the problem -- before the second round of voting.

Turkish Army Shells a Village near Zakho in Iraq
Sabah, Milliyet and Zaman: Reports on the Peyamner web site of
northern Iraq claimed on Monday that Turkish forces on Sunday
shelled the Zakho area of northern Iraq with artillery.

Nobel Laureates Call for Turkey-Armenia Reconciliation
Sabah and Zaman report the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity (EWF)
released an appeal signed by 53 Nobel Laureates, calling on the
Turkish government to end discrimination against ethnic and
religious minorities and abolish Article 301 of the Turkish penal
code. Laureates also urged Turkey and Armenia to open the
Turkish-Armenian border as well as establish full diplomatic
relations.

TV Highlights
NTV (6 A.M.)

Domestic News

- Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul will travel to Turkish Cyprus on
April 12 to meet with "president" Mehmet Ali Talat. Gul will
inaugurate a hotel in Girne on April 13.

- Independent MP Mahmut Kocak, formerly of the AKP, has announced he
will join ANAVATAN, reportedly on Monday, raising the number of
ANAVATAN members to 20 and enabling the party to form a party group
in the parliament again.

- Turkish security operations against the PKK continue in Tunceli
and Bingol provinces.

- World Bank plans to extend to Turkey special loans for curbing
unemployment and creating new jobs.

International News

- The Iraqi parliament will reportedly review article 140 of Iraq's
Constitution related to the status of Kirkuk despite objections
coming from Kurdish groups.

- A UN photo and text exhibit on the 13th anniversary of the Rwanda
genocide has been delayed after Turkish objections to a mention of
the killing of Armenians in Turkey in 1915.

- 20 Turkish workers have been abducted by Iraqi colleagues in
Samarra in reaction to delays in the payment of Iraqi workers.

- On Tuesday, four Serbian paramilitary members seen in a video

ANKARA 00000844 003 OF 003


gunning down Bosnian Muslims near Srebrenica in 1995 were convicted
of war crimes against civilians by Serbia's War Crimes Court.

WILSON