TURKISH MEDIA REACTION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001357 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 PREL KPAO SUBJECT: TURKISH MEDIA REACTION WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2009 ANKARA 00001357 001.2 OF 003 In Today's Papers Ambassador Jeffrey Received by Parliament Speaker Sahin Under the headline, "U.S. Supports Turkish Government's Armenian Initiative," leftist-nationalist reports Ambassador James Jeffrey was received Tuesday by Parliament Speaker Mehmet Ali Sahin. "We support the Turkey-Armenia process, and hope that it will continue," Ambassador Jeffrey told the press after the meeting. Jeffrey said the process was ongoing between Turkey and Armenia, and that Turkey would decide about it. On a question whether the U.S. would provide concrete support to the process, Jeffrey said the U.S. wanted peace and stability across the entire Caucasus. Erdogan Continues Meetings Re Kurdish Initiative Media outlets report that on Tuesday, Prime Minister Erdogan held a meeting with his cabinet ministers who are also the members of the Turkish National Security Council (MGK) to discuss the Kurdish 'democratic initiative.' The gathering described the recent PKK attacks as an attempt to sabotage the Kurdish opening. Mainstream Sabah notes the gathering also discussed the closure of Makhmur Camp in northern Iraq. Sabah says the meeting raised the issue of Syrian and Iranian nationals in the PKK. According to Sabah, intelligence reports show there are around 12,000 people in Makhmur camp in Northern Iraq. Around 7,000 of them want to return to Turkey, while the rest want to stay in the camp or to go to Syria and Iran. The AKP Government's 'Kurdish Package' Mainstream Haberturk report the ruling AKP government's Kurdish 'democratic initiative' package comprises the following items: PKK militants who were not involved in crimes will be released after a three-month rehabilitation period; the militants involved in crimes will be held under surveillance for five years; Kurdish will be elective course in elementary and high schools; new letters of Q, W and X will be included in the Turkish alphabet; the Turks living in Makhmur Camp in northern Iraq will be brought to Turkey; place-names which were changed into Turkish will be given their original Kurdish names; the state will support publications in Kurdish; Turkey's state theatres will stage the famous Kurdish play, 'Mem-u Zin,'; the state will print a translation of the holy Quran in Kurdish; Kurdish interpreters will be hired in state institutions; the oath which elementary school children take every morning, in which the virtues of 'being a Turk' are praised, will be removed; and Kurdish signs will be set up on state motorways. Editorial Commentary on Kurdish Initiative Bejan Matur wrote in Islamist-oriented Zaman: "Success for the initiative requires an opening in the mentalities as well. The state may be making certain decisions but the actual implementation comes from bureaucrats. There will be no progress as long as the old fashioned mentality prevails in bureaucracy. Since bureaucrats are encouraged by politicians, a courageous political vision will help bring forth courageous steps." Murat Yetkin wrote in liberal-intellectual Radikal: "The Turkish Intelligence Organization hosted a meeting for the secret service heads of Syria and Iraq. This shows Ankara is doing its best to eliminate tension between Baghdad and Damascus not only at the foreign ministry level but also between the intelligence units. The more tension between Iraq and Syria is eliminated, the better opportunities for regional cooperation against the PKK will increase." Assad Due in Istanbul on Wednesday Media outlets report Syrian President Bashar Assad will pay a one-day working visit to Istanbul on Wednesday to discuss the issues of Syrian-heritage PKK militants, the ongoing tensions between Baghdad and Damascus regarding the bombings in the Iraqi capital earlier this month, talks between Israel and Syria, and Turkey-Syria ties as well as the water problem between the two countries. Assad, together with PM Erdogan, will reportedly join a fast-breaking Iftar ANKARA 00001357 002.2 OF 003 dinner tonight that will be hosted by the AKP's Istanbul provincial branch. Iraq-Syria Delegations Meet in Ankara Mainstream Hurriyet reports Iraqi and Syrian delegations met Tuesday in Ankara over the recent bomb attacks in Baghdad, of which Iraq accuses Syria. The sides will continue meetings tomorrow in Istanbul. Syrian President Assad, due in Istanbul today, will reportedly join tomorrow's talks between the two delegations, according to Hurriyet. The Address for Peace in the Middle East Is Turkey (Sabah) Following wire reports of Javier Solana's comment that P5+1 talks with Iran are "likely to be held in Turkey," most media hail Turkey's role as a host as an indication that the country is mediating between Iran and The West. Mainstream pro-government Sabah reports in, "One Year Later Iran Is Sitting at The Table," that, "A year after Iran closed the door to dialogue regarding its nuclear program, Turkey's surprising mediation starts again," as, "Diplomatic circles in Brussels say that the fact the talks are taking place in Turkey shows the important role Turkey is playing in the process," as "The address for peace in the Middle East is Turkey," and, "Turkey is taking one more step toward being a regional power." Leftist Taraf headlines, "Iran And The West Will Meet in Turkey." Islamist-oriented pro-government Yeni Safak headlines, "The Bridge Between East and West Will Be Established in Turkey." Islamist-oriented pro-government Zaman headlines, "Iran and The West Will Sit At The Table in Turkey For Nuclear Bargaining," and the paper reports, "Ankara wants a diplomatic solution to the nuclear crisis between Iran and The West," as, "The sides are preparing to meet in Turkey." Mainstream Milliyet headlines, "Turkey Will Host Critical Talks," but columnist Sami Kohen notes in "A New Dialogue With Iran," that, "It's good news that a year after the group of six and Iran reached a stalemate in nuclear discussions that they are all coming to the table for talks," and, "It is seen as a very positive development that Istanbul is likely to be chosen as the location for the talks," but "while Turkey is contributing to these efforts, Turkey is not acting as a mediator but instead is acting as a facilitator in this situation." Editorials on Iran and The P5+1 Talks Yasemin Congar wrote in leftist Taraf: "FM Davutoglu is pursuing a multi-faceted diplomacy in protection of Ankara's interests, which is the normalization of ties between Washington and Tehran. It is not in Ankara's interest either to be in the middle of this tension or to be forced into being a part of the sanctions regime against Iran. At this point the announcement of the October 1 meeting is important progress by itself which gives a dim hope for nuclear dialogue on the eve of the UNGA meetings. The more Iran stays away from the negotiation table the more suspicion arises about its hidden intentions to develop atomic bombs. That suspicion is a source of constant tension between the West and Israel and Iran. " Sami Kohen wrote in mainstream Milliyet: "It's good news that a year after the group of six and Iran reached a stalemate in nuclear discussions that they are all coming to the table for talks. It is seen as a very positive development that Istanbul is likely to be chosen as the location for the talks. While Turkey is contributing to these efforts, Turkey is not acting as a mediator but instead is acting as a facilitator in this situation." VOA Voices Concern Over Press Freedoms in Turkey (Hurriyet) Mainstream Hurriyet reports that a commentary broadcast by the Voice of America (VOA) Radio said the USD 2.5 billion of tax fine levied on Turkey's leading media conglomerate, Dogan Media Group, had risen concerns over the future of press freedoms in the country. 'Signed' by Dorian Jones, the commentary warned the fine could jeopardize Turkey's drive to become a full member of the EU. It also noted the ANKARA 00001357 003.2 OF 003 fine came after the DG published accusations regarding alleged ties between a 'fraudulent' Germany-based Turkish charity, Deniz Feneri, and the governing party in Turkey. The UN Weighs In On War Crimes Allegations in Gaza Liberal Radikal notes in "The UN: Israel Committed War Crimes in Gaza," that "Following Amnesty International, the UN has released a report stating that Israel committed war crimes and crimes against humanity during its 22-day operation in Gaza." Meanwhile, mainstream Hurriyet headlines "The UN: Both Sides Were Guilty in Gaza." Mainstream Milliyet reports "The UN report indicates that both Israel and Palestinian forces were guilty of committing war crimes in Gaza." Editorial Commentary on Turkey's Potential Patriot Missile Purchase Lale (Sariibrahimoglu) Kemal wrote in leftist Taraf: "Does Turkey need Patriot missiles? It is hard to understand why Turkey's purchase of new arms is not scrutinized through a democratic civilian filtering process while the country itself goes through a deepening economic crisis. In democracies, the political authority makes the threat assessment and parliamentary commissions make the final decision. Turkey is too dependent on purchasing arms technologies from foreign sources, which brings into question the strength of Turkey's military." TV News (CNN Turk) Domestic -Diyarbakir prosecutor demands 138 years in prison for six children who participated in illegal protests and threw stones at the police. -On September 17-18, Turkish and Iraqi officials will come together in Istanbul to discuss preparations for a high-level meeting of the Strategic Cooperation Council set up by Turkey and Iraq. Turkish and Iraqi Foreign Ministers will join the meeting. -President Gul will visit Saudi Arabia from September 20-24. -On September 17, Prime Minister Erdogan will host an Iftar dinner for chief editors of newspapers and TV channels in Istanbul. -AK Party has hosted a Ramadan Iftar dinner in Diyarbakir in which prayers were made in Kurdish. World -Missile attack on Baghdad's Green Zone during Vice President Biden's surprise visit to Iraq. -EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said the October 1 meeting between the 5 members of the UNSC plus Germany and Iran was likely to take place in Turkey. -UN Special Representative Alexander Downer said both parties in Cyprus must be ready to make concessions to resolve the conflict on the divided island. -Children and Armed Conflict says about 250,000 children were recruited as soldiers by armed forces and insurgents worldwide. JEFFREY