ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000146 SIPDIS 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, JANUARY 24, 2008 ANKARA 00000146 001.2 OF 003 In Today's Papers Greece's Karamanlis Pays Historic Visit to Turkey All papers report Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis visited Ankara for the first official visit to Turkey by a Greek leader in 49 years. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Erdogan and Prime Minister Karamanlis held a joint press conference after their meeting. In response to a question concerning the Aegean continental shelf, Karamanlis said Greece has declared its readiness to go to the International Court at The Hague, and that a solution would help improve the ties between Turkey and Greece. When asked about Cyprus, Karamanlis said reunification was essential, "We are ready to provide all help in the efforts to find a solution." Erdogan said talks for reunification should begin after the general elections in south Cyprus, stressing he expected Karamanlis to support the negotiations. When asked about the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Istanbul, Karamanlis said if the Ecumenical Patriarchate was seated in Turkey, it would be a "European passport" for Turkey. He also asked for the reopening of Halki Seminary in Istanbul. Erdogan said the characterization 'Ecumenical' was of internal interest to the Christian Orthodox world, adding Ankara was evaluating the issue of the Seminary and would make a decision. Karamanlis was hopeful it would not take another 49 years for future official Greek visits to Turkey. Papers say consensus was reached between Karamanlis and Erdogan regarding non-Muslim minority problems and the cooperation against terror. "Old demands are still on the table," says Milliyet, underlining that Karamanlis did not concede on Greek policies concerning the rights of Greek Orthodox minorities in Turkey and the territorial disputes in the Aegean. Several papers say Turkey and Greece turned a new page in relations, and that there was a "climate of friendship" at the "historic" meeting between the two prime ministers. On Thursday, Karamanlis is to meet with the main opposition CHP leader Deniz Baykal. Afterwards, the Greek PM will be received by President Abdullah Gul and will address a conference at Bilkent University before he moves on to Istanbul later in the day. 'Ergenekon' Operation against Deep-State Affiliated Gang Continues All papers report on Thursday, two more suspects were detained in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir for being members of an illegal underground nationalist gang known as "Ergenekon." The group was plotting to assassinate Kurdish politicians as well as Turkey's Nobel Prize winning novelist Orhan Pamuk. Papers say the "Ergenekon" network was behind the 2007 killing of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, the murder of an Italian Catholic priest in 2006, the killing of a high justice in an attack on Turkey's top administrative court Danistay in 2006, and the bomb attacks on the nationalist-left-leaning Cumhuriyet daily. Among the detainees is lawyer Kemal Kerincsiz, who filed court cases against Hrant Dink and Orhan Pamuk under article 301 of the Turkish penal code, which makes it a crime to insult "Turkishness." Fuat Turgut, the lawyer representing Dink murder suspect Yasin Hayal, was also detained. Earlier this week, police arrested 33 people, including retired military officers, lawyers and journalists in an operation against the group. The group has been linked to the shadowy 'deep state,' code for nationalists in the police, gendarme, and state bureaucracy. Eight months ago, police seized 27 grenades and TNT blocks during an operation in Umraniye, a shanty town in Istanbul. Papers speculate retired general Veli Kucuk is a key leader in the organization. The suspects are expected to be brought to court today or tomorrow, according to papers. Papers opine the suspects tried to create a "climate for a coup" in 2008 by carrying out assassinations. The group also wanted to prove they had powerful backers in the military and bureaucracy that deeply distrust the ruling AKP government. Several columnists in today's papers warn that it is now up to the judiciary to penalize ANKARA 00000146 002.2 OF 003 the gang members and put an end to the group. AKP Proposes a Constitutional Amendment to MHP Sabah, Milliyet, Vatan, Cumhuriyet, Radikal, Zaman and others: Papers report that the negotiations between the AKP and MHP regarding the turban issue began yesterday. The ruling AKP proposed amendments to constitutional articles 10, 13 and 42 in order to find a solution to the turban issue. Article 10 is about equality before law; Article 13 is about basic rights and freedoms and Article 42 is about the right to education. Liberal Radikal reports that PM Erdogan is impatient regarding the headscarf issue and does not want to wait for a new constitution. Mainstream Sabah reports that MHP approaches the proposal cautiously. Meanwhile, responding questions of CNN Turk, the main opposition party CHP leader Deniz Baykal said "beneath the turban debates, there is a search for a new regime. It seems that the ruling party is bored with secularism. I feel the creation of a 'religious state' is approaching." Cartoon Crisis Sabah, Milliyet, Cumhuriyet, Vatan and others report that Sisli Chief Public Prosecutor in Istanbul opened an investigation against Cumhuriyet cartoonists Musa Kart and Zafer Temocin on charges of insulting President Gul with their cartoons. If a court case is allowed to proceed, both cartoonists will be tried and could face up to four years in prison. Editorial Commentary on Sudan's al-Bashir Visit to Turkey Soli Ozel commented in mainstream Sabah (1/24): "Foreign policy is a serious thing and cannot be run by fantasies. Once fantasy prevails over reality, there is a heavy price to pay. The visit of Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir to Turkey is a shameful scandal. Whoever is responsible for this policy decision has harmed Turkey's foreign policy and its image abroad. This cannot be justified as creating business opportunities with Sudan. A bloody dictator was welcomed to Turkey's Presidency. President Gul, for the sake of Sudan, preferred to take a mild tone in describing the Darfur massacre as a 'human drama.' There is an argument that Turkey must talk with everybody and make useful suggestions. But Turkey has not been able to change anybody's attitude so far. The leader of Hamas was welcomed in Turkey, but Hamas did not change any of its hard lined policies after the visit. Hamas did not release Israeli soldiers just because Turkey can talk to both Hamas and Syria. The benchmark for success in foreign policy is measured through national interests and not through fantasies." Semih Idiz commented in mainstream Milliyet (1/24): "The president of Sudan came to Turkey as an official guest of the Turkish President. Normally, Omer al-Bashir should be welcomed with protests. Instead, he received a warm welcome, which helped his notorious regime gain morale. As a result of this warm welcome, Turkey will suffer from a loss of credibility. If this was a necessary visit, we should have seen a stronger message from president Gul concerning Darfur. He could have suggested that, unless Islamic nations address the Darfur crisis, the Western world will intervene. In other words, al-Bashir should have left Turkey with a frown instead of a smile. On the contrary, he was provided with the best possible treatment and was sent back with a smile on his face. There must be something else behind the reason for this visit: perhaps it was due to Islamic or Sunni solidarity." TV Highlights NTV Domestic News - One police officer and two militants were killed in fighting during security operations on suspected al-Qaeda houses in the southeastern city of Gaziantep. ANKARA 00000146 003.2 OF 003 - Turkish markets tumble again -- both the USD and Euro gained against the Turkish Lira in Wednesday's trading in Istanbul stock exchange. - Turkish authorities are trying to contain an outbreak of avian influenza reported in the Black Sea province of Zonguldak earlier this week. It has yet to be determined if the bird flu is the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus or a less dangerous strain. International News - Abdullah Demirtas, the Kurdish Mayor of Sur Municipality in Diyarbakir who was removed from office last year by the top administrative court Danistay, has applied to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to reverse the Danistay decision. - Turkish General Staff (TGS) chief General Yasar Buyukanit met with the British Defense Secretary Des Browne. - The Albanian Head of State, Bamir Topi, told the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) that he wants an independent and democratic Kosovo integrated into Europe. WILSON