ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000319 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 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2008 In Today's Papers Babacan: Land Operations against the PKK Are 'On the Table' All papers report Foreign Minister Ali Babacan told reporters while en route to Moscow Tuesday that the option of a ground operation against the PKK in northern Iraq was "on the table." He noted that the timing of an operation would depend on weather conditions. Papers interpret the FM's remarks as indication of a possible Turkish land operation into northern Iraq in the spring. Babacan also said Turkey has called on Kurdish regional administration leader Massoud Barzani to declare the PKK a terrorist group. "Barzani must take concrete forward steps which inspire trust," Babacan said. When asked about the increasing number of official visits between Turkey and the US, Babacan said, "We are working in cooperation with the US. What is happening today is normal; you should actually question the times in the past." Islamist-oriented Zaman reports Babacan also said no timetable was set for a possible visit by Iraqi President Talabani to Turkey. "A clear date will be set which will fit the calendars of President Gul and Prime Minister Erdogan." Barzani on Turkish Air Raids, the PKK Hurriyet, Milliyet, Taraf, Cumhuriyet, Yeni Safak and others report the northern Iraqi Kurdish regional administration leader Massoud Barzani gave an exclusive interview to al-Arabiya TV to emphasize that there was a limit to the Kurds' patience for Turkish cross-border raids. "These raids effect the lives of our citizens; if they continue, we will not be able to remain silent," said Barzani. He noted the Turkish military has been fighting against the PKK for the past 24 years. "Turkey has not been able to wipe them out. Because, the PKK is actually a pretext -- I suspect Turkey has ulterior motives concerning the Kurdistan region. Turkey's main concern is not the PKK." Barzani also noted the PKK was "Turkey's problem, not the Iraqi Kurds' problem," and urged for a "peaceful political solution" rather than a military one. The First Armenian Language Course in Turkey Mainstream Hurriyet reports that the Bogazici University Senate decided to include Armenian language as an elective course in the curriculum. This course, which will commence in the second half of 2007-2008 education year, aims at examining the texts written in 
Turkish using Armenian letters. 'PKK Mouthpiece' Roj TV in Panic after Heavy Tax Fine from Belgium Vatan, Turkiye, Radikal, Bugun, Today's Zaman, and Cumhuriyet: The Belgian Finance Ministry charged Roj TV with a four million Euro tax fine. During a press conference in Brussels yesterday, Roj TV officials Metin Yuce, Ahmet Dicle and Manouchar Zonoozi announced that the Belgian Finance Ministry recently imposed a tax fine worth around 4 million Euros and confiscated all the funds of the station. They claimed that Turkey's pressure to close Roj TV led to the fine. Mainstream Vatan and liberal Radikal report that in 1996, Turkey's demands prompted Belgium to begin an investigation against the television station, which was known at that time as Med-TV. Turkey submitted evidence to Belgium indicating the PKK was financially supporting the station with money earned through drug and arms trafficking. The investigation led to the four million Euro tax fine. Vatan highlights US Counter-terrorism official Frank Urbancic's remarks that "we are changing our stance in fighting against the PKK. We managed to jail Mafia leader Al Capone on a tax fine. We are going to use same method against the PKK." Vatan claims that Roj TV could be shut down, not because of ties to terrorism, but for tax violations. Meanwhile, mainstream Hurriyet reports that in March, Turkey will host a summit meeting of EU prosecutors. The summit will be organized by the Turkish Justice Ministry and the US Embassy in Ankara. Talks at the summit will address legal and procedural problems regarding PKK extraditions from Europe. Hurriyet claims this is the new formula introduced by the US for PKK extraditions ANKARA 00000319 002 OF 003 from Europe. MEDIA REACTION: VP Cheney; Fidel Castro "Why Is Cheney Coming to Turkey?" Nagehan Alci wrote in mainstream Aksam (2/20): "Even though we do not have official confirmation yet, the ongoing rumors in Washington speculate US Vice President Dick Cheney will visit Turkey in March. Actually, Cheney travels abroad rarely; when he does travel, his goals are always target-oriented. This upcoming visit to Turkey is scary enough given the fact he is the architect of the Iraq war. We all know how Iraq has turned out. There are several possible reasons for this visit, six years after his first visit to Turkey. After Cheney's 2002 visit to Turkey, the US invaded Iraq. Now, it is possible he has come to discuss Iran. He will certainly talk about the Middle East and Afghanistan as well as the current situation in Iraq. However Iran will likely be the chief priority and he may even signal towards possible military action against Iran. Cheney represents the war-mongering wing of the Bush administration. Iran is next on their list. It will be interesting to watch Ankara's response to this approach." "Castro Is Gone but Castro-ism Continues" Sami Kohen wrote in mainstream Milliyet (2/20): "The longest serving communist leader in the world has resigned from his presidential duty. However, he appears determined to maintain his political legacy. In his resignation statement, he clearly indicated that 'he will continue as a warrior of thought.' Fidel Castro, a devout follower of Marx and Lenin, fundamentally changed Cuba's political, social and economic structure. This created serious problems for Cuba's relations with outside world. During the Cold War, the US opposed Castro from the moment his popularity began to rise. This prompted Castro to embrace the Soviet Union. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Cuba has tried to survive US sanctions; but Cuban citizens were the ones who paid the price for this tiff. Following Castro's departure, Cuba finds itself at a turning point. Now there is more potential for bringing Cuba into the greater global environment. Realistically speaking, the possibility of rapid and fundamental changes during the post-Fidel period is very weak. There may be certain economic measures they can take, but ultimately the socialist regime will remain the same. This is particularly true because Castro's brother Raul is the one who is taking over." TV Highlights NTV Domestic News - Opposition CHP leader Deniz Baykal said President Abdullah Gul's eight-day delay shows he has doubts about approving the constitutional headscarf reforms. - Britain's Queen Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip will visit Turkey in May. - The TMSF state banking fund is expected to fix a date for handing over Sabah daily and ATV television to their new owner, Calik Group. - Visiting French foreign trade minister Herve Novelli said after meeting Tuesday with Energy Minister Hilmi Guler that France wants a share in Turkey's nuclear projects. International News - Serbia has submitted a diplomatic note to Turkey to protest Ankara's recognition of Kosovo's independence. The Serbian Ambassador to Turkey will depart for Belgrade today. ANKARA 00000319 003 OF 003 - Prime Minister Serzh Sarksyan has been elected president of Armenia, winning 57.1 percent of the votes. - Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian says "the recognition of Armenian genocide is not a precondition for the normalization of ties with Turkey." - Franco Frattini, vice-president of the European commission, said Turkey was "very far" from the EU and cannot be accepted into the union before it "matures and grows up." WILSON