ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001494 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 MONDAY, AUGUST 18, 2008 In Today's Papers President Ahmadinejad's Visit to Istanbul Creates Controversy All papers over the weekend gave extensive coverage to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's two-day visit to Istanbul last week. On Saturday, papers carried a story by The Guardian which reports, "Because of U.S. pressure, Turkey withdrew from a profitable natural gas agreement with Iran, which humiliated the Iranian president." In addition, the paper reports, "A Western diplomat told The Guardian Washington did not object to Ahmadinejad visiting Turkey as long as no energy agreements would be signed with Tehran." Sunday papers report President Abdullah Gul denied on Saturday the claims the United States put pressure on Turkey not to sign an energy deal with Iran. "Turkey does not do anything just because someone asks them not to," Gul told reporters, saying "an energy deal was not signed with Iran because preparations were not completed yet." Gul noted the energy ministers from both countries would "work to carry forward a memorandum of understanding signed earlier." Fatih Cekirge of mainstream Hurriyet writes, "Turkey is afraid of a new crisis with the U.S. regarding Iran, so Turkey exerted every effort to avoid a U.S. confrontation with Iran." Hurriyet also reported President Gul warned Ahmadinejad, "I don't want to see Tehran become another Baghdad," and urged Iran to take steps to prevent a war with the U.S. Sami Kohen of mainstream Milliyet writes, "Turkey has to balance its ties to the West with its ties to Iran," as "Turkey's and Iran's interests call for an improvement in ties," but, "Turkey and Iran have many differences." Mainstream Vatan called attention to the enthusiastic crowds which greeted Ahmadinejad at Sultanahmet Mosque during Friday prayers in Istanbul by noting, "Istanbul residents greeted Ahmadinejad by saluting him with slogans they shouted against the U.S. and Israel." Cumhuriyet notes the mosque "is a Sunni mosque and Ahmadinejad is a Shiite, which means it was a political gesture for the Islamic world." Show TV over the weekend reported the Iranian leader's reception at the mosque as a "fundamentalist show." In "Silent like a Mute," Cumhuriyet columnist Cuneyt Arcayurek slams the ruling AKP government for allowing Ahmadinejad to put on a political show by joining Friday prayers at Sultanahmet Mosque in Istanbul while downplaying his refusal to visit Ataturk's mausoleum. "They first employed other methods to export Khomeini's regime, but failed. Ahmadinejad is now sowing the seeds of a new method." Mainstream Hurriyet pointed out the Imam had to intervene and warn the crowd to be quiet during the prayers. Editorial Commentary on Ahmadinejad's Turkey Visit Mehmet Yilmaz observed in mainstream Hurriyet: President Gul warned Iraq in 2003 to take measures to prevent a war with the U.S. Now Gul has delivered the same kind of warning to Ahmadinejad. However, Gul's advisors and Saddam Hussein believed in 2003 that if the U.S. was unable to open a northern front from Turkey, the U.S. would not start a war. When the Turkish Parliament refused permission to launch a U.S. front against Iraq from Turkish territory in 2003, Saddam believed that the U.S. would not invade Iraq. I really hope that Ahmadinejad will not make the same mistake." Erol Manisali writes in the leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet: "The AKP displayed its Islamist roots by welcoming President Ahmadinejad in Istanbul. The AKP also shelved the natural gas agreement with Iran in an effort to please the U.S. The loser in this scenario, however, is Turkey. Ahmadinejad's visit took place under the shadow of U.S. and Israeli pressure against signing an energy agreement. Ahmadinejad's visit displayed Turkey's ties with the West and Ankara's contradictory position in the Middle East." Turkey-Africa Cooperation Summit to Begin Today Sabah, Turkiye, Hurriyet, Cumhuriyet: The first Turkey-Africa Cooperation summit starts in Istanbul today with the participation of heads of state and foreign ministers from approximately 50 ANKARA 00001494 002 OF 003 African countries. The three-day summit will also host representatives from around 20 international organizations such as the UN, the African Development Bank, and the Arab League. The purpose of the summit is to seek new ways to improve ties between Turkey and African nations. Sunday's Hurriyet reported that Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned Turkey against extending such warm welcomes to Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir, who faces charges of genocide in the International Criminal Court. Gul to The Guardian: "The U.S. Must Begin Sharing Power with Other Countries" Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Taraf, Cumhuriyet, Zaman and others reported Sunday President Abdullah Gul told The Guardian that from now on, the United States could no longer shape global policies on his own. "The U.S. must begin sharing power with other countries," emphasized Gul. Editorial Commentary on Conflict in the Caucasus, 'the New AKP,' U.S.-Turkey Erdal Safak wrote in mainstream Sabah: "Neo-Con Robert Kagan says 'people who thought the world was reconciled after the end of the Cold War were very much mistaken.' A new struggle between the democracies, led by the U.S. and the EU, and the authoritarian regimes, led by Russia and China, will begin. The result of this struggle will determine global stability in the 21st century. The U.S. and its European allies won the first Cold War. I wonder who will win the 2nd Cold War, which was triggered by Russian intervention into South Ossetia and the U.S. missile shield initiative in Europe." Semih Idiz questioned in mainstream Milliyet: "The Russian invasion of Georgia definitely activated "common threat" alarms in Europe against Russia. The missile shield agreement signed between the U.S. and Poland is the expression of the need to take necessary measures against Russia. The question is, what will Ankara do if NATO takes a harsher stance against Russia? Will Turkey manage to stand next to NATO under any conditions? Or, will Turkey's relations with Russia push Turkey farther away from the alliance? Under these conditions, Turkey must find a solution so it does not suddenly find itself outside all of its alliances." Ismail Kucukkaya writes in tabloid Aksam: "Turkey met the new AKP the day the Constitutional Court ruled against closing the party. The AKP's cadres, rhetoric and vision today are totally different from the political movement we saw in late 2001. Erdogan is the only leader now and the AKP is a coalition comprised of diverse views, including strong elements which give the party its Islamic tone. It's possible that national overtures may dominate the orchestration that harmonizes all those diverse approaches. Such overtures would be conducted by Erdogan. The AKP's transformation will change the opposition as well. The CHP's Kemal Kilicdaroglu shows [by his corruption claims against the AKP's Saban Disli] how to conduct an effective opposition. An opposition will grow when opposition leaders pursue corruption claims against the ruling party in a country like Turkey; that is the way to harm those who hold the power." Ali H. Aslan emphasizes in Islamist-oriented Zaman: "In Washington, there's an unprecedented and intense effort to understand Turkey. This is true not only for the existing administration, but for the presidential hopefuls as well. For instance, a reliable source of mine said John McCain told his close friends, 'We must understand Turkey correctly.' I'm sure Senator Obama, too, has advisors suggesting the same. Turkey must continue, on the one hand, to inform its Western allies in a way to leave no room to suspicion regarding Ankara's intentions. On the other hand, Turkey must continue its policy of getting along with all its neighbors in its region. Turkey, also, must not take into account the chattering voices coming from the West." ANKARA 00001494 003 OF 003 Turkey Denies Blocking U.S. Hospital Ships from Entering the Black Sea Hurriyet, Milliyet, Radikal, Cumhuriyet and others reported Saturday McClatchy news agency's report claiming Turkey declined to allow two American hospital ships destined for Georgia to enter the Black Sea through the Straits because the two ships' tonnage exceeds the limits set by the 1936 Montreaux Convention. Mainstream Sabah reported Sunday the Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) denied the U.S. had made a formal request for the ships' passage. Unidentified U.S. sources told Sabah Washington had not even made an official request from Turkey to that end. Turkish Military Hits PKK Target in northern Iraq Sabah, Milliyet, Hurriyet, Bugun, Yeni Safak and others: The Turkish General Staff (TGS) posted a statement on its web site said that "a cave in the Avasin-Basyan region in northern Iraq was bombed by Turkish jets on August 16. The cave was used by the PKK members as shelter before they staged attacks in Turkey." Meanwhile, mainstreams Hurriyet and Vatan report that during their regular checks, security forces seized 40 kg of "Anfo" type explosives on Tunceli-Erzincan highway. Hurriyet notes that this type of explosive consists of ammonium nitrate and fuel-oil, which is why it is called "Anfo." TV News: CNN Turk Domestic News - On Sunday, Tuzla shipyard workers staged protests in Istanbul to protest the death of three colleagues in a lifeboat test accident last week. - Opposition CHP deputy group chief Kemal Kilicdaroglu said the AKP vice-chairman Saban Disli failed to make a convincing explanation in response to accusations he took USD 1 million in bribes in a real estate deal. - A prosecutor has demanded life without parole for the suspect who raped and killed Italian artist and peace activist Pippa Bacca in Gebze near Istanbul earlier this year. International News - Russia said its regular forces will begin withdrawing from the Georgian territories on Monday. - "Russia shows signs of returning to its authoritarian past," Defense Secretary Robert Gates said, adding its invasion of Georgia would require the U.S. to re-evaluate the strategic relationship between the superpowers. - Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf is under mounting pressure to resign as the ruling coalition said it would present the impeachment charges to the parliament as soon as Tuesday. SILLIMAN