TURKISH MEDIA REACTION

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TAGS: OPRC KMDR TU PREL KPAO
SUBJECT: TURKISH MEDIA REACTION
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2009

In Today's Papers

Erdogan Calls On Doors To Be Kept Open To "Democratic Move"
Initiatives
All papers: Speaking at his party group meeting yesterday, Prime
Minister Erdogan said that doors should not be closed to the Kurdish
initiative to expand democratic freedoms. "We do not expect help
from the circles that deepened the problem so far but they should
not overshadow and impede our efforts. Don't close your doors to
this brotherhood, peace, integration, and national unity project.
Let us fulfill this work together. Turkey would be at a different
point if it had not wasted the past 25 years on energy, budget,
tranquility and welfare to terrorism. The "democratic move" process
continues under the coordination of Interior Minister Besir Atalay.
My party will do its best to find a permanent solution and for the
restoration of tranquility and a climate of friendship." Mainstream
Hurriyet quotes PM Erdogan as saying "we will do whatever the cost
will be." Mainstream Sabah headlines, "Nothing Is More Painful Than
Losing Your Child" and reports that Erdogan delivered "the most
emotional speech of his life" and many of the AKP deputies were
unable to hold back their tears. Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak and
liberal Radikal quoted PM Erdogan as saying "The suffering of a
mother of a martyr shook my world. A mother doesn't have ideology
or policy. It is clear that there is a very serious mistake if a
mother in Yozgat and a mother in Hakkari say the same prayer."

Reactions to the AKP's "Democratic Move" Initiatives
Media outlets report that on Tuesday, the opposition CHP leader
Deniz Baykal told his party group in the parliament they could meet
with the government only after the "plan is made public." The CHP
has no problem with "granting rights to the Kurds with an aim to
improve their lives without hurting the country's unity," said
Baykal. In order to further integrate Kurds with the rest of the
nation, Baykal proposed the AKP should, "Launch an education
campaign in the southeast, build the country's best schools there,
and create employment through state plants." Baykal also recalled
Erdogan's promise in 2007 to invest USD 12 billion in the region,
but said the government had not kept its pledge.

Chairman Devlet Bahceli told his MHP lawmakers, "Those who gamble
over the destiny of the Turkish nation aimed to direct Turkey toward
division and separation." Bahceli said Turkey was fighting for its
survival due to the AKP's "foreign-crafted" policies, adding the
government had already recognized the PKK's imprisoned chief
Abdullah Ocalan as the "fourth coordinator in the process alongside
the U.S. and northern Iraqi leaders." Bahceli stressed his party
would never be part of this treason project."

The pro-Kurdish DTP's deputy chair Emine Ayna told a gathering in
Igdir that a "peace process" could not succeed without the
involvement of the PKK and its imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan.
Ayna stressed the DTP was looking forward to the "roadmap" to be
unveiled by Ocalan on August 15.

Mainstream Milliyet reports the ruling AKP lawmaker Dengiz Mir
Mehmet Firat suggested the Turkish military could allow the
withdrawal of the PKK militants to their camps. Firat noted it was
possible to hold secret talks with the PKK for a settlement, and
added the government might already have kicked off such talks.
Firat said some 200 PKK militants in Iraq wanted by Turkey could be
sent to a third country, and the remaining others could be allowed
to return to Turkey without facing any sanctions.

Editorial Opinion on The Kurdish Settlement Initiative

Okay Gonensin wrote in mainstream Vatan: "It is good to hear from
the PM as well as other government officials that the Kurdish plan
is a democratic initiative. If that is the genuine intention and if
that will be the AKP's guidance for a settlement, the government has
to take steps toward expanding democracy in every aspect of life
which calls for political courage and a democratic spirit."

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Fehmi Koru wrote in Islamist oriented Yeni Safak: "The leaders of
two opposition parties, CHP and MHP, are stubbornly playing the
impossible. In fact politicians have no luxury to close the door
for dialogue because the political system is for finding
reconciliation and bringing solution. On the government's Kurdish
initiative, the attitude of these two leaders is a typical example
of leadership failure."

Hasan Bulent Kahraman wrote in mainstream Sabah: "The truth is the
PKK is an armed organization and has politicized itself through the
DTP. At this current stage, there has to be strong intellectual
capacity within PKK to overcome the armed action and its imprisoned
leader Ocalan from the Kurdish settlement process. Therefore DTP
should take the lead on this for the sake of a successful outcome."

Mehmet Yilmaz wrote in mainstream Hurriyet: "Clearly two main
opposition parties have no intention even to talk with government on
Kurdish settlement process. They are pursuing a wrong attitude and
neglecting the very essence of politics. Political system is meant
to be problem-solver not to create new animosity."

Turkey, Iraq Strategic Partners
AA, Sabah, Hurriyet, Milliyet, Zaman, Turkiye and others: Sabah
reports that following his meeting with Iraqi Foreign Minister
Hoshyar Zebari, Foreign Minister Davutoglu, held a joint press
conference in Baghdad yesterday. Davutoglu said "We are planning to
re-convene the trilateral mechanism involving Turkey, Iraq and
Syria, which met in March 2007 in Antalya and in Damascus in April
2008, the controversy over the sharing of the mighty rivers at the
root of Iraq's ancient name of Mesopotamia - meaning "between the
rivers" in Greek - is almost as old as the country itself. In July,
Iraq's water-resources ministry called for talks with Turkey and
Syria after the flow of water in the Euphrates River fell by more
than half in less than a month. We want the Mesopotamia region to
again become one of the world's most productive and the most
prosperous regions in all areas, including water. We are offering
limitless cooperation to friendly and brotherly countries,
particularly Syria and Iraq, to make our region the world's rising
star again." Zebari said one of the topics in the talks was the
trilateral mechanism involving Turkey, Iraq and the United States,
which met in Ankara last month, to combat the PKK. He stressed that
Iraq would remain committed to its promises. "Terror is a very
serious problem. We discussed it in detail with Mr. Davutoglu ...
The Iraqi administration and the regional administration in the
North will implement all the decisions made to counter terrorism and
be loyal to the decisions. We are working for this cooperation to
enhance even more," Zebari was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news
agency.

Bryza to Sargsyan: Go to Turkey-Armenia Soccer Game in Turkey
(Aksam)
Mainstream Aksam reports Deputy Assistant Secretary Matt Bryza
called on Armenian President Sargsyan to continue "soccer diplomacy"
and "go to Turkey" to watch the soccer game between the two
countries in October. "We were very happy when President Gul
visited Yerevan; and we will be very happy when President Sargsyan
visits Turkey," Bryza told Radio Free Europe-Radio Liberty's
Armenian radio. Bryza said that in the last period, the
U.S.-supported Turkey-Armenia dialogue almost came to a standstill.

TV News (CNN Turk)

Domestic

- From August 17-21, Turkey, Israel and the U.S. will hold "Reliable
Mermaid" joint search and rescue exercises off Turkey's East
Mediterranean shore. The exercises will mark the first coming
together of the Turkish and Israeli militaries after PM Erdogan's
outburst at Davos against the Israeli President Peres.


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- The Turkish Parliament has approved unemployment insurance law,
overriding the veto of President Abdullah Gul.

- Officials report almost 100 percent compliance around Turkey to
smoking restrictions that entered into effect on July 19.

World

- Human rights lawyers urge the Pentagon to take control of an
Iranian exile camp in eastern Iraq, accusing Iraqi security forces
there of human rights violations against camp residents.

- Tensions at the border in Cyprus escalate after press reports that
Greek Cypriot motor bikers were planning to attempt to cross the
border.

JEFFREY