ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001145 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 19, 2008 In Today's Papers Constitutional Court President: "It is impossible to give a date for the decision in the AKP Closure Case." Sabah, Milliyet, Hurriyet,Cumhuriyet, Radikal: Constitutional Court President Hasim Kilic responded to Prime Minister Erdogan's remarks yesterday when the PM said, "The supreme court may issue its decision on the closure case of the AKP in the second half of July." Kilic said it is not possible to predict if the decision will be made in early or late July. Kilic said "I cannot make a prediction about the date. Assessments in that regard have nothing to do with the court." PM Erdogan to Focus on Tuzla Shipyard Problems Radikal, Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Zaman, Star, Cumhuriyet: Papers report that PM Erdogan will meet with ship owners and representatives of labor unions today to discuss work safety in Tuzla shipyard. Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim will also attend the meeting. Liberal Radikal reminds that 25 workers have died in work accidents in Tuzla in the last six months. Yesterday, Nur Istanbul shipyard was shut down for violating work safety regulations. Papers draw attention to the fact that Turk-Is affiliated labor Unions are invited to the meeting while DISK's Limter-Is Union was excluded because they arranged the June 16th strike against worker deaths at the shipyard. A/S Fried Calls on Armenia to Recognize Turkey's Borders Hurriyet, Milliyet, and Zaman report on Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Dan Fried's statements at a House Foreign Affairs Committee meeting regarding the current Armenia-Turkish borders. This is the first time a high-level U.S. official has made an official statement on the issue. Papers interpret the statements as "for the first time, there are no territorial expectations from Turkey ." Mainstream Hurriyet carries the headline, "A Historical Call from the U.S. to Armenia," saying that "The U.S. for the first time, emphasized Armenia has to recognize current borders with Turkey." Mainstream Milliyet writes in "We don't say Genocide because we do not want to Harm Relations," that in response to a question on 1915 events, A/S Fried said "We have never denied the events of 1915, however as a policy, we don't use that term." Long-standing YouTube Ban Lifted Only for Hours Yeni Safak, Zaman, Radikal: A court order blocking access to popular video-sharing web site You Tube was lifted on Tuesday night. However, the web site remained open only for several hours and it was banned again around 10 a.m. Wednesday morning. Turkish courts have recently issued several verdicts blocking access to offensive web sites. You-Tube is the world's largest and most popular audio and video sharing web site and has become a symbol as access to it has frequently been prohibited by Turkish courts. Senator Obama Reiterates his Support for Armenian Resolution Hurriyet, Sabah, Milliyet,Zaman, Radikal: Papers report Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama sent a letter to the Armenian National Committee in the U.S. which said, "We should recognize the tragic facts. There is no excuse for the Bush Administration not to recognize it." EDITORIAL OPINION: Middle East "A Bombardment of Good News" Sami Kohen wrote in mainstream Milliyet (6/19): "Unless a last minute problem occurs, today marks the beginning of peace in Gaza. The truce between Israel and the Hamas-led administration in Gaza was finally achieved through Egypt's mediation. The ongoing clashes and reprisal attacks from both sides have been very painful for both Israel and Gaza. Thus, they decided to try a ceasefire for six months, even though neither side trusts the other. This agreement strengthens Hamas' hand, and in a way it creates an opportunity for ANKARA 00001145 002 OF 002 Hamas to have its presence recognized. It is not possible to expect that the ceasefire will last long. Everybody knows that the ceasefire stands on very fragile ground. In any case, it is worth trying because a peace brokered between Hamas and Israel is the most positive development in the Middle East recently. In addition, Palestinian leader Abbas will visit Gaza this weekend for the first high-level contact between the two sides of Palestine. Also, Israel has expressed its readiness to begin peace negotiations with Lebanon. Finally, Israel and Syria are continuing their talks with Turkey's mediation. These are all good news developments for the region. Bearing in mind the Middle East's nature, we can be cautiously optimistic." "The Ceasefire Is the Result of an Unsustainable Status Quo" Fikret Ertan wrote in Islamist leaning Zaman (6/19): "Ever since Hamas' electoral victory in Gaza, the territory has been bombarded with constant air raids and other military activities by Israel. The Israeli government has faced internal protests and criticism. In the end, life in both Israel and Palestine has become unbearable. The ceasefire agreement was reached because it was impossible to sustain stability under such conflict-ridden circumstances. From now on, it will be very important to see two gates opened - the gate from Israel to Gaza, and the gate from Sufa to Karni. These are the logistical and commercial gateways between Israel and Gaza. In any case, southern Israel and Gaza will experience a significantly peaceful atmosphere. Both Israel and Hamas will benefit from this period of relative comfort. Let's hope this climate will lead to long-term and long-lasting agreements." TV Highlights NTV Domestic News - The parliament has approved a new bill regulating appointments of presidents in newly established state universities. - Commenting on Michael Rubin's article in The Wall Street Journal, "Turkey's Putin Deserves To Go," AKP deputy chairman Egemen Bagis said "Turkey is not Russia, and Erdogan is not Putin." - Transsexual singer Bulent Ersoy is on trial for criticizing the military. Last month, Ersoy said on a television show that if she had a son, she would not send him to the army to fight against the PKK. International News - Addressing the French Senate, Prime Minister Francois Fillon voiced objections to a bill proposing a public referendum regarding Turkey's EU accession. - Relatives of the victims of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre in Bosnia-Herzegovina seek damages for their losses in a Dutch court. - European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said EU leaders should hurry to resolve the crisis over Ireland's rejection of the Lisbon Treaty. WILSON