ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000367

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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: ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2009

Gul: President Obama Could Launch A New Era
Media outlets note that Turkish President Abdullah Gul spoke to
reporters yesterday while he was en route to Tehran and his messages
praised U.S. President Obama's approach to the region. Liberal
Radikal headlines, "Gul Begins a New Era With Obama." In "The
Spirit of Obama in Iran," Radikal reports, "Gul told Ahmadinejad and
Khomeini to prepare for dialogue with the U.S." Sabah notes that
President Gul told Ahmadinejad "You can't shake hands when your
fists are clinched." Mainstream Vatan reports Gul said "An
opportunity has emerged with Barack Obama's election for problems to
be solved and for a new world order" as "Turkey and the new U.S.
administration share common views about Afghanistan, Pakistan, and
the Kurdish issue. A new era has started and for the sake of the
world security and stability, everyone should be prepared for this
new era." Mainstream Sabah reports that when asked whether Obama
would deliver a message to the Islamic world when he was in Turkey,
Gul said "Obama's visit to Ankara is a message in and of itself. We
are very pleased about the visit. Because, if we manage to
correctly lay the tracks from the beginning, we'll be able to
advance along those rails speedily. And this visit is a good
opportunity to lay good groundwork." Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet
drew attention to the Kurdish issue, noting that Gul said, "It is
wrong to blame foreigners for the Kurdish problem," in Turkey
because "good things will happen."

In a related story, Yeni Safak and Cumhuriyet report President Obama
will join the G-20 meeting in Britain, where he will hold a
bilateral meeting with PM Erdogan. Obama will later participate in
NATO's 60th anniversary summit talks in Baden-Baden in Germany,
where he will meet with President Gul. Obama will later move on to
Prague before travelling to Ankara on April 6 and Istanbul on April

7.

Editorial Commentary on Obama's Turkey Visit

Cuneyt Ulsever wrote in mainstream Hurriyet: "Obama's visit is very
important, but it should be read in a proper context. Like Turkey,
the Obama administration is ready for engagement and dialogue on
problematic areas and issues, such as Iran, Syria, Hamas, the
Taliban and Hezbullah. However this attitude provides an
opportunity for these actors to change their approach. This is not
about accepting them as they are. And it includes an expectation
for Turkey to change as well, particularly on resolving the Kurdish
issue and showing flexibility on the EU/Cyprus process."

Sami Kohen wrote in mainstream Milliyet: "The Obama administration's
openness and encouragement for diplomacy is a strong basis for
Turkey's mission in the region. Turkey will be able to continue its
role even more actively than before. On the other hand, harmony
between Ankara and Washington is an essential element to consider.
Washington hopes Turkey take a role when it comes to problems like
Iranian nuclear power and Hamas. It will only backfire if Ankara
chooses to defend their position as opposed to convincing them to
change."

Abdulhamit Bilici wrote in Islamist oriented Zaman: "Some in Turkey
strongly argued against the government's close engagement with the
Middle East and the Arab world, claiming that it would alienate
Ankara from Western world. Developments are just proving otherwise,
and the upcoming visit of President Obama is a clear indication to
this. The more we engage with the East, the closer we will get to
the West."

Cumhuriyet comments that in an effort to "cover some distance"
before President Obama calls on Turkey, Ankara has sent a Turkish
Foreign Ministry (MFA) delegation, headed by the deputy
Undersecretary Unal Cevikoz, to Washington to lobby the U.S.
Congress against the passage of the Armenian genocide resolution.
Erdogan's top foreign policy advisor, Professor Ahmet Davutoglu, is
also expected to pay a visit to the U.S. soon, according to

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Cumhuriyet.

Clinton Criticized for Soft Approach to Human Rights
Media outlets highlight the Washington Post's editorial which
criticized Secretary Clinton for 'not addressing human rights
issues' during her visit to Turkey. Mainstream Milliyet reports on
its front page, "Press Freedom in Turkey is Under Siege" as "The
Washington Post accuses Secretary Clinton of ignoring the human
rights practices of the U.S.' major allies." Leftist-nationalist
Cumhuriyet reports, "The Washington Post Criticizes" Clinton because
she "Forgot Human Rights in Turkey." Islamist-oriented Zaman
headlines, "The Washington Post Criticizes the Government Regarding
Press Freedom," and notes "The Washington Post compared Prime
Minister Erdogan's approach to press freedom to Russian President
Putin's approach to press freedom by referring to the governments
half billion dollar tax fine against the Dogan media group."
Mainstream Vatan reports "The repercussions of Clinton's visit to
Turkey continue." Mainstream HaberTurk reports "Hillary Goes
Against Her Own Department's Report" on human rights.


'German Police Detain Islamists with Ties to Turks' (Cumhuriyet)
Media outlets report German police have staged "simultaneous raids"
on the houses, businesses and associations of Islamist suspects in
seven cities across the country. In "Raid on Islamists with Ties to
Turks," leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet reports new corruption and
irregularities in a scale larger than the Deniz Feneri scandal could
surface in the investigation. Seven suspects, including Turks, who
had been detained earlier, were charged with illegally raising
funds, buying assets through false bankruptcy, forging documents and
money laundering. German police did not disclose the identities of
the detained, but sources say the head of the illegal formation had
ties with the Muslim Brotherhood and could have connections with the
Turkish National View (Milli Gorus) organization, reports
Cumhuriyet.

PKK Defectors Working as Mercenaries for U.S. Army
Mainstream Aksam and mainstream Hurriyet report that several former
PKK members have claimed that they know other PKK militants who
deserted the PKK in order to fight as mercenaries for the U.S. Army
in Afghanistan. According to the testimony, the former PKK
militants turned mercenaries will undergo a short training program
in Baghdad before being deployed in Afghanistan. These claims were
cited in the reports by MIT (National Intelligence Organization),
TNP (Turkish National Police) and Gendarmerie intelligence.
Hurriyet notes that a Syrian PKK militant code named "Hezir"
testified that at least 15 of his friends "joined the U.S. army in
exchange for a Green Card."

CHP Submits Parliamentary Motion Regarding the 'Darwin Censorship'
Media outlets report the opposition CHP submitted a parliamentary
motion yesterday that asked for an explanation from PM Erdogan and
Minister Mehmet Aydin about the TUBITAK board's decision to censor
articles about Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution in the
March issue of "Science and Technology" magazine. CHP leader Deniz
Baykal said, "Such reactions against Darwin and the debates on
evolution on the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth demonstrate the
dogma that currently dominates scientific organizations in Turkey."
Professor Nuket YETIs, the AKP-appointed head of Turkey's Scientific
and Technical Research Institution, or TUBITAK, declined to answer
press questions regarding the censorship.

Second Indictment in Ergenekon
All papers report that the Istanbul Prosecutors Office submitted
yesterday an additional indictment in Ergenekon case. Mainstream
Hurriyet reports that the indictment accused 12 suspects of
attempting to annul the parliament and government by using violence
and sought life imprisonment. Retired Generals Hursit Tolon and
Sener Eruygur are among those 14 suspects.


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TV News (CNN Turk)

Domestic

- A 13-year old child detained for "insulting" PM Erdogan at an
election rally in Aydin says he was "hurt" by the PM and his
bodyguards.

- The ruling AKP government is set to release an economic stimulus
package that will include an extra payment for pensioners and
special tax and employment incentives for textile, automotive,
steel, maritime and tourism sectors.

- More than 14,000 people lost their jobs in Bursa and the entire
Thrace region over the last two months.

- Turkey's leading iron and steel producer Erdemir, suffering
75-percent decrease in demand, is on the verge of collapse.

World

- A draft bill submitted to the US House of Representatives urges
Turkey to respect the rights of the Istanbul-based Greek Orthodox
Patriarchate.

- Reformist ex-PM Mir Hossein Musavi, who was PM during the 1980-88
Iran-Iraq war, says he will contest the presidential election in
June. Musavi's participation in polls could split the reformers
seeking to oust President Ahmadinejad.

- US intelligence chief Dennis Blair warns it would be "difficult"
to convince Iran to give up its quest for nuclear technology.

- The Somalian cabinet votes to implement sharia law across the
country.

JEFFREY