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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 ANKARA 000069 
 
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 
THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2006 
 
 
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE 
THEMES: 
 
HEADLINES 
BRIEFING 
EDITORIAL OPINION 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
HEADLINES 
 
MASS APPEAL 
Gul to Sign Free Trade Zone Agreement in Jerusalem - Sabah 
Europe Alarmed on Iran - Milliyet 
Iran Collects Nuclear Parts from European Countries - 
Hurriyet 
The Guardian: Iran Very Close to Producing Nuclear Bomb - 
Vatan 
Ahmadinejad: We Will Not Step Back - Milliyet 
Sharon Suffers Cerebral Hemorrhage, in Deathbed - Sabah 
Sharon Charged with Taking 3 Million USD of Bribe in 
Election Campaign - Vatan 
Abramoff Pleads Guilty, US Congress under Suspicion - 
Milliyet 
CNN-Gallup: Half of Americans Believe Most Congressmen 
Corrupt - Aksam 
 
OPINION MAKERS 
CIA: Al-Qaida Plans Nuclear Attack in Turkey - Zaman 
Gul: Erez Project Will Create Jobs for Thousands of 
Palestinians - Cumhuriyet 
Gul to Urge Israel to Allow Voting in East Jerusalem - Yeni 
Safak 
Sharon Gravely Ill - Radikal 
Damascus: UN May Interrogate FM al-Shara - Radikal 
Attack on Shiite Funeral Kills 36 in Iraq - Cumhuriyet 
Insurgents Set to Fire 20 Oil Tankers in Baghdad - Yeni 
Safak 
President Karzai Pays Historic Visit to Turkey - Zaman 
The Guardian: Tehran Seeks Nuclear Weapons - Cumhuriyet 
Ahmadinejad's Latest Remarks Increase Suspicions on Iran's 
Nuclear Program - Zaman 
Abramoff, the Lobbyist Who `Buys Off' Washington - Radikal 
Film Says Cuba Paid Oswald to Kill Kennedy - Zaman 
 
 
BRIEFING 
 
Ambassador Wilson Interview with "Hurriyet":  The following 
is a summary of an interview with Ambassador Wilson carried 
today in Turkey's leading daily "Hurriyet." 
 
'The policy of President Bush is that we are going forward 
in cooperation with Turkey.  We are going forward especially 
with respect to Iraq.  We appreciate the help Turkey has 
provided to Iraq, to the democratically elected authorities 
there, to the coalition that is trying to help Iraq over the 
course of the last two years.  Turkey has made an enormous 
contribution, and we deeply appreciate it.' 
 
'I find it odd that the stories on the Suleymaniye incident 
still appear on the papers.  This is history.  Our two 
countries dealt with what happened, and we have moved on in 
our bilateral cooperation.  The Turkish General Staff put 
out a statement at the time, saying that it investigated the 
report, finding that it is not true.  We are moving forward, 
and that is the United States' policy.' 
'Our policy is Iraq should remain as a single and unified 
country.  All of the mainstream groups in Iraq talk about 
Iraq as a unified, single country.  The challenge is to get 
 
ANKARA 00000069  002 OF 005 
 
 
them work together on a cross-sectarian government.' 
 
'We are deeply concerned about Iran's nuclear aspirations, 
and we are working on, through diplomacy, with our allies 
around the world to get the Iranians to abandon that goal. 
And I hope that we will succeed.' 
 
'The primary topic of conversation in both of the visits by 
the FBI and CIA directors was international terrorism.' 
 
'What we are doing with Turkey is to increase and deepen our 
information sharing on what the PKK is doing.  We are 
working with Turkey to get some of the governments in Europe 
to take the PKK threat more seriously.  We are working 
together with Turkey in helping stand up a strong government 
in Iraq will lead to a situation in which Iraq and Turkey 
can work effectively together to control the border.' 
 
'We are monitoring as closely as we can what goes on in 
northern Iraq.  It's an extremely difficult terrain, it's an 
extremely difficult problem. It needs to be dealt with in 
several ways. We need to put an end to it.  That means 
cutting off the sources of funding that come from Europe, 
ensuring that legitimate authorities of Iraq control what 
goes on within their borders, and a lot of intensive 
information sharing.  It's not the matter of just going and 
banging somebody in the head.  It's a matter of chopping off 
the branches, digging off the root and draining the swamp. 
That's what we want to try to do -- it's hard, and it will 
take a long time.' 
 
`We operate out of the Turkish base in Incirlik.  What we 
have elsewhere is, generally speaking, some sort of a NATO 
establishment.  I don't anticipate that there is going to be 
some other significant margin of operations from Turkey with 
respect to Iraq.' 
 
`Iraq's success is in Turkey's interest -- whether it's 
economic and commercial interest or a political interest, 
having a strong and stable country on its border.  It's that 
kind of forward-looking attitude that has dominated most of 
my conversations, whether it's with people in the government 
or people outside the government.' 
 
Gul in Palestine for Free Trade Zone Agreement:  Foreign 
Minister Abdullah Gul began a two-day trip to the region on 
Wednesday with an agreement to donate USD 5 million to the 
Palestinians to rehabilitate the Erez industrial zone in the 
Gaza Strip.  The donation, announced during a meeting in 
Ramallah between Gul and Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed 
Qorei, was intended to help revive Gaza's shriveled economy. 
Turkish and other companies that are expected to invest in 
the Erez industrial zone will create 10,000 jobs, 
Palestinian officials said.  'Turkish businessmen, who paid 
for the reopening of the zone through their Chamber of 
Commerce (TOBB) hope the zone will attract investors not 
only from Turkey but also Israel, Japan and other countries. 
The deal will help the Palestinian state stay on its own 
feet,' Gul said at the signing ceremony.  During his 
meetings with Israeli officials Thursday, Gul is expected to 
sign an agreement ensuring the free flow of goods to and 
from the zone.  A UN report released last month showed 
unemployment in Gaza standing at 35 percent.  About a third 
of Gazans subsist on less than USD 2.20 a day -- the sum set 
as the poverty line, according to the report.  Turkey 
extends economic support to Middle East peace, Turkish 
papers comment. 
 
Erdogan Believes Iran Must be Given More Time:  'Cumhuriyet' 
 
ANKARA 00000069  003 OF 005 
 
 
speculates that the recent visits of CIA and FBI directors 
to Turkey were linked to Iran despite the insistent denials 
of the AKP government.  The paper claims that Prime Minister 
Erdogan told CIA Director Porter Goss that Turkey shared US 
views about Iran, but was in favor of giving Iran more time 
to abide by the demands of the international community. 
 
CIA: Al-Qaida Plans Nuclear Attacks in Turkey:  In an 
encrypted message following the visit to Turkey by Porter 
Goss in December, the CIA warned the Turkish intelligence 
agency MIT that al-Qaida has been planning to send 
radioactive material to targets in Turkey via international 
cargo companies such as USP and FedEx, "Zaman" reports. 
Police enhanced security at major Turkish airports, says the 
report. 
 
Bush Invites Former US Secretaries to Discuss Iraq:  "Yeni 
Safak" reports the US Administration has invited all former 
US secretaries of state and defense to the White House to 
discuss Iraq policies.  At the gathering in the Oval Office 
on Wednesday, the former secretaries will also discuss North 
Korea, Iran and Sudan with President Bush, says the report. 
 
Top Turkish Officials Discuss Terrorism at Security Meeting: 
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Erdogan, Chief of General Staff 
Hilmi Ozkok, force commanders, and interior and defense 
ministers discussed terrorism and the fundamentalist threat 
in Turkey during an unscheduled security meeting in Ankara, 
papers report.  At the meeting called by the Turkish General 
Staff (TGS) military officials, calling for a step-up in 
security measures, warned that the PKK's terror activities 
are likely to surge in March and April.  Turkish military 
will maintain the fight against the PKK, commanders said, 
calling on other state institutions to contribute to the 
fight by curbing the financial support of terrorism.  The 
military officials proposed changes to the provisions that 
restrict security forces' conduct in anti-terror law.  The 
military wants 'jandarma' (national guard) to be authorized 
to carry out searches and road controls without court 
authorization, and asked the government to scrap a 
regulation necessitating the permission of local governors 
for security operations in rural areas.  Sources said that 
the meeting also analyzed the possible political and 
economic effects on Turkey of a possible US military 
operation against Iran, and how it could affect the 
activities of the PKK.  The issue of Turkey's role after a 
possible US pullout of Iraq was also discussed, say papers. 
 
Annan Appoints New Cyprus Envoy:  UNSYG Kofi Annan appointed 
Michael Moller of Denmark as his new Special Representative 
for Cyprus as well as the head of the UN Peacekeeping 
Mission in Cyprus (UNFICYP,) international wires report. 
Moller, 52, has been serving as Acting Deputy Chief of 
Cabinet to Annan since March 2005, and concurrently as the 
Director for Political, Peacekeeping and Humanitarian 
Affairs in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, 
said a statement issued by the UN Peacekeeping Operations 
Office.  Moller began his term of office as of Wednesday. 
 
Weston on Cyprus:  Turkey's semi-official "Anatolian News 
Agency" (AA) reports former US special coordinator for 
Cyprus, Tom Weston, as saying on Thursday that the Greek 
Cypriot administration should modify its policy if it wants 
progress on the Cyprus issue.  `The Greek Cypriots should 
understand that they should change their policy, accept the 
proposal of UN Secretary General, and clearly express their 
priorities regarding the Annan plan,' Weston said.  Weston 
also said that he didn't expect an immediate solution to the 
problem, but that he was optimistic for a settlement in the 
 
ANKARA 00000069  004 OF 005 
 
 
future. 
 
New Kurdish TV in Sweden Supported by US:  Turkey's all-news 
channel NTV reported Thursday morning that Iranian Kurds 
living in Sweden have launched "Rojhelat TV" owned by 
`Komala' (Komala Party-Iranian Kurdistan), the second 
largest Kurdish group in Iran.  The pro-Marxist Komala has 
close contacts with Iraqi President Talabani.  The group has 
an office is Suleymaniye, Northern Iraq, and is also active 
in the United States, Canada, and European countries. 
Kurdish sources in Sweden said that the US is providing 
financial assistance to "Rojhelat TV," said NTV. 
 
Bird Flu Kills Two in Turkey:  Bird flu has been diagnosed 
in three people in Turkey's eastern city of Van, officials 
announced late Wednesday.  Health Minister, Dr. Recep Akdag, 
said that the disease had been diagnosed in a 14-year old 
teenager, who died Sunday, contradicting earlier reports 
that denied a connection.  The teenager's sister also died 
from bird flu this morning. 
 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:  Iraq, Turkey-US Relationship 
 
"Critical Milestone in Iraq" 
Taha Akyol commented in the mainstream daily "Milliyet" 
(1/5):  "With every passing day, the conflict among the 
three ethnic groups in Iraq grows bigger.  The elections put 
a huge distance between the Shiites, Sunnis and the Kurds. 
Turkey is trying to eliminate this distance and no other 
party can be as effective on this issue.  The main goal of 
the assassination attempt against the Turkish Ambassador in 
Iraq was to sabotage Turkey's efforts.  The world's 
expectation for peace in Iraq after the elections has, 
unfortunately, failed to materialize.  The Shiites and the 
Kurds occupied many seats in important ministries and Sunnis 
were left with only a few, not very powerful, positions. 
This is the main problem in Iraq.  It is a must for the 
Sunnis, Shiites and the Kurds to reach an agreement for a 
united Iraq and to prevent a bloody civil war. Of course, 
Turkey will intervene again to convince the parties.  A 
civil war in Iraq will affect many other countries.  The 
reason for the increasing number of official visitors from 
the US is mainly such concerns. Will the Kurds, Shiites and 
the Sunnis be able to survive this critical period with 
common sense?  History shows that there is a heavy price to 
pay for such problems if they are not resolved with common 
sense." 
 
"Everyone Comes to Ankara" 
Yilmaz Oztuna wrote in the conservative-nationalist 
"Turkiye" (1/5):  "The most interesting state leaders are 
coming to Ankara one after another.  Afghanistan's president 
Karzai started this traffic in 2006 and many other country 
leader visits are expected in the near future.  Of course, 
the most interesting visitors we are going to have are 
definitely the US Secretary of State Rice and the US 
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Pace.  They 
are expected to come to Ankara sometime in February.  What 
will Turkey discuss with them?  As usual we will complain 
about the US not fulfilling its promises on the PKK, Kirkuk 
and Turkmen problems.  However, Secretary Rice and General 
Pace are not coming to Ankara to hear about these 
complaints.  They want to talk about Iran and Syria in 
detail if they receive a warm welcome from Turkish side. 
They will ask `are you on our side or not; if you are, to 
what extent?'  If Turkey doesn't allow the US to use its 
bases to stage operations against Iran and Syria, many 
countries -- from Bulgaria and Romania to Armenia and 
 
ANKARA 00000069  005 OF 005 
 
 
Kurdistan -- are ready to open their bases for the US.  And 
I didn't even mention the United Kingdom and Israel. 
Besides, the US Navy is capable of carrying out air 
operations from the Persian Gulf and from the east 
Mediterranean, and the US Navy is positioned there is case 
there is a need for such operations.  That is why, during 
the visits of Rice and Pace, Turkey will be promised certain 
things and will be asked for more than the use of the bases. 
Right at this point, Russia started the second cold war and 
PM Erdogan's promise to Putin that `Turkey will not allow 
the US to use its bases for an operation against Iran' was 
leaked to the press.  The US has divided Iraq into three. 
The US's determination for similar operations against Iran 
and Syria has clashed with Russia's Eurasia policy.  For us 
the most important issue is `in which direction are Turkey's 
national policies moving'? 
 
WILSON