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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001100 
 
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, MARCH 3, 2006 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Iraqi Sunni Leaders Expected to Visit Turkey 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Vatan, Cumhuriyet, Radikal, Zaman 
and others:  Leaders of Iraq's Sunni and Kurdish parties 
asked the Shiite alliance to reconsider their nomination of 
Ibrahim Jafari as prime minister for the new government. 
His meetings in Turkey did not help Jafari strengthen his 
positions at home, papers comment.  Turkey's special envoy 
to Iraq Oguz Celikkol said that during his recent trip to 
Iraq, he met with the representatives of all political 
groups, and that President Talabani welcomed the talks. 
Turkey stands at an equal distance to all Iraqi groups, 
Celikkol said, adding that the formation of a national unity 
government was important.  Hurriyet says during his meeting 
with PM Erdogan in Ankara, Jafari reportedly said the US has 
failed, and only Turkey could help in establishing peace in 
Iraq.  Jafari also asked Erdogan to open a new border 
crossing from Turkey into Iraq.  The visit to Turkey of the 
radical Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has been 
postponed, according to Turkish Foreign Ministry sources. 
Sunni leaders National Dialogue Council leader Salih Mutlak 
and Iraqi Islamic Party leader Tariq al-Hashimi are expected 
to visit Turkey soon.  Zaman reports Turkish Religious 
Directorate (Diyanet) head, Professor Ali Bardakoglu will 
visit Iraq soon in an effort to mediate between the Sunni 
and Shiite groups to end the sectarian violence.  Bardakoglu 
will be accompanied by Kyrgyz, Kazakh and Azeri clerics on 
his Iraq trip. 
 
Commenting on the future of Iraq in the liberal intellectual 
Radikal, Erdal Guven says that it is "too early to talk 
about a sectarian war or a civil war in Iraq." He warns, 
however, that although "Iraq is not yet on the verge of an 
abyss," it is "open to provocations until political 
stability is established." 
 
Gul and Svoboda Deny Reports on Gul's Iran Remarks 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Cumhuriyet, Radikal, Zaman and 
others:  The Czech Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda denied a 
UPI report claiming Foreign Minister Gul told him that 
Iran's domination of the Middle East and the export of the 
Iranian Islamic revolution to Turkey would be inevitable if 
US troops pull out of Iraq.  The Czech Foreign Ministry said 
in statement on Thursday that Svoboda's words at the Chatham 
House Conference had been misinterpreted.  The statement 
said Gul had mentioned that a premature US withdrawal before 
the Iraqi regime takes control of the security would create 
a power vacuum.  UPI had reported Svoboda as saying at the 
conference in London that Minister Gul would not make his 
Iran remarks public due to domestic political concerns. 
However, Chatham House spokesman and UPI correspondent 
Hannah Strange said other journalists had also heard the 
words of the Czech minister. 
 
CIA to Help Turkey Capture Missing Terrorist 
Sabah:  A Turkish security official said Turks had asked 
Robert Mueller and Porter Goss for help in the extradition 
of the leftist militant Fehriye Erdal from Belgium during 
the visits of the FBI and CIA directors to Ankara.  The CIA 
is now seeking Erdal who disappeared earlier this week after 
receiving a four year prison sentence from a Belgian court 
for crimes committed in Belgium. She is wanted in Turkey for 
her role in the killing of prominent Turkish businessman 
Ozdemir Sabanci. 
 
President Bush Visits India 
All Papers:  The United States and India signed a landmark 
agreement to share nuclear reactors, fuel and expertise, 
 
ANKARA 00001100  002 OF 002 
 
 
papers and TV news shows report.  Cumhuriyet and Radikal 
comment President Bush showed a "double standard" in 
supporting India against China while opposing Iran's nuclear 
program.  Some 15,000 demonstrators protested against 
President Bush in New Delhi.  On Thursday, before Bush 
begins a visit to Pakistan, an American diplomat and three 
others were killed in a bombing near the US Consulate in 
Karachi. 
 
Sami Kohen writing in mainstream Milliyet notes that it 
interesting that the US has reached agreement with India but 
that "on the other hand, is doing its best to prevent Iran 
from developing its nuclear program." He explains that while 
this may appear to be a conflict, "there are two reasons for 
this double-faceted policy: the global interests of big 
powers and the behavior of the countries with nuclear 
programs." Kohen concludes, "Washington attaches value to 
India's leadership ability and its democratic regime.  In 
other words, India and Iran represent two different models." 
 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV (7 a.m.) 
 
Domestic News 
- National Dialogue Council leader Salih Mutlak and Iraqi 
Islamic Party leader Tariq al-Hashimi are expected to visit 
Turkey soon. 
 
- One soldier killed and three others injured in a PKK 
attack on a military vehicle in Cizre. 
 
- Radio and Television High Board (RTUK) president Zahit 
Akman said four private TV channels will begin Kurdish 
language broadcasts this month. 
 
International News 
- Secretary Rumsfeld said in a speech yesterday that during 
the Cold War, US support for Greece, Turkey and South Korea 
saved the three countries from communist takeover.  Rumsfeld 
called for patience on the war against terror, recalling 
that Communism had collapsed 40 years later following 
President Truman's exit from office. 
 
- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met with the Israeli 
Labor party nominee for PM, Amir Peretz, in the first high- 
level talks between the two sides since Hamas won elections. 
 
- Iraqi Sunnis and Kurds pressure Iraq's ruling Shiite 
Alliance to reconsider its nomination of Ibrahim Jafari as 
PM. 
 
Economy News 
- Turkish Union of Chambers (TOBB) chairman Rifat 
Hisarciklioglu said some cabinet ministers, influenced by 
bureaucrats who oppose a free market economy, object to the 
government's anti-inflation program. 
 
- The Council of Ministers meeting on Monday is expected to 
pull down taxes for textile producers in Turkey. 
 
WILSON