TURKISH MEDIA REACTION

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DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EUR/SE, EUR/PD, NEA/PD, DRL
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TAGS: OPRC KMDR TU PREL KPAO
SUBJECT: TURKISH MEDIA REACTION
MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2009

In Today's Papers

Ambassador Jeffrey Comments on Kurdish Issue and Nabucco-South
Stream
Mainstream Aksam carried an interview with Ambassador Jeffrey
highlighting his comments on Kurdish initative and past experiences
from American history. Followings are the main highlights from
Ambassador Jeffrey's interview as appeared in Aksam on August 8 and
9:

"The current Kurdish initiative is very important. Turkey is the
most powerful and stable country in the region. Any strength within
domestic issues makes Turkey a powerful actor in the international
arena."

"The U.S. tried to tackle its own domestic issues in 1960s.
Watergate and the shameful practices against African Americans
weakened us and had a negative impact on U.S. decisions regarding
international issues. Had we dealt with these domestic problems
better, we would have been able to formulate a better strategy
regarding Vietnam."

"Currently the U.S., Turkey, Iraq and the Iraqi KRG are working
toward isolating the PKK. The first steps in the fight against the
PKK were military in nature, but more needs to be done. A terrorist
movement cannot be fully concluded without taking social, economic,
political and psychological measures."

"The Turkish government is taking good steps on the Kurdish issue.
This is a Turkish plan, not an American plan. We are also waiting
to find out the details. How to proceed on dealing with the problem
is entirely up to the Turkish political system."

"Our message to the DTP is to distance itself from the use of
violence as much as possible. Democracy and the power of the weapon
are not mutually compatible. Our suggestion to everyone is to stand
by democracy."

"We think Turkey's strong commitment to the Nabucco project is very
important and we believe that moving forward on this project will be
the right decision. It is Russia's right to sell its gas to Europe
but we are concerned over the fact that Russian gas is controlled by
a state monopoly and thus strategic interests can be mixed with
commercial interests. Natural gas should be a commercial product
that benefits everyone."

Will South Stream Be Useful for Turkey? (Hurriyet)
Monday's mainstream Hurriyet reports Zeyno Baran of the Hudson
Institute told the EU Observer that if the South Stream pipeline is
constructed, the "Nabucco Pipeline project will not happen, at least
for Caspian gas," and, "By signing the South Stream agreement,
Turkey has shown that it does not care about the diversification of
Europe's gas supply or freeing the countries in Central Asia and the
Caucasus from Russian influence. The Europeans must see how close
Turkey has moved toward Russia," emphasized Baran.

Hurriyet also carries Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu comments from
an interview with Kanal 7, 'Turkey has freed itself from the Cold
War mentality. There shouldn't be any reactions coming from the
Europeans." Davutoglu added, "There is need for a gas and oil
pipeline from the north toward south, and it is rational, and not
ideologically motivated, behavior for Turkey to see it pass through
its soil." Davutoglu also stressed both Nabucco and the South
Stream projects would carry on.

Editorials on Energy Pipelines

Erdal Saglam wrote in mainstream Hurriyet: "The Turkish government
has put forward strong steps for the sake of political favoritism
and the recent deal has made Turkey even more dependent on Moscow
than ever before. We will see the consequences of this crucial

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mistake later.Diversifying energy routes for Turkey was given as the
main excuse for the recent energy deals with Russia but this does
not give enough justification."

Hakan Albayrak wrote in Islamist oriented Yeni Safak: "It shows
Turkey's immense strength and powerful diplomacy that Ankara is now
capable of making energy deals with Russia while it becomes a part
of Nabucco at the same time. Turkish diplomacy enjoys a fully
independent attitude as this strong NATO member country can
establish strong ties with Iran as well. Similarly Turkey's
commitment to the EU and its commitment to an expanded relationship
with Syria are happening in parallel to each other."

Omer Taspinar wrote in mainstream Sabah: "Thanks to the South Stream
project, Russia has now obtained the power to cut off gas flow to
Ukraine whenever it wants to. Such a situation in Ukraine will
certainly have an impact on the entire region as well as will have a
negative impact on U.S. interests. Individually speaking, Ankara
will benefit from being an energy terminal instead of a transit
route. Yet in the end of this energy game, Moscow is the winner by
managing to bypass EU and the U.S. and by making Ukraine fully
dependent on Russia."

President Gul on The Kurdish Initiative
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah: President Gul talked to journalists en
route to Ankara from Bitlis. Mainstream Hurriyet reports Gul said
"Let us look at the realities. This is the most important issue of
Turkey today. I am pleased to hear ongoing debates on the issue and
to see that the point of view is gradually changing." Mainstream
Sabah also quotes Gul as saying, "We should not hide our heads in
the sand. There is a historic opportunity to solve the Kurdish
issue. There are many developments that inspire optimism. The
political jargon has changed. The citizens want to solve the
problem. We should take advantage of these developments which are
the result of deep and intense efforts." Milliyet highlights Gul
referred to the Kurdish literature masterpiece "Mem u Zen" as part
of Turkish culture.

Sunday papers widely covered President Gul's speech in Bitlis.
Speaking at a ceremony in Bitlis Gul said "Many mistakes were made
in the past and all that should end. Democracy leaves room for the
free expression of different views without causing divisions and
fighting. All citizens of Turkey have equal rights. Good will,
effort and a constructive approach are needed to solve the problems.
Sunday's Vatan reports that Gul undertook a critical step amid
debates about possibilities for restoring the Kurdish names of the
villages in the Southeast and referred to Guroymak town with its
Kurdish name "Norsin".

Opposition Leaders' Reaction to Gul's Comments
Vatan, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Yeni Safak , Tercuman and others: MHP
leader Devlet Bahceli, who attended his party's convention in
Antalya, criticized President Gul for calling Bitlis' Guroyak
district by its former Kurdish name, "Norsin." Bahceli said, "The
Turkish Republic's president is responding to PKK demands before
even establishing any democratic opening. Will you call Istanbul
Constantinople next?" Bahceli also said the government's project is
planned in order to divide and break up the country. The government
is carrying out what terrorist leader Ocalan could not do with arms,
through initiatives they call a democratic opening.

Liberal Radikal reports that CHP leader Baykal, attending the
Dadaloglu cultural festivities in Kayseri, said "Everybody can have
an ethnic identity by nature and everybody of course has a lineage.
It is an honor for one to embrace and protect his/her ethnic
identity. But, our ethnic identities should not lead us to feel
enmity and hatred to other ethnic identities. We will love and
respect each other. We will never forget that we are members of
the Turkish nation."

Mehsud: Pakistan's "Man With Seven Lives" (Radikal)

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Liberal Radikal notes there is confusion over whether a U.S. drone
attack killed Pakistan's Taliban Chief Baitullah Mehsud, "Whether
Mehsud is dead or alive remains a mystery," as, "He has almost
turned into a literary character as if he is a man with seven
lives." While Pakistani officials confirmed his death after a
missile attack from the CIA's unmanned drone, Mehsud's assistant
Hakimullah Mesud denied his death to the BBC, added Radikal. The
paper also quoted U.S. NSC Adviser James Jones as saying,
"Baitullah's death is 90 percent confirmed," yet the report stated
there was a lack of clarity about Mehsud's status.

Mainstream Hurriyet focuses on "the inner power struggle within the
Taliban after the death of Baitullah Mehsud." Hurriyet notes that
the U.S. "seems certain about his death," and the Taliban "is trying
to gain some time by denying the reports regarding Mehsud until the
Taliban in Pakistan can find a new leader."

Obama Sends A Letter to Syrian President Asad
Mainstream Sabah cites the Lebanese daily Al Akhbar report that
President Obama "sent a three-page letter to Syrian leader Asad last
month urging for dialogue and for mutual contribution to the Middle
East peace process." Reportedly, U.S. Middle East envoy George
Mitchell delivered the letter during his visit to Damascus.

TV News (CNN Turk)

Domestic

- CHP leader Deniz Baykal said the government did not care about
solving the problems of the Turkish people, and added that the AKP
government will collapse in the next elections.

- One soldier is killed and two others are wounded in a skirmish
with the PKK terrorists in the province of Hatay.

- Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the government's Kurdish
Initiative was a historic move for the unification of Turkey.

- Over the first seven months of the year, 20,226 Turkish workers
went to work abroad.

- The Memur-Sen union of civil servants demands 11 percent wage hike
on the eve of collective bargaining talks with the government.

World

- Iran has confirmed it has three American hikers in custody. The
Americans strayed into Iran while hiking in the mountains of Kurdish
territory in neighboring Iraq.

- Three small bombs explode in places frequented by tourists in the
capital of the Spanish island of Mallorca.

- A woman visiting a Shiite shrine in southern Iraq has died of
swine flu, making it the first death from the virus in the country.

JEFFREY