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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 000168 
 
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 
TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2006 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
The Telegraph: Israel Will Strike Iran from Northern Iraq - 
Sabah 
Merkel, Putin to Discuss Iran - Sabah 
Israel Blocks HAMAS Election Campaign in Jerusalem - Aksam 
Condi Won't Run for US Presidency in 2008 - Hurriyet 
Latin America Shifts to Left - Vatan 
`Conservative' Chile Picks Socialist Bachelet as President - 
Hurriyet 
Suicide Attacks Kill 25 in Afghanistan - Milliyet 
Iran Bans CNN - Hurriyet 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
US, EU Troika Submit Iran Issue to UN - Radikal 
UN Discusses Iran in London - Cumhuriyet 
Putin Pledges Merkel Cooperation against Iran - Zaman 
Oil Prices Tehran's Trump Card - Zaman 
US Senators Threaten Iran with War - Yeni Safak 
Olmert the Interim Leader of Kadima - Cumhuriyet 
Walter Cronkite: Time to Pull Out of Iraq - Cumhuriyet 
US Oil Companies in Libya Again - Yeni Safak 
US Supports Dissident Press in Central Asia - Cumhuriyet 
Bachelet the First Woman President in Latin America - Zaman 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Israel Will Use Northern Iraq to Strike Iran:  "Hurriyet" 
reports from Washington that intelligence sources claim the 
United States and Israel are planning to use air bases in 
northern Iraq to strike Iran's nuclear facilities.  The same 
sources added that the Iraqi Kurds promised to support 
Israel during an air operation against Iran.  Dailies also 
report Senator John McCain as expressing support for 
military action against Iran as a `last resort.' 
 
Jordanian PM al-Bakhit Visits Turkey:  At a joint press 
conference with visiting Jordanian PM Maruf al-Bakhit on 
Monday (1/16), PM Erdogan said it was Iran's natural right 
to continue nuclear activities for peaceful purposes. 
`However, if the program's aim is weapons of mass 
destruction, it is not possible to support Tehran's nuclear 
program,' Erdogan stressed, adding that Turkey has always 
advised Iran to ooperate with the IAEA.  Erdogan also urged 
Iran to reestablish `transparent' cooperation with the EU 
countries.  Al-Bakhit said he discssed the Middle East 
peace process and Iraq, and the health condition of the 
Israeli PM Sharon with Erdogan.  Turkish Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs (MFA) said on Saturday that Turkey hoped Iran would 
have `full and transparent' cooperation with the EU-troika 
Germany, Britain and France, and the International Atomic 
Energy Agency (IAEA). 
 
PM al-Bakhit denied press reports claiming that some members 
of the of  the fugitive Turkish Uzan family are living in 
Jordan, saying that the Jordanian passports of businessmen 
Kemal Uzan and Hakan Uzan had been annulled last year. 
 
Turkey to Buy Air Defense Missiles:  Saturday's (1/14) 
 
ANKARA 00000168  002 OF 004 
 
 
"Vatan" says that Turkey, in the face of rising tensions 
between the US and Iran, has been planning to purchase 
Patriot, Russian S-300, or Israeli Arrow-2 missiles to 
develop its air defense systems.  The cost of the project is 
estimated as 1 billion USD.  Turkey is also planning to have 
48 of its F-4 fighter-jets modernized, says the paper. 
 
New NATO Radar to Monitor Middle East from Turkey:  Tuesday 
"Cumhuriyet" claims that a NATO radar facility had been set 
up in Turkey's southern province of Hatay in the first half 
of 2005 to monitor the Middle East, especially Syria and 
Iran.  The radar system is under the command of the Incirlik 
Airbase.  The main opposition CHP lawmaker from Hatay, Fuat 
Cay, said that the radar station began operations last year. 
`Most of the authorities are unaware of the installation. 
It does not belong to the Turkish military.  If it had been 
built for NATO, it should have been established openly, not 
secretly,' Cay said.  Former Hatay governor Abdulkadir Sari 
 
SIPDIS 
sai the radar was built by NATO.  `Turkey is a member of 
NATO, and we have NATO facilities in Turkey.  The radar in 
Hatay will be used by NATO,' Sari told "Cumhuriyet." 
 
Ambassador Wilson Discusses Bird Flu Crisis with Agriculture 
Minister:  US Ambassador to Turkey Ross Wilson said on 
Friday (1/13) after meeting with Agriculture Minister Mehdi 
Eker that the US appreciated Turkey for its transparency and 
cooperation with World Health Organization (WHO) and UN Food 
and Agricultural Organization (FAO) over the outbreak of 
bird flu in various provinces, weekend papers report. 
Wilson told reporters after the meeting that the US, an ally 
and friend of Turkey, was ready to help in all means 
regarding the matter.  Replying to a question, Wilson 
stressed that the US did not warn its nationals against 
traveling to Turkey.  Minister Eker noted that 764,000 birds 
have been culled so far to halt the spread of avian flu, and 
that the disease had been spotted in 26 provinces across 
Turkey.  The AKP government has set up a committee to help 
the 3 billion USD Turkish poultry sector.  A US team of 
animal and human health experts will join experts already on 
hand from the World Health Organization (WHO), the US 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the FAO in 
Turkey this week to discuss with Treasury officials measures 
for supporting poultry producers. 
 
Agca Released from Prison:  Mehmet Ali Agca, the man who 
attempted to kill Pope John Paul II in 1981 and who killed a 
Turkish newspaper editor, was freed from prison last week. 
Turkish judicial authorities told the press that Agca should 
spend another 20 years in jail.  They noted that Agca is 
being protected, and called for an overhaul of Turkey's 
entire legal system.  Agca wrote a letter to the head of the 
Turkish intelligence agency MIT, in which the terrorist said 
that if freed, he would capture Osama bin-Ladin in 
Afghanistan, today's "Hurriyet" reports. 
 
Alpogan Due to Visit US:  Turkish National Security Council 
(NSC) Secretary-General Yigit Alpogan is expected to travel 
to Washington on January 22 as the official guest of NSA 
Stephen Hadley, Turkish papers report on Tuesday.  Alpogan 
is scheduled to meet with Secretary Rice and Hadley on 
January 23, and later with Deputy Secretary of Defense Eric 
Edelman, say papers. 
 
New Parties May Enter Parliament If Elections Were Held 
Today:  Four political parties will pass the 10 percent 
threshold to enter parliament if elections were held today - 
- the ruling AK Party, the main opposition CHP, the center- 
right DYP and the extreme nationalist MHP, according to a 
public opinion survey carried by "Vatan."  The distribution 
 
ANKARA 00000168  003 OF 004 
 
 
of votes are as follows:  AKP 29.9 percent, CHP 14.4, DYP 
13.6, MHP 11.5, ANAP 6.5, and DTP 2.5.  AKP has lost votes 
due to tensions at the EU and Cyprus, growing nationalist 
sentiments, debates regarding alcohol bans, and headscarf 
controversy.  MHP is competing with DYP to win nationalist 
votes, "Vatan" says. 
 
Iraq Owes Turkey 1 Billion USD Over Oil Products Imports: 
State Minister Kursad Tuzmen said on Monday (1/16) that 
Baghdad owed Turkish companies 1 billion USD for exports of 
oil products to Iraq.  `If Iraq does not pay, Turkish 
companies will stop exporting oil products to Iraq as of 21 
January,' Tuzmen warned. 
 
Al-Qaida Suspect Turk Captured in Spain:  Weekend papers 
report that Saffet Karakocak, a Turkish al-Qaida leader 
responsible for recruiting across Europe suicide bombers for 
Iraq, was captured in Madrid earlier last week.  Karakocak 
has been living in Spain for over five years.  The Spanish 
police announced that they also caught a Moroccan cell 
leader named Omer Nakca.  Nakca is being accused of 
assisting the al-Qaida terrorists in the bombings of March 
11, 2004 in Madrid that claimed 191 lives. 
 
Turkish Truck Driver Killed by US Troops in Mosul: 
"Hurriyet" reported on January 11 that Turkish truck driver 
Seyhmus Ilan was killed in Mosul by US troops on March 18 
last year.  A letter to Ilan's family from US Captain Andrew 
¶S. Lunoff said that the truck driver was killed accidentally 
after failing to stop despite warnings.  Seyhmus Ilan, aged 
27 and father of three, was ferrying sand from Turkey's 
southeastern province of Mardin for the airport construction 
in Mosul.  Captain Lunoff said in the letter that Ilan could 
not be identified, and was cremated.  Ilan's relatives, who 
met with four US military officers in Mosul last year, said 
they turned down 7,500 USD the Americans had offered them as 
commiseration money.  They later filed a lawsuit against the 
US military at a court in Mardin, "Hurriyet" said. 
 
Police Detain PKK Members, Seize Plastic Explosives:  Police 
seized 23 kilograms of A-4 type explosives in Turkey's 
eastern city of Van, papers report.  Three alleged PKK 
members were detained in the operation.  Police also 
detained two suspects with 20 kg of plastic explosives in 
the Aegean city of Izmir on Monday. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  Iran 
 
"Neighborly Advice to Iran" 
Sami Kohen commented in the mainstream daily "Milliyet" 
(1/17):  "Turkey is one of the countries most affected by 
the Iranian crisis.  As a high level Foreign Ministry 
official stated `this issue will cause Turkey many problems 
no matter which way it goes.'  Ankara's concern is centered 
on two issues; first, the serious political and economic 
impact on the world of Iran's insistence on continuing its 
nuclear program despite global pressure, and, second, the 
regional destabilization that would result if Iran does 
produces nuclear weapons.  If the issue is taken to the UN 
Security Council and if the UN decides to apply economic 
sanctions against Iran over the objections of Russia and 
China, the decision would create a new oil crisis. Such an 
embargo will leave Turkey in a very difficult position 
because Turkey's foreign trade with Iran reaches up to $4 
billion.  At this point, the possibility of military action 
against Iran seems rather low.  Nevertheless, this 
possibility is already causing serious concern in Ankara. 
Naturally, Turkish officials will not tell the UN to let 
 
ANKARA 00000168  004 OF 004 
 
 
Iran continue with its nuclear program but will support a 
diplomatic solution.  Turkey believes that it is mainly 
Iran's responsibility to resolve the crisis through 
diplomacy.  In fact, just a few days ago, Turkish Foreign 
Minister Gul advised his Iranian counterpart over the phone 
not to stop the dialog with the UN and try hard to reach an 
agreement.  It remains to be seen how seriously Iran will 
take this neighborly advice." 
 
"Is US Failure in Iraq Going to Present a Sample in Iran" 
Cuneyt Ulsever wrote in the mass appeal "Hurriyet" (1/17): 
"It is a fact that the US failed in its efforts to bring 
peace and stability to Iraq.  Iran is very happy with the 
chaos the US faces in Iraq, but it is silly to think that 
the problems the US faces in Iraq are going to change US 
Iran policy.  The failure in Iraq has only caused the US to 
postpone its Iran operation.  I still insist that Bush will 
sort out the Iran issue before his second term ends.  It is 
not possible for the US to allow a regime in the Middle East 
which controls 64 percent of the world's oil to survive 
against its will.  And, regardless of the identity of the US 
President, this fact will never change until the US suffers 
a military defeat from another country." 
 
WILSON