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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 007397 
 
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, DECEMBER 16, 2005 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Majority of Iraqi Sunnis Participate in Elections - Hurriyet 
FM Gul: FBI and CIA did not Interrogate Anyone in Turkey - 
Hurriyet 
Wilson Reassures on US-Turkey Partnership - Milliyet 
PM Erdogan Receives US Ambassador - Star 
Visit From US Ambassador to PM - Vatan 
Assistant Secretary Dan Fried: US-Turkey Cooperation 
Improves - Turkiye 
President Bush: Iran is a Serious Threat - Milliyet 
General Buyukanit: NATO Should Add PKK to its Terrorist List 
- Milliyet 
Olli Rehn: Today not only Orhan Pamuk but Turkey will be 
Tried - Milliyet 
Europe Follows Orhan Pamuk Case Closely - Vatan 
US Praises Buyukanit - Sabah 
American Iraqi Kurds Happy in the US - Hurriyet 
Moody's: Turkey's Economic Crisis is Over - Turkiye 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
Strong Turnout for Iraqi Elections - Cumhuriyet 
Iraqi PM Jafari: PKK Will Either Stop Fighting or Leave Iraq 
- Zaman 
NATO to US: We Don't Want to be Involved in US Interference 
in Iraq - Yeni Safak 
Ambassador Wilson: 2006 Will be the Year of Results - 
Radikal 
Ambassador Wilson's Priority is a More Liberal Turkey - Yeni 
Safak 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Ambassador Wilson's Meetings with PM Erdogan and FM Gul: 
"Milliyet", "Vatan", "Star", "Radikal" and "Yeni Safak" 
reported that the new US Ambassador Ross Wilson was received 
by the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister yesterday. 
"Milliyet" draws attention to the fact that Ambassador 
Wilson was received by PM Erdogan within a very short time 
after the Ambassador's arrival in Turkey while the previous 
Ambassador Edelman had to wait for an appointment for five 
weeks.  Ambassador Wilson gave the message to FM Gul that 
`Turkey is an important strategic partner of the US.'   The 
Ambassador listed the areas where he will seek closer 
cooperation with Turkey as Iraq, Syria, Iran, Cyprus, 
Caucasus, and the Middle East.  In return, Foreign Minister 
Gul, reportedly, reiterated Turkey's expectations regarding 
the PKK and drew the Ambassador's attention to allegations 
of irregularity in Iraqi elections. 
 
Orhan Pamuk Trial:  All papers report that the world's 
attention is focused on Turkey because of today's trial. 
"Milliyet" quotes EU Commissioner Olli Rehn as saying that 
`it is not only Orhan Pamuk who stands trial but all of 
Turkey'.  Rehn warned Turkey that this case would cast a 
shadow over Turkey's EU accession. 
 
A/S Dan Fried Comments:  "Turkiye" and "Yeni Safak" quote US 
Assistant Secretary of State Dan Fried as saying that 
`Turkey and the US had some misunderstandings in the past 
regarding Iraq, but cooperation between two countries has 
 
ANKARA 00007397  002 OF 002 
 
 
improved.  The US considers the PKK a terrorist organization 
and our cooperation with Turkey to eliminate the PKK has 
increased as well.' 
 
Relocated Kurds Happy in the US:  "Hurriyet" and "Yeni 
Safak" report on the status of a number of Kurds who 
collaborated with the CIA in 1996 against Saddam Hussein and 
were taken to the US for their safety. One of those 
immigrants, Hikmet Piromavi said `we were considered to be 
CIA agents in those days.  Our only goal then was to bring 
down the Saddam regime. The Halepce massacre was proof of 
Saddam's brutality against Kurds.  The US saved us from 
these massacres and brought us all to the US, where we have 
jobs and are doing very well financially.  Now we are 
American citizens - Kurdish- Americans - earning money and 
paying taxes.' 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:   Iraq Elections 
 
"Is It That Simple?" 
Okay Gonensin observed in the mass appeal "Vatan" (12/16): 
"The Bush administration's attack against Iraq opened a 
Pandora's box, unleashing Arab nationalism, radical Islam, 
Kurdish nationalism and Shiite fanaticism.  Even though 
Sunnis participated in the elections, the fact of the matter 
is that every group in Iraq seemed attached to its 
nationalistic as well as religious identity.  Recent remarks 
from President Bush contained two important confessions. 
One of them was slightly innocent: that the amount of oil 
revenue from Iraq was not as much as the US had anticipated. 
But the other confession was quite disturbing: he admitted 
that intelligence reports about Saddam possessing weapons of 
mass destruction were wrong.  This clearly means that the US 
reason for attacking Iraq was false.  A war which continues 
to claim lives to this day was started with faulty 
intelligence.  President Bush's confession will be written 
of as the biggest scandal in political history." 
 
"The Iraqi Elections" 
Kamuran Ozbir commented in the nationalist "Ortadogu" 
(12/16): "The Iraqi elections are over but certain 
conditions have to be met in order to achieve a united, 
stable and peaceful Iraq in the post-election period.  The 
immediate priority is to bring the violence to an end by 
making insurgent groups ineffective.  Once the invasion is 
over and as soon as the coalition forces start pulling out, 
Iraq undoubtedly will go back to normal life.  At this 
point, it is absolutely crucial for the new Iraqi 
administration to pursue a balanced policy as envisaged in 
the constitution, in other words a federal Iraq, 
territorially intact.  A serious challenge is ahead of Iraq 
when the election results become available.  The new 
administration will have to deal with political structuring 
while establishing democracy and stability at the very same 
time.  It remains to be seen if Iraq will actually be 
successful in the challenges to come." 
 
WILSON