ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 001248 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, JULY 10, 2008 In Today's Papers Armed Attack on U.S. Consulate in Istanbul All news outlets report three Turkish policemen and three gunmen were killed in an armed attack on the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul. On Wednesday, a vehicle carrying four people came to the main gate of the Consulate around 10:30 in the morning. Three of the assailants got out of the car and fired at the police officer standing guard in front of the Consulate. An armed clash erupted as the police officer as well as two other traffic policemen patrolling in the neighborhood responded the fire. Three assailants who got out of the car were killed; the driver of the car fled the scene. One policeman died at the scene and two others were rushed to the hospital for serious injuries. Eyewitnesses reported to television news that bystanders who were waiting for visas were also injured in the attack. (These claims were later confirmed to be false.) Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler said police determined the identities of the three slain assailants, who are all Turkish citizens. One of them has a criminal record for theft. Papers say the perpetrators are said to have "received training in Afghanistan," and they are "allegedly members of al-Qaeda." Investigations have identified the assailants as Erkan Kargin, Bulent Cinar and Raif Topcil. Cinar has a record for theft and Kargin for swindling. There is no verification of the claims that the third dead assailant Raif Topcil was detained in Guantanamo and then released a month ago. Various unnamed sources were cited in papers who speculated that al-Qaeda groups targeted the U.S. Consulate in Turkey in retaliation for the killing of four AQ members in the province of Gaziantep in January. "After the Gaziantep operation, we realized that al-Qaeda might carry out a reprisal attack. Wednesday's attack sends a message to both the U.S. and Turkey," a senior official told Milliyet. Security measures were heightened at the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul and in Ankara around the Prime Minister's Office and the U.S. Embassy. Turkish Reaction to Attack on U.S. Consulate All papers report President Abdullah Gul, Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan, Prime Minister Erdogan and Turkish General Staff (TGS) Chief General Yasar Buyukanit strongly condemned the attack. "Turkey will fight until the end against the mindset that organizes such attacks," Gul said. Prime Minister Erdogan said in a message, "these heinous attacks targeting Turkey's stability will not reach their goals, thanks to the determination of our brave security forces." Turkey's main opposition party CHP leader Deniz Baykal expressed "profound sorrow" over the killing of three police officers in the attack. "Killing the three attackers shows our security forces' determination in the fight against terrorism," Baykal said. In a statement posted on the Turkish General Staff's (TGS) webpage, General Yasar Buyukanit harshly condemned the attack. The Turkish Foreign Ministry (TGS) also condemned the attack, and said that security measures were increased in and around the U.S. diplomatic missions in the country. International Reaction to Attack on U.S. Consulate All papers report European Commission spokesperson Amadeu Altafaj Tardio said they share the grief with Turkish authorities and relatives of the policemen who were killed in the attack. European countries, including Greece, Spain, France and Denmark also strongly condemned the deadly attack. In "Wilson: 'We Are Grateful to Turkish Police," mainstream Milliyet says U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Ross Wilson denounced the armed attack as an "act of terror," and said that Turkish and American security officials were "working together to clarify the details of the attack." Wilson called the act, "a dastardly and coward attack," and stressed the U.S. and Turkey would "stand together and confront this, as we have in the past." Addressing journalists at a news conference on the Embassy grounds in Ankara, Wilson offered condolences from U.S. Government to the families of the three police officers who lost their lives in the attack. "The police responded effectively and quickly," he said ANKARA 00001248 002 OF 004 and expressed gratitude to Turkish police for their efforts to guard the U.S. official buildings in the country. Wilson added the U.S. would continue to be a close friend and ally of Turkey and that acts of terror could not damage the ties between the two countries. Turkish Press Play of Attack on U.S. Istanbul Consulate Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak carries the front-page banner headline, "Lowlifes!" and asks, "Is this a warning to the police in retaliation against the Ergenekon investigation or the January 2008 police operation that killed four members of an al-Qaeda cell in Diyarbakir?" or "Is this another Al Qaeda attack after its 2003 Istanbul attacks?" Yeni Safak points out that the Diyarbakir operation, "took place based on intelligence provided by the U.S. to Turkey." The paper also notes that Osama Bin Laden's 16-year-old son Hamza recently "made a call via the internet to continue the fight against the U.S. and its allies Britain, France, and Denmark." In "The Last Thing Turkey Needed: Armed Attack on the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul," mainstream Hurriyet speculated yesterday's attack "was ordered by Osama bin Laden's youngest son." Leftist Taraf carries the banner front-page headline, "Al-Qaeda's Response to the Gaziantep Operation." In "Al-Qaeda Strikes After Five Years," mainstream Sabah blames al-Qaeda for the attack and notes the three dead assailants were from Bitlis, Turkey and "last week U.S. forces killed an al-Qaeda member in Afghanistan that was also from Bitlis." Sabah wonders if this is retaliation against this killing. In addition, the paper says, "The goal of the attacks was to harm the improving ties between Turkey and the U.S. by raiding the consulate." Sabah also notes the alleged ties between the assailants and the "Afghani Group" led by Necef Abu Necani, who also perpetrated the bomb attacks in Madrid. In "Six Turks Die in Attack on America," mainstream Vatan reports one of the assailants, Raif Topcu, "returned to Istanbul from the U.S. prison in Guantanamo one month ago," and, "had traveled to Afghanistan." In "Heroic Policemen Foil Attack on U.S. Consulate," Islamist-oriented Zaman reports, "The goal of the attack was to create chaos in Turkey," because, "The U.S. Consulate represents U.S. presence in the Middle East." Conservative-nationalist Turkiye blames the attack on al-Qaeda, but claims it was "supported by the radical Turkish Islamist group IBDA-C." Editorial Opinion on Attack on the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul "Terror and Chaos" Ergun Babahan wrote in mainstream Sabah (7/10): "Every terror attack aims to damage the public's feelings of security, thus forcing the public to seek a strong authority. It is not possible to understand Turkey's recent history without understanding this. Now, this terrorist attack happened in Istanbul while the Ergenekon investigation is continuing. Whether Al-Qaeda, the PKK or DHKP-C, or whoever is responsible of the terrorist attacks, the aim is always to create chaos and fear. But, we can beat terror through a strong democratic system." "Why Istanbul?" Sami Kohen questioned in mainstream Milliyet (7/10): "The fact is yesterday's target was the U.S. However, the facts that Istanbul was the location chosen for the attack and the attack took place at the time of increasing tensions in the region makes us think that this can be linked to the developments in the Middle East. In fact, the assessments made by experts on terrorism and foreign policy yesterday right after the attack also implied that." "To Live Together with the Terror" Oktay Eksi commented in mainstream Hurriyet (7/10): "It is not yet clear whether those who attacked the US Consulate General in Istanbul yesterday are insane people who belong to Al Qaeda, as everyone claims, or whether they are killers belonging to another evil group who sees no harm in killing innocent people. But it is clear that really there is no difference between the two." ANKARA 00001248 003 OF 004 "Lessons Learned" Gungor Mengi wrote in mainstream Vatan (7/10): "[The building of] the US Consulate General in Istanbul was constructed as one of the most protected fortresses in the world. The four terrorists who yesterday attacked the police checkpoint at the entrance of this building probably did not really think they would enter the building. They probably targeted the police. In other words, this is an act of blind vengeance the likes of which are quite common for us in the periods of instability." "Was Yesterday's Shooting Against the Ergenekon Investigation?" Tamer Korkmaz questioned in Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak (7/10): "The coup-planning Ergenekon organization is now cornered by the authorities. Right at this time, a terrorist attack takes place. Yesterday's incident is extremely interesting in terms of its timing, targets and the picture it tries to hide. I wonder if yesterday's attacks want to give this message: 'Do not clamp down on the Ergenekon organization.'" PKK Abducts German Climbers in Mount Ararat All papers report five PKK members abducted three out of thirteen German mountaineers who were climbing Mount Agri (Ararat) in eastern Turkey. Liberal Radikal reports, "The PKK came into the Germans' camp at 23:00 the night before last and took three of the tourists," and the kidnappers said, "We'll keep them for a few days and then release them." Mainstream Sabah reports, "Agri Governor Mehmet Cetin said the kidnappings are in retaliation to the German government's actions against the PKK." The ten remaining mountaineers were safely transferred to the town of Dogubayazit in Agri province while gendarme launched a wide-scale search and rescue operation. Destito: Turkey One of the U.S.' Best Partners in Combating Narcotics Islamist-oriented Zaman reports White House anti-drug section second chief Scott Burns, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Acting Administrator Michele Leonhart, and DEA Ankara bureau director Mark Destito briefed Turkish press in Istanbul on Wednesday. The Americans participated in the 26th Annual International Drug Enforcement Conference (IDEC) in Istanbul. Destito said Turkey was "one of America's best partners" in combating drug trafficking. Leonhart praised Turkey's fight against drugs, saying Turkish police seized over 13 ton of narcotics last year, reports Zaman. TV Highlights CNN Turk Domestic News - Forest fires in the Mediterranean province of Mersin are finally under control after three days. - On Wednesday, an Istanbul court rejected the prosecutor's appeal against the release of four suspects, including dailies Cumhuriyet and Tercuman editors, who were detained last week within the 'Ergenekon' probe. - A Turkish Central Bank survey says yearend inflation was expected to stand at 10.76 percent. International News - Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan's op-ed in The Wall Street Journal calls for "dialogue with Turkey for the normalization of ties and the opening of the border." - Russian President Dimitri Medvedev said plans to deploy parts of the U.S. missile shield in the Czech Republic "deeply distresses" Moscow. ANKARA 00001248 004 OF 004 - The U.S. Treasury Department prohibits all transactions with four Iranian firms which are known to be close to Tehran's nuclear and missile programs. WILSON