TURKISH MEDIA REACTION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000078 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 FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2010 Highlights US Embassy Ankara - Turkey Media Reaction - January 14, 2010 as prepared by the Public Affairs Information Office Breaking news: CNNTurk is reporting a "last minute" development as Mehmet Simsek, Minister of the Economy, has decided not to attend the upcoming Davos meetings. Earlier, PM Erdogan confirmed his decision not to go but that he was naming Simsek to represent the Cabinet. How the US is Playing U.S. Spokesman Praises Turkey's Role In Middle East: The semi official Anatolian Agency reports that U.S. State Department of State Spokesman PJ Crowley praised Turkey's role in issues related to Middle East. "Turkey has played an important role as an intermediary in working through issues related to Middle East peace," Crowley told a daily press briefing on Thursday when responding to a question over a recent diplomatic tension between Turkey and Israel. "We value that interaction, value Turkey's role in trying to help countries work through these issues. And I would expect that to continue," he said, adding that Turkey and Israel were two important allies and friends of the United States. Commentary Lauds US-Turkey ME Cooperation: Hasan Bulent Kahraman opines in mainstream Sabah: "Turkey always wanted to be the key actor in the Middle East. With its new position, Turkey came to a different spot in the field of international relations as well. For the first time, Turkey is acting in the Middle East, together with the US, in cooperation and agreement. In the past, Turkey went to the region to put distance between itself and the US. Today, however, Turkey's good relations with the US works as a factor to strengthen Turkey's power in the region. In short, Turkey benefits from Israel's mistakes and strengthens its hand in the Middle East." Pakistan "Payback" Bombings: In "Payback Strike from the US," mainstream Milliyet reports that the US pinpointed Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud in yesterday's bombing raid, noting "the top Taliban leader in Pakistan, who was recently seen with CIA bomber Al Balawi in a video after the attack, might be among 15 militants killed in a US missile strike in a religious school in northwest Pakistan." Islamist Yeni Safak headlines "Drones Strike Taliban Leader," and believes "the continued US pounding on key militant targets in Pakistan's tribal areas shows that the US is determined to keep up the pressure on the Taliban." Meanwhile, leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet in "Taliban Leader Escapes US Missile Attack," says "the leader of the Pakistani Taliban was apparently the target of a US missile strike but Pakistani officials reportedly said he escaped unhurt." Jewish Lobby in the US Accuses Turkish Government of Supporting Anti-Semitism In an exclusive, mainstream Hurriyet reports that American Anti Defamation League Chairman Abraham Foxman claimed that Turkish society is obviously becoming anti-Jewish, anti-Israel and accused the Erdogan government of promoting anti-Semitism. Foxman also accused Turkish media for being anti-Jewish and was quoted by Hurriyet as saying "we are very much worried about the general climate in Turkey which is becoming anti-Israel and even promotes being anti-Israel." In the Headlines Russia Rejects Links to Nagorno-Karabakh on Protocols: Hurriyet and other online sites reported Russian FM comments on Nagorno-Karabakh during a 1/14 press conference with Armenia's Nalbandian in Moscow. Lavrov called on Armenia and Turkey to move forward quickly on stalled efforts to ratify the protocols, according to press reports, noting "we are interested in ties being normalized . . . The quicker this happens, the better it is for the entire region." ANKARA 00000078 002 OF 003 Lavrov backed the Armenian stance in the dispute, but also rejected any links between the Turkey-Armenia normalization process. Lavrov said Russia was ready to assist both countries with infrastructure projects, including electricity and rail links, once they agree to establish ties and open their border. Islamist Yeni Sefak called the Moscow meetings "For Karabakh - A Critical Threshold," while HaberNews proclaimed "Russia's Reveals Its Armenian Moves." Turkey- Armenia: PM Erdogan: "The Steps are Obvious if Armenia Withdraws" Major papers carry an on-board interview with PM Erdogan on his way from Moscow to Istanbul. Aksam, Zaman and Yeni Safak highlight Erdogan's comments that "Turkey should be ready and accustomed to referendums" while Hurriyet's editor-in-chief Enis Berberoglu fronts PM's remarks on the Turkey-Armenia normalization process and Ankara's expectations from Russia in the Minsk Group. Turkey-Armenia: Hurriyet quoted Erdogan as saying "Whatever is said, the normalization process between Turkey and Armenia is definitely connected with Karabakh issue. Closing the border gates started with the problems between Armenia and Azerbaijan. If this problem is resolved, and the occupation of Karabakh is ended, Turkey-Armenia issue will relax. If Armenia has any good-will, then, it can start by pulling out from the sections. Positive developments will occur as soon as they pull out. In this process, the steps Turkey will be taking are obvious: There are doors in front of us. We have shouldered some risks. We already started the Cargo flights and Yerevan-Istanbul commercial flights. We opened our air space but opening the border gate is completely a different issue. . . We also discussed this issue with Medvedev and Putin in an open manner. Russia is the most influential country within the Minsk Group. It will be difficult to obtain result if Russia acts leisurely on this matter." Nuclear deal with Russia: Media report that Erdogan commented "Danistay cancelled the nuclear tender, and we have started a new process. Studies are underway on this matter. There will be inter-governmental agreements [between Turkey and Russia]. Once the technical studies are completed Turkey and Russia will meet again to discuss and we will submit it to the parliaments. It will be a matter of international agreement and Danistay will not be in the loop. This is not happening for the first time, there are examples of this kind in the past. Russia prefers Siemens here as a partner. This is about two units with 2400-2500 megawatts in 7 years." Turkey-Israel Crisis: "Sultan Erdogan" (Milliyet) Turkish media continue their coverage of the Turkish-Israel rift and focus today on foreign press reaction. In "Sultan Erdogan," mainstream Milliyet replays coverage in Lebanese daily El Ekber and excerpts reports from Israeli Haaretz ("Turkish people never tolerate insult to their representatives") and British The Times ("Israel had to issue an apology following the recent damaging bilateral ties quarrel") Similarly, mainstream Vatan and Islamist/pro-government Zaman use reports from Arab press to conclude that "once again" Turkey taught Israel a lesson, "especially after the Davos crisis when PM Erdogan blasted Israeli President Peres for murdering Palestinians." Carrying an expert from Lebanese El-Akhbar ("Israel only understands Turkish"),Islamist oriented Yeni Safak reports in bold headlines that "The world's media wrote about Turkey's winning a diplomatic quarrel with Israel." Commentary: US-Turkey ME Cooperation Lauded; Anti-Israel Sentiments on the Rise Fikret Bila in Milliyet observes a serious wound in bilateral ties: "Turkey-Israel normalization efforts been obstructed by the fact that Israeli government is a fragile coalition government. With the recent incidents, Turkey-Israel relations have been heavily wounded. Responsibility to heal the wounds depends fully on Israel. Anti-Israel sentiments will increase in Turkey after the recent incident, just like the anti-Americanism had increased in the past following the Suleymaniye incident, where Turkish officers were hooded by the Americans." Mainstream Aksam's foreign affairs ANKARA 00000078 003 OF 003 commentator Deniz Aribogan observes a shift of the foreign policy axis in Israel: "Even though Israel is accusing Turkey for shifting toward the Middle East axis, in reality, it moves toward being out of the Middle East equilibrium. The Middle East is going through a transformation under a new world order and Israel resists to change itself according to new parameters." Poll -- Political Parties in Decline: In a front page story, Cumhuriyet reports that Metropol's January survey on the "Political Situation in Turkey" shows that 65.8 percent of Turks say they are pessimistic about the future of the country, and that 30 percent say 2010 will be worse than 2009. If elections were held in 2010, the pollster predicts that the distribution of votes would be as follows: AKP 32.3 percent, CHP 16.2, MHP 14.4, DTP 5.3, and Undecided 11.1. The poll was conducted by 1614 respondents in 31 provinces. Human Rights Committee to Inspect Military Prisons Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet reports that a parliamentary committee on human rights has decided to put together a group to inspect military prisons. The decision, which would be the first civilian inspection of military prisons in Turkey, also received support from the opposition parties. Herons to Come in March Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak reports that controvery over the non-delivery of the Heron drones, which caused a crisis between Turkey and Israel, will be solved. First delivery of the unmanned aircrafts, with upgraded capacity, will arrive in March. Haiti is In Pain (Radikal). Citing American Earthquake Institute sources, Turkey's mainstream Vatan compares the Haitian quake to Turkey's devastating 1999 earthquake and says the high death toll was the result of poor quality construction and lack of building codes. In "Life and Death In Haiti," leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet says, "corpses litter the streets while thousands of people are still trapped in flattened buildings in the quake-hit Haitian capital more than 48 hours after the catastrophe." In "Haiti is In Pain" liberal Radikal thinks "even if international relief efforts reach the region, it won't be enough; the death toll is rising and survivors are in miserable condition." Islamist Yeni Safak in a pessimistic line, "Devastated, Hungry, Thirsty," says "the death toll could reach to 50,000 in the wake of the Haitian earthquake," and notes "the UN confronts the largest single loss of life of its own personnel in its 65 year history." Mainstream Milliyet's front page headline reads, "The Corpse Island," and warns that "as water, food and medicine remain limited, and dead bodies continue to accumulate in public areas, Haiti is particularly at risk for epidemic outbreaks of infection in the aftermath of such a natural disaster." TV Spotlight (CNN Turk) Delivery of Israeli drones to Turkey is expected to begin in March. On January 18, Prime Minister Erdogan will go to Abu Dhabi to join the Third World Energy Summit. The AKP government will hold its last Alevi workshop on January 28 in Kizilcahamam near Ankara, which will outline a roadmap for addressing the problems of the Alevis. The Red Cross estimates there have been 45,000-50,000 deaths in the Haitian earthquake. China will reportedly send a lower-level representative to a meeting of six world powers on Iran's nuclear program. JEFFREY