TURKISH MEDIA REACTION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 000081 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 TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2010 Highlights: Radical Armenians to Boycott Clinton Meeting; Editorials on US Policy; Turkey-Armenia 'Protocols'; Afghanistan-Pakistan Summit in Istanbul; Haiti Earthquake; Taliban Attacks Kabul; 'Pope's Gunman' Freed; Israeli Defense Minister Visits Turkey; Al-Qaeda Detentions; Poll on 'Public and Turkish FP'; Poll on Turkish Military Losing Popular Support; TV Spotlight US Embassy Ankara - Turkey Media Reaction - January 19, 2010 as prepared by the Public Affairs Information Office How the US is Playing "Radical Armenian Americans to Boycott Clinton Meeting" (Hurriyet online) The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has said it is not planning to attend a meeting next month between Secretary Clinton and major Armenian-American organizations to discuss the Turkey-Armenia reconciliation process. The ANCA, in a weekend statement, said its move is in protest of a State Department stance to decline to invite many influential Armenian-American groups, which oppose the normalization talks between Ankara and Yerevan. Editorial Commentary: US - Pakistan Policy and "Russia Gains Ground" In "Pakistan's Test on Nuclear Weapons" Islamist Yeni Safak's Akif Emre writes today: "It seems the US is determined to use terrorism and radical Islam as pretexts to legitimize its intervening in the region. Pakistan is next on the list. Even though the Pakistani army does its best to stand against any US intervention, eventually the country's territorial integrity might be at stake. The US is trying to punish Pakistan just like Iran because of nuclear weapons. In reality, the US wants to enhance its military presence in a region with nuclear powers and energy routes. Islamic terror and nuclear threats serve as good public opinion tools in this big power game." In the "US Makes Mistakes While Russia Gains Ground" columnist Murat Yetkin of liberal daily Radikal (1/17) observed some policy mistakes of Washington especially in Pakistan and the region: "Indeed, a day after the Russian minister's statement that they could join the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline project, the US, with an unprecedentedly strong statement, asked Pakistan to withdraw from that project. The US makes a proposal to Pakistan, where they are involved in military operations and from whom they expect a lot in their fight against Al-Qaida and Taliban, a proposal to provide Tajikistan oil to Pakistan through Afghanistan, which causes suspicion. It is possible to see the US pressure on Pakistan to stop cooperation with Iran as a politically tactical mistake because getting a result is uncertain, but it is certain that it will increase the discomfort in the Pakistani administration. At first, the Obama administration declared that they aimed to withdraw from Iraq, and to transfer the control in Afghanistan to Afghani people as soon as possible, and started a spring in their relations with Russia by withdrawing the missile-shield project from Eastern Europe. However, the Obama administration has been making mistakes after mistakes in the last couple of months. To give the impression that they opened a new front in Yemen, threatening Iran with bombing their facilities and considering military options in all issues regarding the region can be mentioned among those mistakes. However, as the US makes mistakes, Russia makes progress. This shift in the regional power axis creates both opportunities and risks for Turkey. It is a process that has to be followed very carefully." In the Headlines Turkey Not Happy With Yerevan's Justification of Protocols (Sabah, Hurriyet, Milliyet) Today's papers report on the MFA statement regarding the Yerevan's Justification of Protocols. The statement reads "The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Armenia has declared its decision of constitutional conformity on the Protocols between Turkey and ANKARA 00000081 002 OF 004 Armenia signed on 10 October 2009 with a short statement on 12 January 2010. The Constitutional Court has recently published its grounds of decision. It has been observed that this decision contains preconditions and restrictive provisions which impair the letter and spirit of the Protocols. The said decision undermines the very reason for negotiating these Protocols as well as their fundamental objective. This approach cannot be accepted on our part. Turkey, in line with its accustomed allegiance to its international commitments, maintains its adherence to the primary provisions of these Protocols. We expect the same allegiance from the Armenian Government." Pakistan-Afghanistan. "Asian Summit in Istanbul" (Sabah) Mainstream Sabah reports that on January 25, President Gul will bring together the leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan, at the 'Afghanistan's Neighbors' summit in Istanbul. On January 26th, representatives of Afghanistan's neighbors will gather in Turkey. This meeting will be followed by an international conference on Afghanistan to be held in London on January 28. Confidence building measures and education issues will be on the agenda of Turkey-Pakistan-Afghanistan trilateral summit. Within this framework, education ministers of Afghanistan and Pakistan will be coming to Turkey in the upcoming days. Tajikistan's president Imamali Rahman is expected to join the meeting on January 26 while Iran, Turkmenistan and China will be represented at the ministerial level. Countries like Saudi Arabia, the US and the UK which contributed to the re-construction of Afghanistan, will also attend the summit in Istanbul. The meeting will bring together the representatives of Iran and the US, as well. The summit's agenda will be increasing contributions for Afghanistan's re-construction. Haiti Rescue Efforts. "Humanity Under Rubble" (Milliyet) Media outlets focus on the dire situation and Turkish relief efforts in Haiti after the devastating earthquake, with a couple papers questioning whether the US is occupying the Caribbean country in the name of aid. Liberal Radikal in a front page banner headline, "Zero Point of Humanity," expresses concern over growing chaos in Haiti as "people fight for their lives after the quake." In "Second Turkish Miracle," mainstream Milliyet highlights, "members of Turkish rescue team are hailed as heroes in Haiti after they rescue two survivors from the rubbles of a shopping mall abandoned by other rescue teams." Meanwhile, mainstream Hurriyet headline reads, "Have US Troops Come to Occupy?" and says, "US taking control of the country's airport and giving priority to the US planes made other countries furious after their planes carrying aid are turned back and this fuels new tensions over a 'US occupation' of the quake-hit island." In "US Stacks Troops to Haiti," leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet highlights Venezuelan and French accusations that US is occupying Haiti. Cumhuriyet reports France called on the UN to "clarify the US role and start an investigation," while Venezuelan President Chavez said the "US uses the earthquake to occupy Haiti." Afghanistan. "Taliban Attack On Kabul While Karzai Was Swearing-in" (Hurriyet) "9/11 in Kabul" (Yeni Safak) The Taliban attack in Kabul is a prominent international story. All major papers cover the Kabul attacks and highlight the gravity. Mainstream Hurriyet notes the attacks were coordinated while Islamist oriented Yeni Safak observes "the largest and the most chaotic Taliban attack in one year" and carries details of the "4-hours long hot clashes." According to Yeni Safak, due to Taliban attacks, Turkish Defense Minister Gonul decided on a last minute cancellation of his upcoming Afghanistan trip. Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet depicts the situation as "Afghan capital turned to a war zone" and Islamist Zaman reports "clashes at the hearth of Kabul" while stating the gravity of coordinated series of attacks in the capital city. Columnist Ibrahim Karagul of Islamist Yeni Safak considers the gravity of Taliban attacks a clear indication of the "demise of the US project and the NATO presence in Afghanistan." In "What Really happened in Kabul" he comments: "All of these attacks ANKARA 00000081 003 OF 004 indicate that the Taliban is capable of undermining the protected Kabul regime as well as reinforced foreign occupation. Calling it terror does not explain the whole thing. In fact, the attacks in Kabul were hitting the US, NATO as well as everything represented by international forces. That is the demise of Obama's Afghanistan project." Pope's Gunman Agca Freed: "The Killer Among Us" (Sabah) All media outlets give extensive coverage to the release of Mehmet Ali Agca, the hitman who tried to kill Pope Jean Paul II in 1981 and killed daily Milliyet's chief editor Abdi Ipekci in 1979, after spending 29 years in jail. After leaving his prison cell, Agca went to a luxury five-star hotel in Ankara. "I proclaim the end of the world will come in this century," Agca wrote in a note to the media, which he signed as "Messiah." Agca also said he would write a "new and perfect Gospel." Instead of revealing his secrets, Agca started to teach Christianity, say the papers, and claim that he will continue his "show" to make money. Agca will reportedly hold a press conference tomorrow about the "assassination plot" against late Pope Jean Paul II. Minister Gonul: We Will Continue to Work with Israel Media outlets reported over the weekend that speaking to reporters in Ankara after a one-on-one meeting with visiting Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul said, "As long as we have identical interests, we will continue to work with Israel." In response to a question on the drones that Turkey would procure from Israel, Gonul said Israel would deliver 10 unmanned planes to Turkey within 2010. Barak said during a news conference with Gonul that Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon's ill-treatment of Turkish Ambassador in Tel Aviv was a "mistake." PM Erdogan said Sunday, "We consider Barak's statements as satisfactory. We will not bring the issue further." Al-Qaeda's Turkey Representative Detained in Adana (Zaman) Intellectual/Islamist-oriented Zaman and mainstream Sabah report that security forces launched operations against Al-Qaeda in 25 different addresses in Adana and detained 20 people. It was learned that the organization's Turkey Representative Abu Zer was among the detained people. Sabah notes that these operations were the follow-up operations of the one initiated in Ankara on January 15 where 10 people were detained. Poll: Turks Warm to Opening Borders with Armenia If... (Cumhuriyet) Papers carry a survey, "Public Opinion and Turkish Foreign Policy," by Ankara University's European Union Research Center (ATAUM), conducted in nine Turkish provinces with 1032 respondents from October 31-December 31 last year. The poll shows 42.2 percent of those surveyed want Turkey to take an "active intermediation role" in the Arab-Israel question. Asked whether Turkey should mediate between Iran and the US, 43.4 percent said "Yes" whereas 43.4 percent said "No." Regarding the Arab-Israel problem, 33.5 percent think Turkey should be "neutral" while 9.7 percent say Turkey should support Arab policies, and 2.7 percent say Turkey should support Israel. On Armenia, 69.7 percent think Turkey should open its borders with Armenia if Yerevan withdraws from Azerbaijani territories, and also drops "genocide" claims. An independent Kurdish state in Iraq is opposed by 69.1 percent. The US was seen as the leading "enemy country" with 37.5 percent, to be followed by Armenia (10.9),Israel (10.6),Greece (6.1),and France (5.1). 27.4 percent of the respondents see the US as an "unreliable country" and 26.5 percent as a "colonial country" but 25.5 percent regard it as "strategic partner." Poll: Turkish Military Losing Popular Support in Recent Years (Vatan) Mainstream Vatan carries the results of a poll entitled "2010 Guide for Understanding Turkey," which was conducted by Ipsos KMG International Marketing and Public Poll Company on the Kurdish "democratic overture" and the debates on the Turkish military. The data of the past six years shows that the army, which had always ANKARA 00000081 004 OF 004 taken the first place among the institutions the society views as "the most trustworthy," is losing popular support. The drop began in 2007 and when 85-90 percent of the population called "the army is the most trustworthy institution" to the current rate of 73 percent in 2009, especially in the southeastern and eastern parts of the country. TV Spotlight (CNN Turk) On Tuesday, the Israeli Foreign Ministry Director-General Yossi Gal will visit Ankara for routine "political consultations." Doctors and health workers will go on strike on Tuesday to protest a new law banning them from working both in state hospitals and in their private offices. Around 10,000 people have applied for 108 job openings in Sanliurfa, and 2,400 applied for 84 jobs in Edirne. In 2010, Turkey expects a 20 percent increase in energy investments. Prime Minister Erdogan met Greek President Papoulias on the sidelines of the World Future Energy Summit in the UAE. Papoulias raised the reopening of Halki Seminary, while Erdogan drew attention to the problems of Turks in Western Thrace. Former British PM, Tony Blair, will appear before the Iraq inquiry commission on January 29 to answer questions about his controversial decision to support the Iraq invasion. JEFFREY