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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 007439 
 
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 
MONDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2005 
 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
Monday, December 17-19, 2005 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Turkish Translators' Iraq Story - Hurriyet 
Suleymaniye Looks Like `Little America' - Sabah 
Defense Minister Gonul Disturbed by Words of Suleymaniye 
Translators - Milliyet 
NATO General Secretary Scheffer in Ankara - Milliyet 
Court Decision Might Have Impact on Pamuk Case - Aksam 
Kissinger: "A Secure Iraq Depends on Turkey" - Turkiye 
The US: "We Do Not Have Some Magic Bullet" - Milliyet 
(12/17) 
Ambassador Wilson: "PKK is on our List of Priorities" - 
Hurriyet (12/17) 
New York Times: "Bush Authorized NSA to Spy on Americans" - 
Milliyet (12/17) 
Court Orders Halt in Orhan Pamuk Case - Hurriyet (12/17) 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
FM Gul: "We are not Against the Halki Seminary" - Cumhuriyet 
Turkish MFA has no Information Regarding Suleymaniye 
Translators - Radikal 
PKK Bargaining with NATO - Radikal 
Cheney in Iraq for the Fist Time Since the Occupation - 
Zaman 
Turkish F-16s Almost Shot a CIA Plane Down - Yeni Safak 
Assassination Attempt Against Ahmedinejad - Yeni Safak 
Message from the US Ambassador - Radikal (12/17) 
Spying Scandal in the US - Cumhuriyet (12/17) 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Ambassador Wilson's Press Event:  Over the weekend all 
papers extensively covered new US Ambassador Ross Wilson's 
first press conference in Ankara. The Ambassador said that 
cooperation between Turkey and the US in the fight against 
the PKK and on issues related to Iran, Syria and Cyprus 
would increase.  All papers quoted the Ambassador as saying 
that `We know that Turkey's fight against the PKK has been 
difficult for the past twenty years, especially for those 
who lost loved ones.  In the last few months we have been 
working together with the Turkish government trying to 
develop a package of measures.   Fighting against the PKK is 
a complex and multifaceted problem.  The US doesn't have 
some magic bullet that it can use against this problem and 
solve it.  If that were the case, Turkey would have solved 
the problem twenty years ago.  It requires complex 
measures.' 
 
Court Orders Halt in Pamuk Case:  The trial of Turkish 
novelist Orhan Pamuk, charged with insulting the Turkish 
national identity (article 301 of the penal code), was 
halted Friday when the Judge said the court would need the 
approval of the Justice Ministry to proceed.  The next 
hearing for the trial was set for February 7.  "Hurriyet" 
draws attention to another decision that might impact the 
Pamuk trial.  Journalist Rahmi Yildirim was acquitted of 
insulting the army in violation of the same penal code 
article.  The court based its ruling on freedom of 
expression and added that Turkey had to abide by European 
Court of Human Rights standards.  The verdict of the Supreme 
 
ANKARA 00007439  002 OF 003 
 
 
Court in Yildirim's trial will be taken into account in the 
trial of Orhan Pamuk. 
 
Turkish Translators in Suleymaniye Incident:  Weekend papers 
carried the story of two Turkish citizens who worked as 
translators between Turkish and US military officials during 
the Suleymaniye incident (July 4, 2003).  The two 
translators, worried they would be accused of treason in 
Turkey, asked for political asylum in the US.  Today's 
"Milliyet" says that the Turkish Defense Minister Vecdi 
Gonul was disturbed by the translators' comments that Gonul 
had shouted at American officers to find the people 
responsible for the incident immediately.  Minister Gonul 
denied the allegations saying that this is "not my style." 
 
Cheney in Iraq: "Radikal" and "Yeni Safak" reported that US 
Vice President Dick Cheney paid a surprise visit to Iraq on 
Sunday, on his way to Afghanistan. 
 
Assassination Attempt Against Ahmedinejad:  "Hurriyet" and 
"Yeni Safak" reported that an assassination attempt against 
Iran's Ahmedinejad last Thursday failed.  Ahmedinejad wasn't 
in the car during the incident, but his driver and one of 
his bodyguards were killed in the attempt. 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:   US-Turkey Relations; Ambassador Ross 
Wilson 
 
"US-Iran Tension Line Going Through Turkey" 
Mustafa Balbay commented in the leftist-nationalist 
"Cumhuriyet" (12/19):  "The press conference new US 
Ambassador Ross Wilson held after the CIA and FBI visits 
clarified the Bush Administration's demands from Turkey. 
After months without assigning a new Ambassador to Ankara, 
the US has now indicated that they have some good news for 
Turkey in 2006. During his press conference Ambassador 
Wilson made the following points: Turkey and the US agree on 
Iran and Syria, however, there are policy differences on how 
to solve the issues; the US has no magic wand to use to 
resolve the PKK issue; the PKK has financial sources in 
Europe; and new steps should be taken to resolve the Cyprus 
situation.  We mentioned last week that the PKK wasn't the 
main topic during the CIA and FBI meetings in Turkey. 
Ambassador Wilson's remarks during his press conference 
confirmed this fact.  We do not want to give a cold welcome 
to Ambassador Wilson but we do want to offer the following 
responses: It is true that you don't have a `magic wand' in 
your hand but there is definitely a `poisonous wand' around; 
it is true that PKK's financial sources are in the Europe 
but the US has now become Turkey's southeast neighbor and 
the PKK has increased its activities mostly in that area; 
and if we evaluate the CIA visit once again, the CIA 
delegation revealing all of Iran's activities to the Turkish 
officials reminded them that Iran has not yet acknowledged 
that the PKK is a terrorist organization!" 
 
"While Listening to Ross Wilson" 
Kamuran Ozbir wrote in the nationalist "Ortadogu" (12/19): 
"While listening to Ambassador Wilson at his meeting with 
diplomatic correspondents last week, I couldn't help being 
impressed by his respectful and strong personality.  The 
Ambassador said some interesting things about the PKK, 
relations with Iran, CIA planes and about Ataturk.  It is a 
well known fact that the US has supported Turkey's fight 
against the PKK for the last twenty years.  As we all 
remember, a short while ago US Embassy counselor, Nancy 
McEldowney stressed the determination of Washington on this 
issue when she said `it is not possible to allow the PKK to 
continue its bloody acts.'  Ambassador Wilson urged Turkey 
 
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to cooperate more closely on Iran and Syria-related issues. 
Regarding the CIA planes, the Ambassador referred to 
comments made by Secretary Rice and FM Gul and added that 
such activities take place without violating Turkey's 
sovereignty.  At the end of his speech Ambassador Wilson 
praised Ataturk highly and said that `Ataturk's success is a 
source of pride for the Turkish people and the same success 
has inspired other countries on the way to democracy.'  The 
Ambassador completed his remarks by saying that he'll do his 
best to improve the strategic relations between the US and 
Turkey." 
WILSON