ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000030 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 MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2008 In Today's Papers Buyukanit, Erdogan, and Baykal Visit Diyarbakir All papers report the Chief of the Turkish General Staff (TGS), General Yasar Buyukanit, traveled to the mainly Kurdish southeastern city of Diyarbakir on Saturday to visit victims wounded in Thursday's blast. The bomb attack killed five people and wounded ¶68. Buyukanit told the press the attack took place in one of the busiest streets of Diyarbakir, which shows that it targeted civilians besides soldiers. Prime Minister Erdogan also went to Diyarbakir on Saturday. "I've repeatedly said that the terrorist organization has never and will never represent our citizens of Kurdish origin. Those who were killed in this attack were our Kurdish-origin citizens and people of this region," Erdogan told a press conference. State Minister Cemil Cicek, Interior Minister Besir Atalay, Agriculture Minister Mehdi Eker and Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul accompanied the prime minister in Diyarbakir. Later that day, PM Erdogan told civic organizations that the AKP government would not concede their bid for democratic integration. On Sunday, the leader of the main opposition CHP, Deniz Baykal, went to the city to offer condolences to the victims' families and visit the military personnel who were wounded in the blast. Baykal addressed the press and emphasized that people in Turkey should live together and preserve their identities and languages. Baykal noted that terrorists do not hesitate to target innocent people, including civilians and children. Meanwhile, the four suspects detained last week in connection the bombing in Diyarbakir have been released. President Gul Travels to US Sabah, Milliyet, Vatan, Hurriyet, Zaman, Cumhuriyet and others: President Gul left for the US on Sunday and will meet with President Bush on Tuesday. Prior to his departure, President Gul told reporters "for the first time as the President, I will visit the US to confirm the importance of our strategic relations and cooperation, particularly in fight against terrorism and the protection of regional and global security. This visit will be an opportunity to discuss new areas of cooperation in the relationship." Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet says President Gul will have an intense schedule in the US. Gul is scheduled to meet �0A;President Bush, Vice-President Cheney, Secretary Rice and Defense Secretary Gates, as well as UN Secretary General Ban-Ki-Moon. SIPDIS Papers report Gul will also meet with representatives of the business world. Mainstream Vatan says that during the visit, the first ladies of the US and Turkey will have tea together at the White House, and they may issue a joint statement that condemns Benazir Bhutto's assassination. Editorial Commentary on Gul Visit to the US Semih Idiz wrote in the mainstream daily Milliyet (1/7): "President Gul's upcoming US visit will level up the current impetus of Turkish-American relations which entered into a new phase following the visit of Turkish PM Erdogan to Washington on November 2007. The new phase is about a normalization process of Turkish-American ties which were derailed on many aspects since 2003. On the other hand, even since 2003 there have been many efforts to keep up with the strategic relations. The strong statement by former Secretaries of State, both Republican and Democrat, supporting Turkey on the Armenian resolution in the Congress was a very significant example. Washington's determined steps against PKK were also highly important. The last meeting between President Bush and PM Erdogan not only prepared a tangible ground on the fight against PKK but it also paved the way to revival of relations in strategic partnership spirit. President Gul is now going to continue with this current impetus. Talks will expand to regional and global matters and will ANKARA 00000030 002 OF 003 not be limited to PKK only. Issues of mutual concern cover a vast geography therefore the revival of strategic partnership will serve to everybody's interest." Washington based Ali Aslan commented in the Islamist-leaning daily Zaman (1/7): "The visit of President Gul to the US is going to contribute positively to bilateral relations. Gul's presence at the White House will have a symbolic importance. Given his status as Turkey's number one man, Gul will be able to give a message to those who feel opposed to him and the values he represents. During his Washington visit, the agenda will include many important topics such as Iraq, Middle East peace, Afghanistan, Central Asia, the Balkans and the EU process. In other words, Gul's visit will contribute to and round out the talks PM Erdogan had with President Bush last November. In fact, despite the positive atmosphere, we cannot yet say that we are problem free. Even though Turkey and the US are having similar ideas on key issues, there are still some tactical differences that need addressing. However the most important thing is that both Washington and Ankara are now in a good spirit that allows them to cope with differences and have the capacity to talk about them in a civilized manner. Turkey, fortunately, has a leadership who is well aware of America's importance and influence on world politics. There is no doubt that Gul's visit will be a good contribution to our bilateral ties." Edmonds: Nuclear Secrets Sold in Washington Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman, Yeni Safak and others report Sibel Edmonds, a former Turkish language translator for the FBI, told The Sunday Times Turkish agents in Washington sold nuclear secrets to black market buyers, including Pakistan. Edmonds said, among the hours of covert tape recordings, she heard that one well-known senior official in the State Department was being paid by Turkish agents in Washington who were selling the information to black market buyers. Edmonds also claims a number of senior officials in the Pentagon helped Turkish agents. Democratic Party (DP) Convention Hurriyet, Cumhuriyet, Vatan, Sabah, Milliyet and others: Sunday's DP extraordinary convention resulted in the election of Istanbul Provincial Chairman of DP Suleyman Soylu as the new leader of DP. Mainstream Hurriyet reports the period of Mehmet Agar's leadership is over. Mehmet Agar did not run for the chairmanship, but during his speech at the convention he accused the military of changing the course of politics by issuing the e-memorandum in April 2007. Mainstream Vatan describes the political position of the DP as the "Tragedy of the Central Right" and says that the DP fell into ruins after its defeat in the July 22 elections. Iran Builds a Wall against the PKK Mainstream Sabah reports that Iran started building a wall to prevent PKK and PJAK infiltration along its border with northern Iraq. The wall starts from Iran's border gate Haci Umran; the first section will be fives meter high and four kilometers long. TV News: NTV Domestic News - In security operations against the terrorist organization Hizbullah, police have detained 37 suspects in Van, 33 in Konya, ten in Diyarbakir, two in Mersin, and one in Istanbul. - The head of the Ankara Bar, Vedat Ahsen Cosar, says Turkey's military judiciary should be abolished. - Heavy snowfall has blocked access to 1,639 villages in eastern Turkey. ANKARA 00000030 003 OF 003 International News - Georgia's President Mikhail Saakashvili won re-election over the weekend and avoided a runoff election by a 1 percent margin. - The Pakistani military reacted angrily to reports that President Bush is considering covert military operations in the country's volatile tribal areas bordering Afghanistan. - Al-Qaeda has called on its fighters to greet President. Bush with "bombs and booby-trapped vehicles" when he visits the Middle East this week. MCELDOWNEY