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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000856 
 
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 
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2006 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Hamas Visit to Turkey 
Sabah, Radikal and Zaman carry Ambassador Ross Wilson's 
evaluation of the Hamas visit to Ankara last week. "What is 
important to us is that any meetings with Hamas make clear 
that Hamas must abandon terrorism, recognize the right of 
Israel to exist, and honor the commitments the Palestinian 
Authority.  According to the Turkish government, clear and 
strong messages were delivered," Wilson said, adding that 
time would tell whether the messages had been effective or 
not.  With respect to criticism that came from some groups 
in the United States, Wilson said: "A number of influential 
Americans have expressed concern that Hamas was received 
here.  I would let their comments speak for themselves.  The 
reaction of the US Government is the position that I have 
already described."  In response to a question, Wilson said 
that among the influential Americans that have expressed 
concern about the visit are a number of leading figures in 
the American Jewish community.  Zaman says that Wilson does 
not believe the visit will damage Turkey-US ties: "We were 
informed beforehand by the Turkish government of this visit. 
We discussed our views with the Turkish Government before 
Hamas came, and we have discussed it since then." 
 
Serdar Turgut commenting in the tabloid Aksam is concerned 
that in the wake of the Hamas visit, Turkey-US ties could 
worsen. He notes as evidence that Secretary Rice is starting 
a tour of the Middle East but "she is not going to stop in 
Turkey." Turgut wonders if in the event of an "attack on 
Iran or Syria" Turkey would be able to "say 'no' to these 
demands after the Hamas crisis?" and if the US will convey 
its demands directly to the AKP government or "will they use 
the bridge already established with the Turkish military to 
convey the demands?" 
 
Commenting in the conservative-nationalist Turkiye, Yilmaz 
Oztuna wonders how much of the advice given to them by 
Foreign Minister Gul Hamas will use.  Noting that "Tehran 
will definitely advise them to the contrary," Oztuna 
suggests that Hamas "at least announce that they recognize 
Israel and they are going to disarm."  He continues, "If the 
established government of Hamas is recognized by other 
countries, then the AKP initiative will be counted as a 
positive and valuable one."  Oztuna concludes, "Considering 
Turkey's interests, the most important thing here is 
Turkey's strategic ally America's approach to the issue." 
 
Hamas Leader Mashal Visits Iran; Egypt, Russia Refuse to 
Meet with Hamas 
Hurriyet, Sabah, Zaman and several other dailies report that 
both President Putin and President Mubarak have refused to 
meet with the Hamas delegation.  Egypt said that Turkey "had 
weakened its hand" by receiving Hamas.  Sabah says that 
Hamas leader Mashal forgot his "peace messages" in Ankara, 
and issued war messages in Tehran by saying "We will not 
negotiate with Israel.  If Israel does not pullout of 
occupied Palestine land, resistance will grow tougher." 
Papers emphasize that Turkish-Israeli relations are back on 
track again toward normalization as the Israeli Ambassador 
in Ankara, Pinhas Avivi, paid a visit to AKP headquarters 
yesterday, and that he agreed to a meeting at the Foreign 
Ministry.  Following his meetings at the AKP headquarters, 
Avivi said that the two sides had decided to bury past 
problems.  Meanwhile, Prime Minister Erdogan defended the 
visit at his party group meeting: "We did the right thing at 
the right time.  The Palestinian elections have brought a 
new structure.  If we try to tame this new structure with 
economic methods, this cannot be called democracy." 
 
ANKARA 00000856  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
Rice Skips Turkey on Middle East Tour 
Sabah says that Secretary Rice did not include Turkey in her 
Middle East tour, adding that Rice might not visit Turkey in 
the near future due to the strong reaction of the Jewish 
lobby in the United States against the Hamas visit to 
Ankara.  Despite US efforts to make "balanced" statements 
with regard to the meetings of Turks with Hamas 
representatives in Ankara, Washington had been "annoyed" by 
the visit.  Turkish Ambassador in Washington Nabi Sensoy is 
working hard to soften the reactions coming from the Jewish 
lobby.  Meanwhile, Milliyet reports that Turkish lawmakers 
had canceled their trip to Iran amid strong western 
reactions to the visit of Hamas leader Mashal to Ankara, and 
the uncompromising messages issued by Mashal and Iranian 
President Ahmadinejad in Tehran. 
 
US Prepares for Direct Trade with Northern Cyprus 
All papers carry a Washington Times (WT) article which 
claimed that the US is preparing to establish direct trade 
links with Turkish Cyprus.  "There's a huge economic gap 
between the two sides in Cyprus.  International sanctions on 
Turkish Cyprus must be reduced, and for reunification, the 
gap must be closed," a US Administration official told the 
WT.  Hurriyet notes that the reports had been confirmed by 
US State Department Spokesman Adam Ereli. 
 
 
TV Highlights 
 
(NTV, 8 AM) 
 
International News 
 
- Egypt's intelligence chief Omar Suleiman said Egyptian 
President Mubarak declined to meet Hamas officials, and 
criticized Turkey and Russia for inviting Hamas. 
 
- Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Director Reza 
Aqazadeh said all the Iranian nuclear installations 
including Natanz are located deep underground and no 
military offensive can destroy them. 
- War crimes fugitive General Ratko Mladic, charged with 
genocide in the Bosnian war, has been located and 
authorities are negotiating his surrender, a senior Serbian 
official said. 
 
- A car bomb exploded at an outdoor market in Baghdad, 
killing 22 people. 
 
Domestic News 
 
- In response to criticism about the Hamas visit to Ankara, 
Prime Minister Erdogan said Turkey conveyed to Hamas "the 
right messages at the right time." 
 
- Israeli Ambassador Pinhas Avivi, in an effort to mend 
fences, met AKP officials at the party headquarters, and 
noted the importance of ties. 
 
- The EU has asked Turkey to mediate to defuse the strains 
over publication of the Prophet Mohammed cartoons.  Foreign 
Minister Abdullah Gul is invited to deliver the opening 
speech at the informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers on 
March 11 held to discuss the cartoon crisis. 
 
- Hasan Ciftci, the provincial head of the pro-Kurdish 
Democratic Society Party (DTP) in Turkey's eastern city of 
 
ANKARA 00000856  003 OF 003 
 
 
Van, has been arrested for encouraging terrorism in a 
statement made to the Copenhagen-based Roj TV. 
 
WILSON