ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001283 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, JULY 16, 2008 In Today's Papers Erdogan-Baykal Duel of Words over 'Ergenekon' Investigation All papers report Prime Minister Erdogan and the main opposition CHP leader Deniz Baykal lashed out at each other during their party group meetings in the parliament over the 'Ergenekon' investigation. Baykal told his party group the prosecutor's case in the Ergenekon probe appeared to be similar to an indictment which had been filed by Prosecutor Ferhat Sarikaya on the Semdinli incident (in which, in November 2005, two military officers were caught red-handed bombing a bookstore in the town of Semdinli in the border province of Hakkari in southeast Turkey). He claimed a "false atmosphere" was created in the country before the indictment was unveiled. Baykal also slammed the prosecutor for "shaping the charges after finding some suspects." He also demanded evidence linking the Ergenekon suspects -- retired generals, daily Cumhuriyet editors Ilhan Selcuk and Mustafa Balbay, and Ankara Chamber of Commerce president Sinan Aygun -- to the attack on the Council of State. "If there is no evidence, you should step down at once," stressed Baykal. Baykal said Erdogan was acting as a prosecutor in the Ergenekon lawsuit, adding, he thus had to play the role of attorney. Erdogan, in reply, told his party group yesterday, ""I'm glad Baykal calls me the prosecutor of the case, because prosecutors are there for the people. Our main concern is to defend the rights of people." Erdogan added Turkish people were fully aware of which party was standing in defense of the Ergenekon suspects and which against them. Meanwhile, papers also report the military prosecutor has rejected press reports of a separate military investigation. The military prosecutor said he had checked with Prosecutor Oz to see whether any of the state's documents somehow fell under the jurisdiction of military courts. Turkish Papers' Coverage of Ongoing 'Ergenekon' Investigation Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak claims 'Ergenekon' was allegedly manipulating diverse groups, including far right, left, and fundamentalist ones, and only the top leaders of the organization were aware of the links between these groups. The paper claims numerous documents on unresolved murders, such as the killing of Professor Ahmet Taner Kislali and journalist Ugur Mumcu, have been found within the framework of Ergenekon investigation. Mainstream Milliyet reports the indictment charges the Ergenekon network with plotting a coup against Bulent Ecevit's coalition government. Islamist-oriented Zaman says Ergenekon might be involved in drug trafficking to raise funds. On the other hand, Radikal, notes "the financial sources of the Ergenekon network couldn't be found; it is not clear how operations are conducted." Editorial Commentary on Ergenekon Indictment "About to Miss an Important Chance" Mehmet Y. Yilmaz wrote in mainstream Hurriyet (7/16): "PM Erdogan has started to defend the Ergenekon indictment and doesn't seem bothered that people have begun to call him the 'Ergenekon prosecutor.' In his opinion, he is defending the rights of the people. Both the ruling party leader and the opposition leader seem to have assumed odd stances as the former poses as the prosecutor while the latter poses as the lawyer. This indictment includes some very serious charges which can have a direct impact on the country's future, and an extensive investigation as well as punishment, if there is a crime, is very important. It will only harm such an important case when politicians debate over this indictment. Such efforts will only create mistrust and eventually damage the credibility of Turkish judiciary. Already there are some who believe that the Ergenekon case was an order from the government to take revenge for the closure case. I am worried that given all of these factors, we will miss the chance for rooting out the illegal gangs within the state system." ANKARA 00001283 002 OF 003 "The Opposition Leader Should not Rush to Comment" Fehmi Koru wrote in Islamist-leaning Yeni Safak (7/16): "CHP leader Baykal continues to act like a lawyer for the Ergenekon suspects. The way he characterized the indictment and hinted that he does not believe in the existence of an illegal organization shows his lawyerly attitude. Even though the content of the indictment has not yet been made public, stories in the press indicate it contains some serious allegations related to Ergenekon, including some unsolved assassinations and bomb attacks. We will have to wait for the court's verdict. When Italy went through a similar judicial process, many famous figures such as high ranking officers, businessmen and parliamentarians were brought to trial. And when all of this happened, Italians were also wondering if such important and famous figures could possibly have been involved in criminal acts. My advice is that CHP leader Baykal should be patient for the end of the process and not risk his political credibility by rushing to comment on before a verdict comes out." US Consulate Attack Milliyet, Radikal: Mainstream Milliyet reports that the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's office stated that no Al-Qaeda connection has been found in the US Consulate attack investigation. Yesterday, two more suspects were released. Milliyet also reports that one of the suspects killed during the attack, Erkan Kargin, reportedly was schizophrenic and had been treated for the illness for two years. Liberal Radikal's headline on the issue reads "CIA Insists on Al-Qaeda Connection." The paper notes that US intelligence met with the Turkish intelligence the other day to find the Al-Qaeda connection of the Consulate attackers. It was learned that some of the members of the US delegation were CIA agents who had experience with Guantanamo interrogations. Meanwhile, reportedly, many US citizens sent messages to US Ambassador Ross Wilson asking how they could help the families of the policemen martyred in the attack. Abduction of Germans Show 'Leadership Fight' within PKK Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman and others report the cause of the abduction of three German mountaineers in Mount Agri (Ararat) in eastern Turkey appears to be an ongoing "leadership struggle" within the PKK. Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet writes in "Dr. Bahoz Kidnapped the German Mountaineers," that "the abduction was ordered by the PKK's Syrian-heritage leader Fehman Hussein, known by the codename 'Dr. Bahoz Erdal.'" PKK leader Murat Karayilan is furious over the kidnapping since the most recent "PKK Congress" decided not to take civilians as hostages, radio communications revealed. PKK members have been recorded as saying in the radio communications, "The Syrian overstepped the line" and "Dr. Bahoz signed the decree for his own execution." They also expressed worry that Germany would "not forgive this time." Meanwhile, mainstream Milliyet says in "Germany Wiretaps PKK," that "the crisis management desk in Germany analyzes the dialogue between the PKK members, and continues its efforts for the release of the abducted Germans." Hussein and Karayilan have long been at loggerheads over the control of the group, and there have been several reports of assassination attempts against each other. The PKK is planning to convene a congress soon, and Hussein is prepared to use the German hostages as a bargaining chip against those who want him expelled from the PKK, comment papers. TV News: NTV Domestic News - The Turkish General Staff (TGS) says on its webpage from June 11-14, 22 PKK terrorists, including a senior PKK member, were killed in operations in the Kato Mountains in Sirnak province. - Labor unions KESK and BASK staged protests against insufficient pay hikes offered by the government. ANKARA 00001283 003 OF 003 - Sale of assets to foreigners resumes following the publication of the related constitutional reforms in the Official Gazette. International News - Two Turkish civil engineers, Gokhan Gul and Erhan Gunduz, have been abducted by gunmen in Herad west of Afghanistan. - The United Nations began withdrawing non-essential staff from the Sudanese region of Darfur. - The first footage showing an interrogation at Guantanamo Bay is released by the lawyers of Omar Khadr, a Canadian teenager detained in 2002 by US forces. WILSON