ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001458 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, AUGUST 13, 2008 In Today's Papers Russia Halts Military Operations in Georgia All news outlets report Russian President Medvedev ordered a halt to military operations in Georgia on Tuesday after five days of fighting. A peace plan endorsed by Medvedev and French President Sarkozy calls for both Russian and Georgian troops to move back to their positions prior to August 6, 2008. Papers report Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia would not engage in talks with Saakashvili, stressing the Georgian President should step down. Media coverage today reflects relief Russian President Medvedev ordered a halt to military operations in Georgia. However, several aggressive statements from other Russian officials are covered today with a measure of skepticism. Russian Deputy Chief of Staff General Nogovitsin called claims the Russians attacked the BTC pipeline, "Tbilisi's effort to drag Turkey into the war." Foreign Minister Lavrov's suggestion that Saakashvili should step down has several Turkish outlets questioning if the real Russian target was the liberation of South Ossetia, or or the deposition of Saakashvili. Islamist-oriented Zaman notes the Russians are setting harsh criteria for talks in the headline, "Fighting in Georgia Ends and Peace Discussions Will Start, but Russia Refuses to Talk with Saakashvili." Mainstream Milliyet takes it one step further and suggests, "So the Goal is to Overthrow Saakashvili," as, "An Operation without Weapons Begins," to topple Saakashvili, who lies in Russia's "crosshairs." Liberal Radikal declares in a banner headline, "At Last, Russia Stops!" Inside the paper, Radikal notes, "Russia Shakes the Hand of Europe and Stops Their Fire." Mainstream Hurriyet is more cynical in their headline, "... And Russia Wins." Mainstream Aksam comments on the Russian deputy army chief Nogovitsin's statement in the headline, "A War Trap for Turkey: Russian Commander Says Claims Russians Bombed the BTC Pipeline were Tbilisi's Efforts to Drag Turkey into the War." Conservative Turkiye credits the French President with the diplomatic victory in, "Sarkozy Convinces Russia to Make a Ceasefire Deal." Economic daily Referans expresses their concern in, "Russia Halts Operations, But has no Intention of Withdrawing." Mainstream Vatan carries several headlines including, "Putin: 'We Do Not Want Georgian Soldiers on Georgian Soil!'" and, "The Devil Putin Ends the Invasion." In "Urgent U.S. Aid Package for Georgia," Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak reports Deputy Assistant Secretary Matt Bryza said the U.S., in cooperation with the international organizations, was preparing an economic aid package which aims supporting Georgia's economy and preserving stability following the conflict. Russia Welcomes Turkey's 'Balanced Stance' in the Caucasus Conflict Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet reports Russia's Ankara Embassy charg d'affaires Andrey Buravov said Moscow understands Turkish concerns regarding the conflict in the Caucasus. Buravov welcomed the "balanced approach" of Turkey. On PM Erdogan's proposal to form a Caucasus Stability Pact, Buravov said the issue had not come to the meeting table yet. Meanwhile, Cumhuriyet's front page accuses Europe of "Waiting for too long," to formulate a Caucasus Union, as former Turkish President Demirel reminds that Turkey has lobbied for such a union since 1999. Mainstream Hurriyet reports analysts as saying Turkey's efforts to become a transit route for Caspian and Central Asian oil and gas exports to Europe, along with Ankara's desire for a stable neighborhood on its east, could suffer a setback as the conflict between Moscow and Tbilisi underlines the fragile security in the Caucasus. Editorial Opinion: Georgia "Who Is the Winner of the War?" Ibrahim Karagul wrote in Islamist-leaning Yeni Safak (8/13): "The current situation does not indicate a complete end to the war in ANKARA 00001458 002 OF 003 Georgia. Russia has stopped its operations but will remain in South Ossetia and will not allow Georgian forces in this area any more. With this war, the West's Caucasus policy has failed. Unlike the Balkans, the Caucasus region is more likely to experience ethnic divisions. This conflict was also a test of power between the U.S. and Russia as well. However Georgians and Ossetians are paying the price for the test. Saakashvili gambled and lost; he may end up leaving his country and moving to the United States. In fact he should do this not only for Russia's good but also for his country's sake. This will be a good thing for Turkey and the region as well." "Trumping the Balkans with the Caucasus" Sami Kohen wrote in mainstream Milliyet (8/13): "The military side of the five-day war has ended with the start of a diplomatic process. This incident goes beyond 'Russian reprisal for Kosovo' because it is in fact a part of long term Russian strategy to gain influence in the Caucasus in exchange of the Balkans. The Balkans are now under Western influence since Russia has lost significant ground there. Russia was determined to prevent the same loss of influence in the Caucasus. The Russian lesson to Georgia was also a message to the Western world. As diplomacy begins to proceed we will witness the reshaping of regional and global balances." "Disproportional Force" Mehmet Y. Yilmaz wrote in mainstream Hurriyet(8/13): "It made me smile when I heard Washington's accuse Russia of using disproportionate force. I couldn't help but think about several events in the past, such as what happened in Panama, Granada and Iraq. Aside from the U.S. invasions of Panama and Iraq, the disproportionate force the U.S. used in nearly sunk the islet. This indicates one thing - 'self interest' is the key element in international relations." UNHCR: 100,000 Homeless after Georgia-Russia Conflict Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet reports the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said at least 100,000 people left their homes when the conflict broke out between Georgia and Russia on August 6. The Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) will reportedly launch an initiative to evacuate Turks from Georgia through Azerbaijan. An estimated 2,000 Turks live in Georgia. France and the U.S. have also begun evacuating their nationals in Tbilisi. The U.S. State Department said 170 Americans were sent to Armenia in two convoys, reports Cumhuriyet. Papers and television channels report the Turkish Red Crescent Society (Kizilay) said Tuesday that Turkey was the first country to send humanitarian relief to Georgia. "The civilian death toll has reached 3,000. Our teams that made it to Tbilisi report people were running to the forests for their lives, leaving children and the elderly in the cities," said Kizilay Chairman Tekin Kucukali. Ahmadinejad's August 14-15 Visit to Istanbul Sabah, Aksam, Ortadogu and Yeni Safak report on Thursday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is expected to meet President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Erdogan in Istanbul. Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak says the two sides are expected to sign an energy agreement and discuss the PKK/PJAK and the Russia-Georgia conflict in the Caucasus. The Turkish side is expected to warn the Iranians concerning Tehran's uranium enrichment activities. Turkey will say nuclear weapons would harm the Middle East a great deal, and will urge Iran to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA,) according to Yeni Safak. Mainstream Sabah carries a recent editorial from the Washington Times which claims, "If Turkey and Iran sign an energy agreement, the U.S. will withdraw its intelligence support to Turkey's struggle against the PKK in northern Iraq." Mainstream Aksam says, "The Bush Administration did not send a direct warning against the visit," but, "Washington was not pleased with the visit." ANKARA 00001458 003 OF 003 Tuzla Shipyard Accidental Deaths Sabah, Hurriyet, Milliyet, Cumhuriyet, Star and others: The deaths of three shipyard workers last weekend remains high on the domestic agenda. Mainstream Sabah reports, "The experts warned, but they did not take it seriously," and Kerem Kiper, director of French Lloyd company, who examined the ship after the life boat accident and said "I cannot describe this as an accident. The shipyard authority was negligent in this case. Our experts warned them not to do this test with people. In Europe, these tests are not conducted with human beings." Meanwhile, trade associations said "using people as test dummies is nothing else but murder." Mainstream Milliyet's headline reads "Send the Workers to Death, And Pay Only 20,000 YTL" and reports that there was great negligence in the life boat accident, but those responsible would pay only a fine of 20,000 YTL in compensation to each of the victims' families for causing such an accident. TV News: NTV Domestic News - Nine soldiers killed by a PKK landmine in the Erzincan province earlier this week were laid to rest in their hometowns. - Seven pro-Kurdish DTP members in Izmir were taken into custody for praising the PKK and its jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan. - The Higher Education Council (YOK) will announce its rector nominees for 23 new universities on Wednesday. International News - Iranian Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar announces Iran has built a new unmanned intelligent submarine. - The United Nations says 18 Colombian indigenous communities living in the Amazon jungle are threatened with extinction by the ongoing government-rebel conflict. SILLIMAN