TURKISH MEDIA REACTION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000018 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, January 01, 2010 Media Highlights: Airport Security and Yemen; FT: Turkey Turns its Back; Turkey-US-Iran Nuclear Diplomacy; Double Agent Traps CIA; Editorial on Turkish Foreign Policy; Tehran Blacklists Western Organizations; Bullets in the Mail to Judge; FM Davutoglu on Bulgarian Compensation Demands; TV Spotlight US Embassy Ankara - Turkey Media Reaction - January 6, 2010 as prepared by the Public Affairs Information Office How the US is Playing Airport Security and Yemen. "Muslims Will Go Nuts With the New Airport Measures" (Milliyet) Turkish papers continue to give prominent play to new airport security measures and the debate around privacy. "Chaos at Airports" says leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet while mainstream HaberTurk headlines "Full Body Scanners: A Threat for Celebrities and Children." In its headline story "Full body scanner caused an ethical debate" liberal daily Radikal sums up the debate under two major concerns: "Full body scanners may lead to child pornography" and "Celebrities feel uneasy about the possibility of internet-use of their scanned visuals." Based on Turkish authorities' comments, the story adds that Turkey will continue with the current search procedure because "existing laws do not permit use of full body scanners." Mainstream Milliyet's Mehves Evin wonders if these measures are part of a deliberate plan to deter Muslim immigrants to the UK and the US. Noting the grave concern about privacy violation, "especially for conservative Muslims," she concludes: "Not only the MMW technology stirs a serious privacy concern but also it seems the Western world is finding a way to stop Muslims from migrating to the UK and the US in a politically correct fashion." Islamist Yeni Safak headlines "Yemen Alert in the White House" and reports that President Obama asked for an emergency summit to discuss the Yemen issue. The paper makes a prediction that the 14-country list will be expanded. A columnist in Yeni Safak, Ibrahim Karagul argues about "security weakness caused by Israelis." Implying a deliberate negligence by an Israeli security firm he writes: "Amsterdam airport security is carried out by an Israeli firm, and it is very interesting that this Nigerian guy got on board despite being on the list." Financial Times Comment on Turkey-US: "Turkey Turns Its Back" ;(Cumhuriyet) Financial Times (FT) blogger Gideon Rachman's column received prominent play in major Turkish newspapers under almost identical headlines: "The United States Is Losing Turkey" (Mainstream dailies Hurriyet, Milliyet, Vatan). The reports carried a summarized version of the FT column highlighting "Turkey's foreign policy is getting closer to authoritarian regimes, like Iran and China as opposed to working in harmony with the US stance." Meanwhile, liberal daily Radikal carried the entire column in a Turkish translated version. Nuclear Diplomacy Between Turkey-US-Iran (Hurriyet) Mainstream Hurriyet reports that following Iranian FM Mottaki's announcement that Iran could agree for Turkey to stock their enriched uranium, Turkey accelerated the active diplomacy to find a "common ground" between Washington and Tehran. It was learned that following Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu's phone conversation with US National Security Advisor Jim Jones and Iranian FM Mottaki during the last week of December, Turkey has tried to find common ground regarding the technical details of exchanging Iranian uranium. If that effort is successful, Hurriyet says the US and Iran will be able to meet at the same negotiation table for the first time since ¶1979. In mainstream Milliyet, columnist Semih Idiz writes about the Iran nuclear issue question he put to visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Okada. Minister Okada called the issue "a reason for instability." Mentioning that both Japan and Turkey have tried to facilitate the transfer of enriched uranium to a third country, ANKARA 00000018 002 OF 003 Okada said the "important issue is the transfer, it really does not matter which country makes it happen." "The Doctor Who Trapped the CIA" (Taraf) In "CIA Assailant Doctor Turns Double Agent," mainstream Sabah reports a suspected Jordanian double agent, Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, who killed seven CIA officers in Afghanistan, was imprisoned by Jordanian intelligence to coerce him to track down al-Qaida's No. 2 in command, Ayman al-Zawahiri. Mainstream Milliyet says al-Balawi studied medicine in Turkey. Islamist-oriented Zaman reports al-Balawi had told his family he would go to Turkey for work in March, hiding his true intention. "The Doctor Who Trapped the CIA" is a page one headline in leftist Taraf which says al-Balawi, "an al-Qaida agent," was invited to Camp Chapman, an American base in Khost province on the Afghan-Pakistan frontier, on December 30 but was not closely searched. In the Headlines Turkish Foreign Policy Goals Columnist Sami Kohen comments on a new set of goals designed by Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoglu during the last Chiefs of Mission conference in Ankara. In mainstream Milliyet he notes a "rather comprehensive approach" to international issues and sums up FM Davutoglu's remarks as follows: "Turkish foreign policy is under revision after the post cold war situation. Geographical importance will be emphasized. Turkey will assume global roles and will try to turn crises into opportunities. Democracy is essential, so is the EU accession goal. Security and freedom should not be an alternate to each other." 60 Western Organizations on Tehran's Black List (Radikal) All papers report Iran's Intelligence Ministry has banned its citizens from having contact with 60 organizations, including the BBC, Human Rights Watch, the Open Society Institute, the Israeli State Radio and the US-funded broadcasters, accusing the Western outlets of waging a "soft war" to topple the Islamic Republic. Threat With Bullet to 'Cosmic Judge' (Milliyet) "Threat with Bullet" which the Italian Mafia first used 200 years ago to give the message that "I will hit you everywhere", targeted judge Kadir Kayan and Public Prosecutor Mustafa Bilgili, who are carrying out the 'cosmic' investigation at the Regional Mobilization Command. Kayan and Bilgili were sent envelopes, with 8 Kalashnikov bullets in each of them, by cargo yesterday. An immediate investigation was launched and the addresses and telephones on the envelope were proven false. Mainstream Hurriyet notes that the bullets were accompanied by threatening notes. Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak says that it was interesting that the number of bullets was the same as the number of soldiers who were detained and released in connection with the alleged plot for the assassination of Deputy PM Bulent Arinc. "What About the Turks Forced to Migrate From Bulgaria?" (Yeni Safak) In "Migration Was Not One-Sided," leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet reports Foreign Minister Davutoglu responded to Bulgarian demands for USD 10 billion in compensation for the properties of Bulgarian citizens who migrated from Turkey after 1913. "What happened did not happen as a unilateral emigration. Nearly two million Turks had to leave their homes in Bulgaria, heading back to Turkey. Any discussion of these historical issues needs a wider debate. But the continuation of it is in the good of both countries. There is great benefit in avoiding making such statements which might harm the friendly relations between Turkey and Bulgaria," said Davutoglu. TV Spotlight Palestinian President Abbas in Ankara for a working visit. Abbas will meet President Gul. ANKARA 00000018 003 OF 003 Kurdish BDP group leader Nuri Yaman accused the AKP government for the closure of the DTP. Prime Minister Erdogan rejected opposition parties' calls for early elections in 2010. Prime Minister Erdogan announced 4.5 to 20.4 percent increases in pensions. Prime Minister Erdogan will visit Russia on January 12-13. About 55 people were injured Tuesday in clashes at the port in al-Arish between the Egyptian police and pro-Palestinian relief convoy activists trying to get into the Gaza Strip. Greek Cypriot President Christofias said he was against making an interim settlement in Cyprus. The United States reopens its embassy in the Yemeni capital Sana. SILLIMAN