ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 000259 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: ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2009 In Today's Papers Erdogan Asks Kecioren Mayor Altinok to Resign Mainstream Hurriyet reports that Kecioren Mayor Turgut Altinok announced his withdrawal from municipal elections after disagreements with Ankara Mayor Melih Gokcek and the AKP Administration over the nominations for the Kecioren Municipal Assembly. Leftist Taraf says that Melih Gokcek leaked a video to the public showing Mayor Altinok together with a secret lover. Following the video, AKP vice-chair Huseyin Tanriverdi met with Altinok on Monday night and gave him the message that Erdogan expected him to withdraw from the elections. Baykal Urges AKP to Initiate Investigation into German Deniz Feneri Charity Irregularities Case Mainstream Vatan gives extensive front page coverage to CHP leader Baykal's party group meeting speech in parliament yesterday. Baykal came to the podium with a file in his hand and said, "Here is the file related to the investigation in Germany. Turks were involved in this corruption case and the siphoned charity funds were brought to Turkey. The government should take immediate action against the Turkish suspects." Baykal also criticized PM Erdogan and the AKP government by saying "Unemployment figures are quickly rising with every passing day. Difficult economic conditions cause tremendous suffering. Some people even commit suicide after they lose their jobs and face financial ruin. PM Erdogan is speaking to people in different cities. Unfortunately, no one can eliminate their hunger with the PM's lies." Editorials on Domestic Debates Oktay Eksi wrote in mainstream Hurriyet: "PM Erdogan claims that he will never allow corruption and irregularities in Turkey. However, he did not keep his promises to fight corruption in Turkey. He did not even allow the draft law to fight t corruption to be finalized. Under these conditions, how can we, as the media, support the PM in his fight against corruption?" Bilal Cetin wrote in mainstream Vatan: "As local elections approach, we see that the importance of municipal assembly membership increases. When you ask the candidates why they want to be elected as members of the municipal assembly, they will tell you that they want to serve the people and increase the local quality of life. But the main reason driving them is to get a position on the municipal public works commission, which is a perk enjoyed by elected municipal assembly members. Billions of annuities are being distributed by municipal public work commissions in the big provinces like Ankara and Istanbul. These annuities make municipal assembly positions very attractive." The PKK Seeks to Arouse Chaos Prior to Upcoming Municipal Elections Islamist-oriented Zaman reports intelligence units of the National Security General Directorate have said a large number of PKK terrorists have infiltrated Turkey's eastern and southeastern borders to stage provocative acts ahead of municipal elections scheduled for March 29. The National Security General Directorate intelligence report sent to the police departments of the country's 81 provinces reports the terrorist group is planning clashes, sabotage, bombings and assassinations in order to create chaos and provoke clashes between citizens of Turkish and Kurdish origin prior to local elections. According to the report, the militants are using PKK camps in northern Iraq to train for these acts of terror and provocation. According to the police, the terrorist organization plans to create chaos through staging local demonstrations ahead of the elections, particularly on March 8, International Women's Day, and March 21, the spring festival of Nevruz, which is of symbolic significance to Kurdish nationalists. The terrorist organization has reportedly sent open threats to candidates of the ruling AKP, who are running for office in the cities of the Kurdish-dominated ANKARA 00000259 002 OF 004 Southeast and parts of the East. The police department's first reaction was to suspend all training activities. The police department will deploy a large number of special operations and riot police teams in the provinces affected. The Interior Ministry has also been on high alert since the intelligence report from the police department was released. Interior Minister Besir Atalay is holding a series of regional meetings with governors and local police chiefs to discuss measures to be taken against the PKK's election time strategy. So far, regional meetings have been held in the cities of Gaziantep, Diyarbakir, Erzurum and Trabzon. Incidents and clashes already took place over the weekend, which marked the tenth anniversary of PKK leader Abdullah Vcalan's capture in Kenya. The police will be deploying more officers in the cities of Diyarbakir, Hakkari, Van and Sirnak on the critical dates of March 8 and March 21. The National Security General Directorate released a directive this week announcing the suspension of all activities of the police department such as training courses, symposiums and conferences. "Great responsibility falls on our department to ensure that the municipal elections are conducted in a healthy and safe manner. In this regard, our department's units are taking the necessary precautions and making plans to prevent any unwanted situations in the leadup to local elections next month," the statement said. Baydemir: "The Diyarbakir People Saw a State of Tyranny on February 15." Leftist Taraf reports Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir criticized police for using tear gas against the pro-Kurdish opposition party DTP office in Diyarbakir during weekend demonstrations marking the tenth anniversary of Abdullah Ocalan's capture. Mayor Baydemir said on February 15, "The people of Diyarbakir witnessed state tyranny" and added that "the place where the police threw tear gas was neither Palestine nor Hitler's gas chambers, but the DTP's provincial office." Also, Baydemir said, "Women and children should not be forced to pay for what happened." Baydemir emphasized that they could forgive what happened to themselves but not what happened to children and to the elderly. DTP Diyarbakir Representative Aysel Tugluk said "People will show no interest in Prime Minister Erdogan's visit to Diyarbakir on February 21." Ocalan Sends a Letter to Kurdish Intellectuals Leftist Taraf reports Abdullah Ocalan sent a letter through his lawyers to Turkish Intellectuals regarding solutions to the Kurdish issue. In a letter dated February 11, Ocalan said the Kurdish issue could be solved through democratic and peaceful means. He also noted that all the Kurds wanted was to make sure that the Turkish constitution reflects universal norms. Ocalan claimed that intellectuals can play a role in this process. Ocalan said the claims by TGS that they killed X number of PKKers and the PKK's claims that they killed X number of soldiers would never be a solution to the issue and that such an approach would only lead to further enhance divisions. Ocalan said intellectuals could open the path for dialogue and that they should discuss this issue with PKK and, to the extent possible, with the government of Turkey as well. Kurdish Classes Begin in Istanbul's Bilgi University Leftist Taraf reports Kurdish language classes officially began yesterday for the first time in a Turkish university, at Bilgi University in Istanbul. Students expressed varying reasons for taking the Kurdish classes; one student said he was ashamed he was not able to communicate with his Kurdish neighbors. Another student said the official ideology denies the existence of the Kurds, and therefore he wanted to learn Kurdish as a reaction to that ideology. A college senior studying international relations said "Recognizing Kurdish as an official language would contribute to peace and strengthen people's inclusion in the system." This student recalled that, as a high school student in Van, police found a Kurdish poem ANKARA 00000259 003 OF 004 in one of his friend's notebooks and the police tore out the page and made his friend chew and swallow it. Obama's Call - Who was the one being warned? Today the story on Obama's telephone conversations with Gul and Erdogan has changed - yesterday the presidency and prime ministry touted Obama's praise for Turkey's efforts in the Middle East. Meanwhile, the White House's readout of the conversation stressed Turkey's role in NATO, which some media interpret as Obama's attempt to temper Turkey's approach to foreign policy in line with NATO goals. Islamist-oriented Zaman headlines, "An April 24th Warning to Obama" and reports "Turkish leaders gave the message to the new president that it is important for the U.S. to uphold justice and objectivity towards Ankara's policies in the Middle East and Armenia to avoid damaging the bilateral relationship." Columnist Sami Kohen of mainstream Milliyet notes, "The Armenian issue is high on Obama's agenda with Turkey; he has expressed support for the normalization in ties between Turkey and Armenia. In turn, Erdogan warned Obama against recognizing Armenian genocide claims." In "A NATO Strike From Obama," leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet reports "The White House read out of the phone call emphasized the importance of U.S.-Turkey relations within the framework of NATO operations in Afghanistan," and "this statement differs from the messages reported by the presidency and prime ministry, which highlighted Obama's praise for the AKP government's policy in the Middle East." Mainstream Milliyet echoes Cumhuriyet's headline in the story, "A NATO Strike from The White House," and reports, "Obama wants Turkey to focus on NATO, not the Middle East," amid criticism from former Bush Administration Energy Envoy C. Boyden Gray who recently wrote in the Washington Times, "Turkey is blocking direct dialogue between the EU and NATO," and "Turkey's stance is the source of trouble in Afghanistan." Finally, Milliyet says, "Obama has given the message that Turkey should stick to NATO views on issues such as Hamas and Iran." Editorial Commentary on Turkey-US Relationship; Economic Crisis Sami Kohen wrote in mainstream Milliyet: "Obama's phone calls to President Gul and PM Erdogan confirm the importance attached by the new US administration to Turkey. The phone calls also highlight the Obama Administration's determination to establish a real strategic partnership with Turkey. Obama's positive image in Turkey and his positive global approach (i.e. his messages to the Muslim world) pave the way to a new era in the Turkey-US relationship." Mehmet Barlas wrote in mainstream Sabah: "Media and economists highlight one development regarding the current economic crisis - As a result of the economic crisis in the world and in Turkey, the state is now the most powerful economic institution and the ruling leaders are the most powerful people. " TV News (CNN Turk) Domestic News - "Turkey may grow three percent, provided measures are taken to revive the economy; and we may overcome the crisis by April. For that to happen, the domestic market and exports play a crucial role," said Mustafa Boydak, chairman of the Kayseri Chamber of Industry and the CEO of Boydak Group. - Turkey's unemployment levels are the third worst out of 52 countries. Only South Africa and Spain are worse than Turkey in this list, according to the Turkish employers' union, or TISK. . - Former Kurdish lawmaker Leyla Zana is acquitted in a case for making "terror propaganda" in a June 2008 address to the British parliament. ANKARA 00000259 004 OF 004 International News - UN Mine Action Team operating in Gaza says no cluster bombs were found and no evidence was found that Israel had used depleted uranium. - The Guardian writes the British government is considering plans that would lead to thousands more British Muslims being branded as extremists. - Georgian authorities arrest 25 Turkish fishermen charged with smuggling weapons to Abkhazia and illegal fishing. - Turkey's largest state-owned bank, Ziraat Bank, opens its first branch office in Athens. JEFFREY