ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000289 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 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2008 In Today's Papers Paper: Secretary Gates to Visit Turkey in Early March Mainstream Vatan reports that following the visit to Ankara of General James Cartwright, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates will come to Turkey the first week of March. Gates' visit to Turkey could be put off for one or two weeks since the Secretary fractured his shoulder when he slipped on ice on Tuesday. Gates and the Turks will discuss a ground operation against the PKK in northern Iraq, according to Vatan. The paper stresses that diplomatic contacts between Turkey and the US have intensified since the November 5 meeting of Prime Minister Erdogan with President Bush in Washington. Four Turkish Hizbullah Members Sentenced to Life All papers report a court in the southeastern province of Diyarbakir on Thursday sentenced four members of the terrorist organization Hizbullah in Turkey to life in prison for the killing of 16 people and kidnapping of others between 1991-1998. The court sentenced Metin Coskun, Ismet Okmen, Mehmet Selim Ozdemir, and Mehmet Ali Oguzhan to life in prison on the charges of "attempting to abolish the constitutional order by force and to introduce Islamic rule based on Sharia." The court imposed 16 years of imprisonment each for three other suspects. Higher Education Board (YOK) Meeting All papers report that, at a meeting Thursday, the Higher Education Board (YOK) did not change regulations related to graduates of Imam-Hatip Islamic cleric-training schools. According to current regulations, graduates of vocational high schools are granted easy access to universities in branches related to their field of education. On the other hand, it is practically impossible for the graduates of vocational high schools to study in universities in branches other than their high school background, since in the exam their grades are multiplied with a lower coefficient than those of regular high schools. Imam-Hatip Islamic cleric-training schools have the status of vocational high schools. Mainstream Vatan comments that yesterday's YOK Board decision was a positive step aimed at defusing tensions in the face of ongoing speculation that the government would do favors for Imam-Hatip graduates. Gul Phones Assad Islamist-oriented Zaman reports President Abdullah Gul telephoned �0A;Syrian Head of State Bashar Assad. The phone call came after the visit of Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak to Turkey. Israeli dailies report Turkey wants to mediate between Israel and Syria. Zaman, however, reports an unidentified Turkish official as saying Ankara was not willing to mediate, but rather carry messages between the two parties if requested. Gul and Bashar discussed regional problems as well as the latest developments in Lebanon, according to Zaman. Turkey to Recognize Kosovo Soon, Putin Slams EU on Kosovo Vatan, Radikal, and Zaman report Turkey was expected to recognize Kosovo after its unilateral declaration of independence on February 17-18, adding Turkish recognition might come within 24-48 hours. In a recent visit to Turkey, Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu was given guarantees of recognition, even though Turkey gave no timetable to that end. An unidentified Turkish official rejected allegations that the recognition of Kosovo could set an example for Karabakh or northern Iraq. Meanwhile, Russian President Putin, in an annual press conference in the Kremlin, warned the EU that the recognition of Kosovo would pave the way for the recognition of Turkish Cyprus. Putin said that recognizing an independence declaration by Kosovo would be "immoral and illegal" and that European countries supporting the region's bid ANKARA 00000289 002 OF 003 to break away from Serbia should be "ashamed of double standards" since the EU has not recognized Turkish Cyprus, which has been independent for 40 years. Editorial Commentary on Kosovo Mustafa Balbay commented in leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet (2/15): "It is expected that Kosovo will declare independence on February 17 or 18. The US and the EU are supporting Kosovo's independence. Russian leader Putin accuses the western countries for hypocrisy by not recognizing northern Cyprus. What possible developments can be seen after Kosovo declares independence? Problems in the Balkans have never ceased since the 1990s. Kosovo's decision will affect Albania, Serbia and Macedonia directly. Albania might want to include Kosovo into its territory. In addition to the 3 million Albanians in Kosovo, there are more than 500,000 Albanians at Kosovo-Albania border. Inspired by Kosovo's independence, the other ethnic groups in the Balkans may knock on the door of the US and the EU. How Turkey will react? Well, what Putin said recently is what Turkey has been thinking about for some time. Unfortunately, Turkey failed to lobby effectively on this issue. The AKP government's foreign policy doesn't fit into this situation. Let's consider the situation from a different angle: Kosovo will declare its independence with NATO and UN support. Such a situation never occurred before. Therefore, we can expect two possible results from Kosovo's independence: this second wave of separation in the Balkans will set an example for the other regions." Hakan Celik wrote in tabloid Posta (2/15): While we are deep into headscarf debates in Turkey, we are missing out on larger, global issues. Kosovo has reached a critical phase. While the EU countries are supporting its independence, Russia is objecting harshly. Vladimir Putin recently slammed EU for its bias against Northern Cyprus. I find his remarks about northern Cyprus very important. So far, Russia has always supported the Greek side of the Cyprus issue. Therefore, Turkey should use Putin's impartial observation in its international negotiations." TV News: NTV Domestic News - A Belgian judicial delegation, in Istanbul for inspections, went to Sabanci Center on Thursday to see the place where Turkish businessman Ozdemir Sabanci was assassinated by DHKP-C militant Fehriye Erdal. - The Council of State announced that former security chief Mehmet Agar should be tried for his ties with the Susurluk scandal of state-mafia links. Agar is charged with establishing an illegal network. - In a meeting yesterday, the Higher Education Board declined to make any changes in university entrance exam regulations for graduates of Imam-Hatip Islamic cleric-training schools. - Turkey's Koc Holding has agreed to sell its 50.8 percent stake in the leading retailer Migros to Moonlight Capital for 1.98 billion YTL. Moonlight Capital S.A. is controlled by BC Partners, an international private equity firm, operating through integrated teams based in Geneva, Hamburg, London, Milan, New York, and Paris. International News - The prosecutor in charge of the investigation into a fire that claimed the lives of nine Turks in the south-western German city of ANKARA 00000289 003 OF 003 Ludwigshafen has rejected allegations that the police had the picture of a suspect in the fire. - The US plans to put a third major antimissile component in southeastern Europe, possibly in Turkey. - An Earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale shook Greece on Thursday, but there were no reports of casualties or severe damage. - Bosnia has lost its original copy of the Dayton peace agreement that ended the country's 1992-1995 war. WILSON