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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001485 
 
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, MARCH 21, 2006 
 
 
  -    In Today's Papers 
- 
  -    TGS Rejects Investigation of General Buyukanit 
  -    All Papers:  On Monday, the Turkish General Staff (TGS) 
     issued a statement rejecting permission for an investigation 
     of Land Forces Commander General Yasar Buyukanit for his 
     comments regarding the a non-commissioned jandarma officer 
     implicated in the Semdinli bombing and his activities as a 
     commander in southeast Turkey in the 1990s.  The statement 
     alleged that the accusations made by the Van prosecutor 
     against Buyukanit were 'politically motivated' and designed 
     to weaken the military in the struggle against terrorism. 
     The TGS statement argued that the prosecutor, Ferhat 
     Sarikaya, had `abused his authority,' and highlighted that 
     the indictment drafted by Sarikaya was based on an anonymous 
     letter.  The TGS also expressed concern about the fact that 
     some lawmakers from the ruling AKP had openly backed the 
     prosecutor.  The TGS has filed a legal complaint against 
     Sarikaya, and called on the Ministry of Justice to file 
     charges against him.  Most commentators in Turkish dailies 
     express concern that the tough TGS statement went too far in 
     calling for charges against the prosecutor, and some feared 
     the statement might cast a shadow over the Semdinli 
     investigation and illegal activities by military personnel 
     in the southeast. 
  - 
  -    Gul Has Ear Surgery, Cancels US Trip 
-    All Papers:  Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul had ear 
surgery yesterday due to an upper respiratory tract 
infection, forcing a cancellation of his scheduled visit to 
the United States to participate in the annual conference of 
the American-Turkish Council (ATC)  March 25.  Doctors 
recommended that Gul avoid all air travel for at least a 
month.  The only cabinet minister to represent Turkey at the 
ATC will be State Minister Kursad Tuzmen.  AKP lawmaker 
Egemen Bagis, Turkish Union of Chambers (TOBB) chairman 
Rifat Hisarciklioglu, head of the Privatization 
Administration Metin Kilci, TGS Planning Department head 
General Hilmi Akin Zorlu, and senior MFA officials will also 
participate in the ATC.  The highest-level official to 
represent the US at the conference will be Deputy Secretary 
of Commerce David Samson.  MFA officials told the press that 
one or two Turkish cabinet ministers generally attend the 
ATC meetings each year, and confirmed that this practice 
would continue this year as well. 
  - 
  -    Gonul Leaves for US 
-    Star:  Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul left for the United 
States Tuesday to visit Boeing facilities in Seattle, where 
warplanes for the 'Peace Eagle' project are produced, and to 
address the World Affairs Council in Los Angeles on 'the 
changing security environment in Eurasia and Turkey's 
strategic importance.'  On March 26, Gonul will move on to 
Chile to attend the 14th International Aviation and Space 
Fair as the guest of Defense Minister Vivianne Blanlot Soza, 
before returning home March 30. 
  - 
  -    Sakka Appears Before Judge in Istanbul 
  -    Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Cumhuriyet, Radikal, Zaman, 
     Yeni Safak:  Syrian-born al-Qaida terror suspect Louai Sakka 
     appeared before a court in Istanbul on Monday to face 
     charges of involvement in suicide bombings against targets 
     in Istanbul that killed 63 in November 2003.  Sakka 
     introduced himself as Ekrem Uzel, 'a Turkish national 
     fighting against US troops in Iraq.'  Sakka was removed from 
     the courtroom when he refused to stand up before the 
     presiding judge.  Sakka's lawyer, Osman Karahan, was also 
     removed from the courtroom because of a pending indictment 
     against him for aiding the al-Qaida organization.  Before 
 
ANKARA 00001485  002 OF 003 
 
 
     being ushered from the courtroom, Karahan called for a 
     `scientific test' to determine whether the defendant is 
     actually the same person who was arrested last year under 
     the name Louai Sakka. 
- 
  -    Arinc Defends March 1 Parliamentary Rejection of US 
     Troops to Iraq 
  -    Zaman:  Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc defended on 
     Monday the Turkish Parliament's March 1, 2003 rejection of 
     the proposal to transfer US troops to Iraq through Turkey. 
     'We conveyed our recommendations to the Americans before and 
     after March 1, but they were not taken seriously.  Recent 
     reports say that 100,000 civilians have been killed in Iraq 
     so far.  This shows that the country has turned into a kind 
     of hell.  The situation today demonstrates that our concerns 
     before March 1 were right,' Arinc said, adding that he hoped 
     Iraq would become a democratic country. 
  - 
  -    Turkish columnists continue to comment on Iraq on the 
     third anniversary of the US-led occupation.  Ismail Kapan of 
     the conservative-nationalist Turkiye warns that when the 
     occupying forces finally withdraw, the problems they leave 
     behind them will affect Turkey:  "In order to insulate 
     itself from these problems, Turkey needs to establish its 
     own political and economic stability as soon as possible. 
     But unfortunately, Turkey has not learned any lessons from 
     the occupation.  The most clear evidence of this is that the 
     Turkish people have been diverted from the real issues by 
     artificial agendas.  When we look at the things that Turkey 
     is forced to deal with, we can see that the country has been 
     sidetracked from pursuing its goals." 
  - 
  -    In his column in the Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak, 
     Ibrahim Karagul claims that more occupations by the US will 
     follow after Iraq.  "It is a shame that in this chaotic 
     atmosphere, we have been unable to see the real aims of this 
     war.  We can not see that Damascus, Isfahan or Cairo could 
     face the same consequences tomorrow.  Even though we ignore 
     these facts and have accepted defeat, the generation that 
     comes after us will understand everything.  No doubt they 
     will see the facts of today and bring us hope for tomorrow." 
  - 
  -    Bahadir Selim Dilek wrote in the leftist-nationalist 
     Cumhuriyet that despite President Bush's positive evaluation 
     of the situation in Iraq, the picture deteriorated on the 
     third anniversary of the occupation:  "None of the military, 
     economic, political or social calculations made by 
     Washington about Iraq have been proven right.  The US has 
     been unable to break the insurgency.  It has failed to 
     supply the basic needs of the Iraqi people, strained its 
     relations with the Shiites, failed to properly balance 
     Kurdish demands and pulled the country toward the breaking 
     point." 
  - 
  -    Bush Extends Nevruz Greetings 
  -    Aksam:  President Bush sent a message to Turkey, the 
     Central Asian Turkish republics, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, 
     Pakistan, and India to mark the celebration of Nevruz.  Bush 
     said the US is 'blessed by the traditions and contributions 
     of Americans of many different backgrounds.'  'Our diversity 
     has made us stronger and better, and Laura and I send warm 
     regards to all Americans celebrating Nevruz,' President Bush 
     said. 
- 
  -    Turkish-Armenian Ambassadors Debate Genocide on Italian 
     TV 
  -    Milliyet:  Turkey's Ambassador in Rome, Ugur Ziyal, 
     debated the Armenian 'massacre' question with Armenian 
     Ambassador Rouben Sugaryan on Italian state television. 
 
ANKARA 00001485  003 OF 003 
 
 
     Sugaryan did not respond to Ziyal's question whether Yerevan 
     recognized Turkey's borders, but repeatedly stressed that 
     Armenia wants good ties with Turkey, and that the Armenians 
     are ready to cooperate with Turkey to open the border. 
     Sugaryan also rejected Ziyal's proposal that a joint 
     commission of historians from both countries be established. 
  - 
  -    Pentagon Advisor Warns against Threats on Secularism in 
     Turkey 
  -    Cumhuriyet reports that Alex Alexiev, a `Pentagon 
     advisor' and vice-president of Center for Security Policy, 
     has warned that secularism in Turkey is under serious threat 
     from the ruling AK Party.  In a statement to the Bulgarian 
     press, Alexiev claimed that secular Turkish education, the 
     judiciary, and the military are under assault by the 
     'Erdogan regime.'  'If Turkey is defeated by Islamism, US 
     national security will face a serious problem,' Alexiev 
     said. 
  - 
  -    Kretschmer Urges Continued Reforms, Civilian Control of 
     Military in Turkey 
-    Milliyet, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman, Yeni Safak:  EU 
Commission Representative to Turkey Hansjorg Kretschmer told 
a seminar in Adana on Monday that Turkish public support for 
EU membership had slipped to 55 percent in recent months 
from around 70 percent in December 2004.  Kretschmer 
stressed that the decline was worrying, adding that Turks 
did not have sufficient information about the EU.  'Turkey 
has made great progress in the political and economic 
areas,' Kretschmer said, 'but it must continue reforms on 
freedoms, women's rights, and the judiciary.'  Kretschmer 
also warned that more needed to be done to increase civilian 
control over the military, and that the budget of the 
Turkish armed forces should be transparent. 
  - 
  -    TV Highlights 
-    NTV (8 a.m) 
  - 
  -    Domestic News 
-    - Nevruz celebrations in Adana, Istanbul and Sanliurfa 
are peaceful.  The largest celebration is expected to take 
place today in Diyarbakir.  Some chant pro-Ocalan slogans 
during the festivities. 
  - 
  -    International News 
  -    - Former Iraqi interim PM Allawi told NBC that several 
     neighborhoods in Baghad are controlled by militias, and that 
     'ethnic cleansing' is being carried out across Iraq. 
  - 
-    - Senior diplomats from the five permanent members of 
the UN Security Council and Germany meet in New York in an 
effort to break the deadlock on Iran's nuclear program. 
  - 
  -    - Financial crisis deepens in Palestine.  Armed men 
     raided public buildings, including the Finance Ministry and 
     the Foreign Ministry, demanding payment of wages. 
     Meanwhile, HAMAS has submitted its cabinet list to President 
     Abbas. 
  - 
  -    - French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin vows not 
     to back down on the controversial new employment bill as 
     union leaders threaten to call a general strike. 
  - 
  - 
-    Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
 
  http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON