ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS ANKARA 001047 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, JUNE 5, 2008 In Today's Papers Court Cancels Authority to Monitor Citizens Nationwide All papers report Court of Appeals (Yargitay) has cancelled a High Criminal Court decision which gives authority to the gendarme forces for nationwide monitoring of suspects. "No institution can be given authority to monitor the entire country, or consider the citizens of the democratic and constitutional state of Turkey as suspects," according to the Court's decision. Mainstream Sabah says the ruling related to the gendarme will stipulate the annulment of similar wiretapping authorizations given to police and the intelligence service MIT. After the Court of Appeals ruling, the courts in Ankara will not be able to authorize wiretapping in other provinces; authorization for wiretapping must be obtained from local courts. Paper: "The Obama Wind Blows to the Whole World" All media outlets feature Barack Obama's victory in attaining the majority of delegates needed to be the Democratic Party's presidential nominee. Coverage focuses on the groundbreaking nature of an African-American's rise to the presidential nomination. Mainstream Milliyet carries the banner headline, "A First in American History," as "Obama becomes the first black presidential nominee in U.S. history." Milliyet columnist Sami Kohen calls this, "The First Sign of Change in the U.S." Liberal Radikal writes, "Some Said They Would Never Live to See This Day" and "The Obama Wind Blows to the Whole World." Islamist-oriented Zaman carries the headline, "Obama Writes History," as Obama fulfills, "Martin Luther King's Dream." Leftist Taraf writes, "From Now On, America is a Different Country." Mainstream Vatan quotes the candidate in its headline, "Our Time is Now." Mainstream Sabah's headline reads, "An American Dream Comes True," as, "A black candidate will run for president for the first time in U.S. history, 150 years after the abolishment of slavery, and 50 years after racism is banned." Sabah columnist Soli Ozel writes, "Obama is the better preference from the perspective of the world," as "He encourages a new approach to the way the U.S. sets its international agenda." Ibrahim Karagul of Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak writes, "Obama has two choices - he can reverse the current U.S. foreign policy and begin to compromise, or he can surrender to the war-mongering lobbies." Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet writes, "The American Media Declare Obama the Winner after His Five-Month Marathon to the Nomination." Editorial Commentary on U.S. Elections "The African American Candidate" Soli Ozel wrote in mainstream Sabah (6/5): "Barack Hussein Obama will be the Democrat Party's 2008 candidate for President. Hillary Clinton pursued a very harsh campaign against Obama and sometimes even used indecent manners. However, all of her tactics will serve Obama's interests in the end. The Clinton campaigners brought up every possible negative thing about Obama but he never lost his cool. In fact, the way he dealt with the attacks enhanced his leadership qualities. The fact that a minority has nearly reached the White House is a revolutionary thing in U.S. history. If he becomes the new president of the United States, he should not be expected to create miracles. Whatever the president's personal agenda, the system is based on checks and balances, which does no