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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 ANKARA 006955 
 
SIPDIS 
 
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
SUBJECT: ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT 
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2005 
 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
General Ozkok: I Will Step Down in August 2006 - Aksam 
Parliamentary Commission to Investigate Semdinli Bombings - 
Vatan 11/24 
Syrians Kill 12 US Troops on Iraq Border - Hurriyet 
Berlusconi: Italy Will Pull Out of Iraq by Late 2006 - Sabah 
11/24 
Ankara, EU Tense Over Roj-TV - Vatan 11/24 
Merkel: Germany Will Keep Pledges on Turkey - Hurriyet 
Blair: Turkey Must Implement EU Criteria, Including Free 
Speech - Milliyet 11/24 
Al-Jazeera Stages Silent Protest of US - Sabah 11/24 
Welcome on Board CIA's `Torture Airlines' - Sabah 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
EU Commission Believes Turkey `Has Done Nothing' Since Oct. 
3 - Zaman 
Rice Signals Reduction of US Troops in Iraq - Zaman 11/24 
Pentagon: Saddam Used Phosphorus Bomb against Kurds - 
Radikal 11/24 
Suicide Car Bomb Kills 30 in Southern Iraq - Cumhuriyet 
Oxford Research Group: Iraq War May Continue for Decades - 
Yeni Safak 11/24 
Uzbekistan Closes Air Corridor for NATO Flights to 
Afghanistan - Yeni Safak 
Gul: Mankind Indebted to Africa - Zaman 11/24 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Ozkok Says He Will Step Down Next Year:  Dailies report that 
General Hilmi Ozkok, chief of the Turkish General Staff 
(TGS), put an end to long-standing speculation that he will 
seek the presidency after retiring from the military next 
year.  Ozkok said in a statement issued Thursday that he is 
not considering extending his tour of duty beyond August 
2006, and that he will not enter politics following his 
retirement.  Many in the media had speculated that the AKP 
Government may turn to General Ozkok as a presidential 
candidate in May 2007, when the term of current president 
Ahmet Necdet Sezer is due to expire.  With regard to Sezer's 
replacement, opposition parties favor an early election to 
`renew' the parliament before the parliament elects a new 
president.  The AKP insists that a new election will not 
come to the agenda before Sezer's term expires.  The next 
general election must be held no later than November 2007. 
 
More on Barzani Meeting With Turkish Intelligence Chief: 
"Hurriyet" reports that the meeting between Iraqi Kurdistan 
Regional President Barzani and Turkish Intelligence 
Undersecretary Emre Taner last month in Erbil focused mainly 
on the PKK issue.  The paper claims that the two sides 
discussed measures that could be taken by the Iraqi side to 
prevent PKK border infiltration into Turkey.  They also 
reviewed PKK activities in northern Iraq, and examined a 
Turkish proposal to reestablish a number of security 
stations along the Turkish-Iraqi border.  "Hurriyet" 
columnist Ferai Tinc claims that Taner also offered to 
establish a free trade area between Turkey, northern Iraq, 
 
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and northern Syria, provided that Iraq's Sunni Arab 
population participates in larger numbers in the December 15 
election and achieves greater represenation in the new 
Iraqi Government.  Many othe commentators view the meeting 
as a sign that Turkey is seeking to establish a more 
positive and `realistic' relationship with Iraqi Kurdish 
leaders. 
 
Ambassador Wilson to Arrive in Ankara in December:  The new 
US Ambassador to Turkey, Ross Wilson, will arrive in Ankara 
on December 3, "Radikal" reported on Thursday.  Wilson, who 
has been granted `agrement' by the Turkish Government, was 
approved by the US Senate on November 18 following his 
nomination by President Bush.  Wilson, known for his 
`sensitivity' on the PKK issue, is expected to give priority 
to combating terrorism during his term in Ankara, according 
to the report. 
 
CIA Plane May Have Flown Over Turkey on November 3:  "Sabah" 
reports on its front page today that a CIA plane allegedly 
took off from Egypt on November 3 and flew through Turkish 
airspace without responding to calls by Turkish air traffic 
controllers to identify itself.  Turkish Air Force jets were 
reportedly sent to intercept the plane.  The Turkish jets 
`caught up' to the CIA plane near Istanbul, and escorted it 
as far as the Bulgarian border.  On its inside pages, 
"Sabah" runs a story under the headline "Torture Airlines" 
recounting numerous reports in the European media concerning 
alleged transit and overflight of European countries by 
planes operated by the CIA. 
 
General Buyukanit to Visit US in December:  Turkish Land 
Forces Commander General Yasar Buyukanit will visit the US 
December 10-14, papers report. 
Buyukanit will discuss with the Americans the terrorist PKK 
presence in northern Iraq, the global fight against 
terrorism, and regional developments.  Buyukanit is expected 
to take over as Chief of General Staff in August 2006. 
 
Turkish Civilian and Military Leaders to Discuss Semdinli 
Incidents:  Top Turkish military and civilian officials are 
set to convene on Friday in Ankara to discuss issues related 
to terrorism and security.  The recent blasts in Semdinli, 
in the southeastern province of Hakkari, and the ensuing 
civil unrest that claimed six lives will be taken up at the 
meeting, according to a statement released by the Prime 
Ministry on Thursday.  Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, 
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, Justice Minister Cemil Cicek, 
Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu, Defense Minister Vecdi 
Gonul, Chief of General Staff General Hilmi Ozkok, Land 
Forces Commander Yasar Buyukanit and Jandarma Commander 
Fevzi Turkeri will attend the meeting.  Justice Minister 
Cemil Cicek told the press yesterday that a parliamentary 
investigation into the bombings may not comply with Turkey's 
constitution.  Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc, however, 
strongly backed the probe.  Meanwhile, Hakkari Governor 
Erdogan Gurbuz was reassigned by the Government yesterday to 
a position in Tokat Province.  The media interpreted the 
move as an effort by the Prime Minister to be responsive to 
the citizens of Hakkari on the Semdinli incident.  Many 
citizens called for the Governor to be removed during the 
Prime Minister's recent visit to the troubled province. 
 
Kretschmer Backs Investigation into Semdinli Blasts:  The 
European Commission Representative to Turkey, Ambassador 
Hans Jorg Kretschmer, said that by investigating  the 
Semdinli bombings thoroughly regardless of the identity of 
the perpetrators, Turkey can show that it is a country that 
abides by the rule of law.  Kretschmer recalled that some 
 
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elements connected to the state may have been implicated in 
the blasts.  Kretschmer noted that he saw Prime Minister 
Erdogan's recent visits to Diyarbakir and Hakkari as `very 
important gestures.'  Kretschmer also urged Turkey to be 
`less defensive' about the Lausanne Treaty and more flexible 
in approaching issues related to minorities.  He said that 
Turkey needed to align itself with European standards in the 
treatment of minorities rather than being tied to the narrow 
definition established at Lausanne.  The Foreign Ministry 
promptly issued a statement saying that provisions of the 
Lausanne Treaty `can never be open to debate.' 
 
Motaki to Visit Ankara Next Week:  Iranian Foreign Minister 
Manuchehr Motaki will make an offical visit to Ankara on 
November 30.  The visit will be the first by a senior 
Iranian official since President Ahmadinajad took office. 
Motaki will meet with Prime Minister Erdogan and Foreign 
Minister Gul.  Bilateral ties and regional developments will 
be discussed during the visit.  Ankara is expected to advise 
Motaki that Tehran must respond positively to the 
international community's expectations regarding Iran's 
nuclear program.  Iran's former ambassador to Ankara, Motaki 
was known for making radical statements during his tenure in 
Turkey.  Iranian sources said that during his visit, Motaki 
will convey a message from Tehran that the Iranian 
Government wants to strengthen its ties with Turkey. 
 
Turkish Cyprus Drafts Bill to Return Greek Cypriot Assets: 
Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat drafted a bill that 
will give Greek Cypriots the right to reclaim property 
through Turkish Cypriot courts, "Hurriyet" reports.  The 
draft will pave the way for the European Court of Human 
Rights (ECHR) to recognize `TRNC' courts as part of the 
domestic legal system in Cyprus.  If the ECHR accepts the 
Turkish Cypriot initiative, Greek Cypriots will no longer be 
allowed to file new lawsuits against Turkey in the European 
Court, and the existing 1,300 cases will be transferred to 
`TRNC.' 
 
Bryza to Visit Nicosia in December:  The Independent Greek 
Cypriot daily "Politis" reported on Friday that US Deputy 
Assistant Secretary Matt Bryza will visit Nicosia in the 
first half of December in an effort to sound out both sides 
in Cyprus on the solution process.  Bryza will convey to 
President Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Talat a 
message from the State Department leadership that any new 
initiative on the Cyprus issue must begin on the island 
rather than abroad.  He will stress that the two sides must 
begin preliminary negotiations to find common ground that 
will allow the resumption of the process.  Within this 
framework, the United States will seek to arrange a one-on- 
one meeting between Papadopoulos and Talat in the presence 
of a UN representative.  The Americans believe a meeting 
between the two leaders would constitute proof that the two 
communities have the necessary political will to bridge 
their differences. 
 
Syria Sends Delegation to Turkish Cyprus:  Following 
initiatives by Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkmenistan to end 
the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots, Syria sent an 
official delegation to the `TRNC,' "Yeni Safak" reports. 
The paper sees the shift in Damascus' policies on the Cyprus 
issue as part of Syrian efforts to seek rapprochement with 
Turkey. 
 
Gul to Represent Turkey at OIC Mecca Summit:  Turkey will be 
represented by Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul at the 
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) summit meeting 
in Mecca on December 7-8, papers report.  President Ahmet 
 
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Necdet Sezer has decided not to attend the meeting, and 
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan will be on an official visit 
to Australia and New Zealand during that timeframe. 
 
Two Turkish Hizbullah Members Sentenced to Life 
Imprisonment: Two members of the Turkish Hizbullah 
organization were sentenced to life without parole on 
Thursday, and two others received long prison terms. 
Revelations concerning a series of assassinations carried 
out by the Hizbullah militants had shocked Turkey in the 
late 1990s.  Mehmet Emin Aksoy and Sehmuz Aksoy, believed to 
have been the senior military operatives in the terrorist 
organization, were sentenced to life in prison for 
attempting to change Turkey's constitutional order.  Two 
other Hizbullah members, Abdulsamet Yildiz and Sadullah 
Arpa, were sentenced to seven years and six months each. 
Six suspects were cleared of charges, while the remaining 
26, who were convicted of aiding the terrorist organization 
but benefited from a `repentance law' for defectors, were 
set free. 
 
Poll: AKP Would Win a General Election:  A new opinion poll 
conducted by the ANAR company, known to be close to the 
ruling AK Party, shows support for the AKP running at 45 
percent, with the main opposition CHP in second position at 
13 percent, "Vatan" reports.  All other political parties 
would fall below the 10 percent threshold for parliamentary 
representation if an election were held today, according to 
the survey. 
 
Al-Jazeera Silences Broadcasts Briefly to Protest Bush: 
Qatar-based al-Jazeera TV silenced its broadcasts for 15 
minutes as a symbolic protest on Thursday to urge the US and 
UK to clarify press reports claiming that President Bush 
sought to bomb al-Jazeera, Turkish papers report.  The 
protest was held at the al-Jazeera headquarters in Qatar and 
in its overseas bureaus, including in Turkey.  Al-Jazeera 
noted that the British newspaper "The Daily Mirror" had 
reported that President Bush told Prime Minister Tony Blair 
at a White House summit on April 16, 2004 that he wanted to 
bomb Al-Jazeera's headquarters in Doha.  If these 
allegations are true, al-Jazeera said, it would be a 
`shocking and distressing event' not only for al-Jazeera, 
but for the whole media world. 
 
19 PKK Members Arrested in Istanbul:  Turkish police 
arrested 19 suspected PKK terrorists in four separate 
security operations in Istanbul yesterday, papers report. 
Anti-Terror units also arrested 2 suspected PKK members 
charged with the smuggling of handguns.  Police seized 34 
handguns, 53 cartridges, and 150 bullets in searches of the 
homes and offices of the two terrorists. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
 
"Turkish Intelligence Chief Meets Barzani" 
Editor-in-Chief Ertugrul Ozkok commented in the mass-appeal 
"Hurriyet" (11/24): "Turkish National Intelligence 
Organization (MIT) Undersecretary Emre Taner met with the 
regional President of Iraqi Kurdistan, Massoud Barzani, in 
northern Iraq last month, four days before Barzani flew to 
Washington for talks.  This meeting indicates changes in 
Turkish policies with regard to northern Iraq.  US may leave 
Iraq one day, but it will never leave the northern part of 
the country.  If it did, it would be a nightmare scenario 
for the Kurds -- angry Sunni Arabs on one side, and Turkey, 
Syria and Iran on the other, besieging the Kurdistan zone 
from all sides.  People in the US will not approve of troops 
 
ANKARA 00006955  005 OF 005 
 
 
rushing to the aid of the Kurds in such a scenario.  Turkey 
must face the reality of the region since March 1, 2003. 
However, the Kurds also need a sense of realpolitik." 
 
"Turkey's Northern Iraq Vision to be Determined by December 
15 Polls in Iraq" 
Ferai Tinc observed in the mass-appeal "Hurriyet" (11/25): 
"Prime Minister Erdogan's chief foreign policy advisor 
Professor Ahmed Davudoglu said Turkey has been in close 
contact with all Iraqi groups, including the Shiites. 
Turkey deems achieving stability in Iraq essential.  If 
December elections are held in a transparent way, and Sunnis 
are given a chance to be represented at the Iraqi 
parliament, said Davudoglu, problems in Iraq can be overcome 
by establishing economic interdependence among Baghdad and 
its neighbors.  On the Hariri assassination probe, Davudoglu 
said Turkey has been in continuous contact with Damascus and 
UN in an effort to keep the channels for dialogue open. 
Ankara opposes imposing long-term economic sanctions on 
Damascus, and has stressed to the US that such embargoes 
would not be in line with Turkey's interests.  Iranian 
Foreign Minister Mottaki's upcoming visit to Turkey next 
week is another indication of Turkey's increasing influence 
in the Middle East." 
 
MCELDOWNEY