ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

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SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EUR/SE, EUR/PD, NEA/PD, DRL
JCS PASS J-5/CDR S. WRIGHT

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TAGS: OPRC KMDR TU PREL KPAO
SUBJECT: ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2009

In Today's Papers

'This is Real Change' (Milliyet)
Media outlets feature U.S. President Barack Obama's interview with
Al-Arabiya in flashy headlines focusing on the same quotation from
the interview. Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak, leftist Taraf, liberal
Radikal, and Islamist-oriented Zaman all quote Obama in the same
headline, "Americans Are Not The Enemies of Muslims." Mainstream
Milliyet reports, "This Is Real Change," as Obama promises "We Are
Not the Enemy of Muslims," and he says "Yes to contacts with Iran."
Mainstream Sabah notes Obama said, "Yes, We Made Mistakes."
Mainstream Hurriyet alludes to Obama's family ties to Islam in the
headline, "An Initiative to Iran from 'Hussein,'" in a reference to
Obama's middle name.

In a related story, Yeni Safak carries the headline, "Listen to
Arabs," and reports, "George Mitchell is embarking on a tour of the
Middle East in order to do more listening than talking."

Ozdemir Ince wrote in mainstream Hurriyet: "President Obama
exemplifies the spirit of Abraham Lincoln by pursuing a unifying
tone without discriminating against any ethnic or religious groups
in the United States of America. This is just the kind of unifying
rhetoric Turkey needs."

Murat Yetkin wrote in liberal-intellectual Radikal: "The Turkish
government, particularly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is working
toward eliminating PM Erdogan's harsg rhetoric over the Hamas/Gaza
issue. Both FM Babacan and State Minister Cicek used significant
language to soften Turkey's stance over the Israel-Palestine
dispute. These efforts seek to put the train back onto its track."

Erdal Safak wrote in mainstream Sabah: "Turkey has acted as a bridge
on the Gaza issue by conveying messages from countries and
organizations which are isolated by the U.S. Therefore, the new
Washington administration will appreciate it at some point. We can
expect a positive outcome from the meeting between President Obama
and PM Erdogan April 2nd at the G-20 summit."

Erdogan and Baykal Address Mid East Conflict, Ergenekon
Investigation
Media outlets report Prime Minister Erdogan told his party group
meeting Tuesday that, during the World Economic Forum Meeting in
Davos, he will remind Israeli President Shimon Peres of his stated
commitment to "the privatization of democracy and peace." Erdogan
said, "I'll tell Peres 'you defended the privatization of democracy,
but the Israeli move in Gaza was conducted entirely with a
totalitarian and authoritarian mentality.'"

Opposition CHP leader Deniz Baykal noted during yesterday's meeting
with his party lawmakers that in 2006, the EU placed Hamas on its
terror list. Baykal noted, "The PKK is on the same (terror) list.
Turkey is paying for PM Erdogan's love for Hamas." Baykal also
warned the government regarding procedural conduct in the Ergenekon
investigation, "Silivri must not become the AKP's Guantanamo
Detention Center. The Ergenekon investigation has violated the
principle of privacy; this is lynch justice." In addition, Baykal
noted, "The Ergenekon case has no relation to the 'clean hands
operation,' because Turkey is already under the direction of dirty
hands."

Roles Changing in Davos
Media note that the mood in Davos is experiencing an historical
change this year as many of the nations attending the summit have
departed from Davos' philosophy of free trade in order to intervene
in their own economies to save their countries from the effects of
the global economic crisis. Mainstream Sabah calls the Summit, "The
Most Important Economic Summit of the Last 40 Years." Conservative
nationalist Bugun reports, "The 2009 Davos Agenda Begins with the
Economic Crisis." Mainstream Hurriyet carries the headline, "The

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CEOs Who Laid Off 85 Thousand People Are Flying to Davos" as "in the
last two days, CEOs from the world's largest companies have laid off
85,000 people." Meral Tamer of mainstream Milliyet notes, "In 2009
national politics will direct the world economy," which constitutes
"a first in the 39-year history of Davos."

A Nabucco Coup against Russia (Turkiye)
Mainstream Sabah notes, "The EU is looking to transfer 2 billion
dollars to the project." In addition, Sabah reports Guler said,
"Turkey's stance is quite clear - Turkey can work very fast in the
project as long as other partners get a move on it." Guler also said
the project was "important for Europe's energy security and
strategy." He said the Nabucco project should be "initiated and
completed in the shortest time possible." The paper also reports
Hungary's Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany, as the host of the
conference, said "the EU should help finance Nabucco because it was
a matter of national security and not a commercial project," and
"The EU should allocate 2 billion Euros for the project.
Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak reports in "Nabucco Depends on Turkey,"
that Turkey's Energy Minister Hilmi Guler said "Turkey will
contribute to Europe's security of supply for natural gas with the
completion of this project." Yeni Safak also reports "Turkey
reiterated its support to Nabucco," and noted, "Turkey's energy
minister said on Tuesday that intergovernmental agreement regarding
the Nabucco project could be signed in Istanbul, Turkey in the first
half of 2009." Conservative nationalist Turkiye reports in "A
Nabucco Coup Against Russia," that the pipeline will reduce Europe's
dependence on Russia for natural gas supplies because "it is
necessary for Europe to protect itself from the natural gas threat,"
from a Russian natural gas monopoly in the region.

Mullen: Intel Sharing Between U.S.-Turkey Will Continue
Most media outlets covered U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Admiral
Mike Mullen's comments at the Foreign Press Center yesterday.
Coverage was focused, in a somewhat relieved manner, on Mullen's
assurance that the counterterrorism intelligence sharing mechanism
between the U.S. and Turkey will continue under the Obama
Administration. Conservative nationalist Turkiye highlights
Mullen's comments in the headline, "Intelligence Sharing Will
Continue." Mainstream NTV emphasized he said, "I see no reason why
we should not continue our intelligence cooperation with Turkey.
Mainstream Vatan points out Mullen emphasized, "this cooperation
will continue under the Obama administration." Mainstream Sabah
reports, "Mullen said he valued the importance of his ties to
Turkish General Staff Chief Ilker Basbug and the Turkish military."

Turkey to Buy Herons from Israel
Mainstreams Sabah and Vatan report Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul
responded to journalists' questions yesterday regarding reported
problems with the purchase and deliver of Heron unmanned aircraft
from Israel. Yesterday leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet reported that
PM Erdogan's recent harsh criticism of Israel may have negatively
affected the defense deal. Gonul told journalists, "Our agreement
with Israel is still in force. Israel sent two of the Heron
aircraft last December. There is a little delay in the delivery,
but I think they will send remaining eight aircraft before the end
of April."

Greece Sentences Turkish Pilot to 4 Years in Prison over Fighter Jet
Crash
Hurriyet, Milliyet and Sabah report a Greek court sentenced a
Turkish pilot to four years in prison for his role in a fighter jet
crash over the Aegean in 2006. The pilot, First Lt. Halil Ibrahim
Ozdemir, was convicted Monday 'in absentia' of killing Greek pilot
Costas Iliakis during a game of chicken, characterized as a 'dog
fight' by the Turkish press, in the sky. The two pilots sped their
planes toward each other, but before their planes collided Ozdemir
ejected and thus survived the collision. Ozdemir has 15 days to
appeal the sentence, but he reportedly did not even appoint a
lawyer.

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Turkey to Build 'Border Dams' against Terror
Islamist-oriented Zaman reports that over the next couple of years,
Turkey will build 33 new dams on its borders with neighbors, namely
Bulgaria, Greece, Iraq, Iran, Syria and Armenia. Of the 33 dams, 11
will include checkpoints in the border provinces of Hakkari and
Sirnak in order to prevent terrorist infiltrations and illegal
trafficking says Zaman.

TV News (CNN Turk)

Domestic

- Prime Minister Erdogan denies reports that two new ministries will
be set up, saying his priority was reducing the number of ministers
in the cabinet.

- On Wednesday, the pro-Kurdish DTP leader Ahmet Turk and Diyarbakir
Mayor Osman Baydemir will participate in the "Turkey, The EU and the
Kurds" conference to be hosted by the European Parliament in
Brussels.

World

- The Greek Cypriot administration will file a complaint to the
European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to demand legal action against
Turkish actor Atilla Olgac. Olgac recently told a Turkish
television show that he had killed ten Greek Cypriot prisoners of
war in 1974 in Cyprus.

- Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis said after meeting with
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari that she supported Iraq's
independence and territorial integrity.

- Bulgaria has asked the European Commission to intervene to end the
blockade of Greece's main highway network by tractors and trailers
because the blockade is preventing the passage of goods.

JEFFREY