TURKISH MEDIA REACTION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 000114 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 MONDAY, JANUARY 25, 2010 Media Highlights: How the US is Playing The US/Turkey-Armenia. "The US Happy with Armenian Court Decision on Protocols" (Taraf); "Armenia: US is on Our Side" (Hurriyet) Online reports as well as mainstream Hurriyet and Milliyet carry a follow up story on Turkey-Armenia normalization following Ankara's uneasiness about Armenian Constitutional Court ruling about process. Hurriyet cites Novosti Armenia wire service that A/S Phil Gordon said the "Armenian court's decision does not have anything to prevent protocols from ratification process." Leftist Taraf reports Assistant Secretary of State Philip Gordon told Radio Liberty that unlike Ankara, the US "welcomed" the Armenian Constitutional Court decision on the protocols with Turkey. "We see the Armenian court decision as a positive step in the ratification process of the protocols envisaging a settlement between Turkey and Armenia. The court decision allows for the parliamentary ratification of the protocols approved by both governments. The court decision in no way gives the impression it restricts or legally binds the protocols," said Gordon. Editorials on Turkey-Armenia/The US Pundits urge the Turkish government not to hesitate on moving forward with the ratification process and mention that Washington "considers recent uneasiness in Ankara as creating excuses." In "Crisis Foretold" mainstream Sabah's Omer Taspinar warns against an upcoming serious crisis with Washington: "Washington believes that Turkey is using the Armenian court decision as a pretext not to process the ratification. A high level American diplomat says that the ball is in Ankara's courtyard. In addition to that, the Armenian lobby in the US is very active and eager. The Jewish lobby on the other hand is furious about Turkey. Bearing in mind all of these factors, Ankara better be prepared for an upcoming April 24 genocide resolution crisis with Washington." Mainstream Milliyet's Semih Idiz observes "insincerity" in both Armenia and Turkey: "There is a lack of will as well as insincerity about the realization of protocol process. Each capital is trying to send the ball to each other in order to avoid responsibility. The normalization process cannot go anywhere as long as this insincere attitude and the lack of will continues." Liberal Radikal's Ceyda Karan has some advice: �00A;"Ankara should be proactive and should take steps toward concluding the ratification process. By doing that Ankara will really force Armenia to act responsibly." New Bin Laden Tape. In "Bin Laden's New 9/11 Threat," liberal Radikal warns that "Osama bin Laden hailed Dec 25 airline bomb plot and threatened new upcoming attacks -like 9/11- against the US in an audio message broadcast by al-Jazeera." Radikal highlights Bin Laden's statement that the "US will never be safe unless Palestine is safe." Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet's headline reads, "Bin Laden's New Message," and says, "Al-Qaeda leader claimed responsibility for the attack on Dec 25 Amsterdam-Detroit flight in a new audiotape broadcasted by Al Jazeera. Bin Laden said the attack was a message just like 9/11." In "Female Suicide Bombers Coming," mainstream Milliyet sounds an alert that "Bin Laden threatens more attacks, female suicide bombers who look like Western women are being prepared to carry out similar attacks. Islamist oriented Yeni Safak in "I've Sent Hero Omar," says "Bin Laden took responsibility for the Christmas attack and said that the bombing attempt was a heroic act." Yeni Safak quotes Bin Laden as saying: "if it was possible to send our messages by words, we wouldn't have sent them by planes." NSC Hammer: The US Want to Deepen Turkey-the US Strategic Partnership (Taraf) Leftist Taraf carries a VOA report which says the US National Security Council Spokesman Mike Hammer told reporters at the Foreign Press Center in Washington President Obama appreciated the importance of the Turkish-American strategic partnership. Hammer said the US wanted to "deepen" its strategic partnership with ANKARA 00000114 002 OF 004 Turkey, and that more progress would be seen over the course of this year. Hammer noted although differences of opinion were possible, there was no strain in ties between Turkey and the US, which have been "excellent." Hammer also stressed Turkey and the US had been in close cooperation over the reestablishment of ties between Turkey and Armenia, reports Taraf. Secretary's Internet Speech: "Clinton Wants Informers" (HaberTurk) Columnist Ayse Ozek Karasu commented about Secretary Clinton's recent speech on internet freedom in mainstream daily HaberTurk (1/24): "Secretary Clinton's speech came after China's treatment of 'google' and she clearly indicated internet freedom as major foreign policy indicator for the United States. It paves the way for the US to open a new freedom page all over the world based on the level of internet freedom. Secretary Clinton asked for denunciation of countries which limit free access of information. As seeing her very sensitive about internet freedom, I'd like to put myself in an informer position as well: Turkish courts are very leisurely blocking internet access, and YouTube is still banned." Mainstream Hurriyet and Islamist-oriented Zaman both reported the story of Ms. Ceren Kenar of the NGO "Young Civilians" who attended Secretary Clinton's Internet Freedom speech on January 21 and after the speech posed for a photo with the Secretary holding a placard that read "Release YouTube." In the Headlines Erdogan: Civilian Dictatorship Has Ended with Us (Yeni Safak) Media outlets report Monday on Prime Minister Erdogan's address Sunday to supporters in the province of Sakarya. "They will create chaos and treachery scenarios, but we will emphasize democracy and national unity. We will not allow the realization of these illegal plans," said Erdogan, and challenged the military and supporters of alleged coup plans, referring to ongoing discussions about the alleged "Sledgehammer" coup plan recently reported by daily Taraf. "Look at the recent developments in the newspapers. You can't be on the side of different searches. Do you want a coup or democracy?" asked Erdogan. Erdogan said his government was fighting for the civilianization of Turkey. In an exclusive interview with Monday's Milliyet, opposition CHP leader Deniz Baykal said the AKP was posing a "serious threat" to democracy and Turkey's national integrity. Baykal said the best way to overcome the AK Party would be "people's votes." "I haven't felt the threat of a military takeover over the past eight years. I cannot imagine the Turkish military planning to bomb mosques or down a fighter jet of our own," emphasized Baykal. The CHP leader also said if he saw the allegations as firm, the PM should remove from office the chief of the military General Staff (TGS) or the force commanders. Turkey Will Train Afghan Military and Police (Sabah) Mainstream Sabah reports that Prime Minister Erdogan met with Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zerdari in Istanbul yesterday. During Erdogan's meeting with Karzai, it was decided that Turkey will train Afghan police and military in 500 people groups, in Turkey and Afghanistan, for three month periods. Following the meeting between the three countries' education ministers, a joint declaration was released saying that cooperation on education between the three countries will be increased and the books highlighting the historic ties between the three countries, will be translated in all three languages. PM Erdogan will go to Afghanistan in the spring to attend the opening ceremonies of 68 schools constructed by Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA). The declaration also highlighted the necessity of the projects to educate the female population and their social transformation. Meanwhile, today President Gul will host a three-party meeting with the leaders of Pakistan and Afghanistan to focus on the countering terrorism issues. This will be the fourth meeting in the process of tripartite meetings initiated in 2007, ANKARA 00000114 003 OF 004 Sabah notes. President Gul will host the "Friendship and Cooperation Summit in Asia's Heart" summit for Afghanistan's neighbors on Tuesday. Turkish and British Police Seize 159 Kg. of Heroin (Hurriyet) Mainstream Hurriyet reports that on January 20, Turkish and British police launched simultaneous operations in Manchester, Istanbul and Mersin. During the operations in Manchester 159 kg heroin were seized and six people were detained. Another five suspects were detained during the operations in Istanbul and Mersin. Ahmadinejad is in Preparation for Nuclear Surprise (Milliyet) Following his speech on next year's budget bill at the parliament, Iranian President Ahmadinejad, referring to the period marking the 1979 Islamic revolution, said "regarding nuclear energy activities, we have news to make Iranians and other free nations happy. During 'the ten days of dawn' we will announce good news regarding the production of 20 percent enriched fuel in our country." Poll: 'Confidence in Military' at Lowest Level (Taraf) Leftist Taraf carries a public opinion survey conducted by the prestigious A&G polling company. If general elections were held today, the distribution of the votes would be as follows: AKP 32 percent, CHP 21, MHP 19, BDP (DTP) 7, and SP 5. The survey shows that the "confidence in military," which has always been around 90 percent, has eroded to 63,4 percent over recent coup and conspiracy allegations. It also says the ruling AKP votes was 38,4 percent in 2009 local elections." The poll was conducted on December 26-27 and in the first week of January. TV Spotlight (CNN Turk) MP Mevlut Cavusoglu from AKP has been given the post of the president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). Mehmet Nuri Gunes, the Kurdish BDP Mayor of Igdir and seven party officials have been arrested on charges of membership to the PKK. The Turkish Central Bank Governor Durmus Yilmaz will travel to Davos to participate in the World Economic Forum meetings. Leading Turkish businessman and cultural benefactor, Sakir Eczacibasi, passed away over the weekend at the age of 81. Life in Istanbul is paralyzed by heavy snowfall. Intense snowfall affects most of Turkey. Twin sisters have committed suicide in Diyarbakir when one of them is forced to marry a relative. Prime Minister Erdogan phoned his British counterpart Gordon Brown, expressing his disappointment with a British court ruling against a British couple that built a holiday home in Turkish Cyprus. Genel Enerji, a company owned by Cukurova Group head Mehmet Emin Karamehmet, has built an oil refinery in Iraq's Kurdish region. Karamehmet's company needs USD 510 million of loan for the refinery. The government statistics agency said Monday Turkey's population in 2009 had been 72.6 million, an increase of 1.5 percent from the year before. A plane carrying 170 people in Iran caught fire on landing, injuring about 46 passengers. Afghanistan elections, scheduled for May 22, had been put off to September 18 due to lack of funds and security concerns. Afghanistan needs USD 120 million in order to hold elections. ANKARA 00000114 004 OF 004 JEFFREY