Keep Us Strong WikiLeaks logo

Currently released so far... 64621 / 251,287

Articles

Browse latest releases

Browse by creation date

Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Browse by classification

Community resources

courage is contagious

Viewing cable 06ANKARA1652, ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs

Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
  • The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
  • The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
  • The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.

Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #06ANKARA1652.
Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06ANKARA1652 2006-03-28 13:59 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Ankara
VZCZCXRO4302
OO RUEHDA
DE RUEHAK #1652/01 0871359
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 281359Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4354
RUEKJCS/CJCS WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC//PA
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU
INFO RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 7046
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0178
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 0572
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 5187
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 4895
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1510
RUEUITH/DET 1 39LG ANKARA TU
RHMFIUU/CDRUSAE IZMIR TU
RHMFIUU/USDOCO 6ATAF IZMIR TU
RHMFIUU/39OSS INCIRLIK AB TU
RHMFIUU/AFOSI DET 523 IZMIR TU
RHMFIUU/39ABG INCIRLIK AB TU
RHMFIUU/AFOSI DET 522 INCIRLIK AB TU
RUEUITH/AFLO ANKARA TU
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001652 
 
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 28, 2006 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
ATC Conference in Washington 
All papers:  Brent Scowcroft, Chairman of the American- 
Turkish Council (ATC,) said at the 25th annual ATC 
conference in Washington that both Turkey and the United 
States must work hard to maintain their important 
relationship.  Ambassador Ross Wilson noted that Turkey is 
the fastest growing economy in Europe, adding that the US is 
among the countries that made the most foreign investment in 
Turkey in 2005.  Wilson praised the Turkish government's 
implementation of its IMF program.  He also said that Iraq 
would move toward stability and prosperity with the 
establishment of a new government, which would also help in 
efforts to eliminate the PKK presence in the country. 
Wilson noted that "Turkey's support will be key in ensuring 
an international consensus" on Iran's nuclear program. 
"Turkey called on Iran to cooperate with the International 
Atomic Energy Agency, and that is important," he added. 
Turkish Ambassador Nabi Sensoy said that Turkey and the 
United States have mutual interests in the spread of 
democracy across the world.  Turkish Union of Chambers 
(TOBB) President Rifat Hisarciklioglu said the Erez 
industrial zone formed by Israel, Palestine and Turkey would 
contribute to the Israel-Palestinian peace process.  EU 
Parliamentarian Joost Langedijk (Holland) pointed to 
potential problems in Turkey's relationship with the EU. 
Lagendijk said that a mini-crisis over the Cyprus is likely 
before this autumn, and noted that the pace of reforms in 
Turkey has slowed in recent months. 
 
Pace: High Level Talks Important in Reducing 
Misunderstandings between Friends 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Cumhuriyet, Radikal, Zaman, Yeni 
Safak and others quote General Peter Pace, Chairman of the 
US Joint Chiefs of Staff, as telling journalists en route to 
the US from Turkey over the weekend that he tried "to 
solidify the superb relationship" between Turkey and the US. 
Pace pointed to the importance of high-level meetings "to 
reduce misunderstandings between friends."  "I looked them 
in the eye and told them the truth," Pace said, adding that 
ups and downs might be seen at times in relations with all 
countries. 
 
Erdogan in Sudan to Attend Arab League Summit 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Vatan, Sabah, Cumhuriyet,Radikal, Yeni 
Safak:   Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in Sudan to 
participate in the Arab League Summit meeting, told the 
gathering yesterday that laws adopted in EU countries and 
the US against Muslims had caused "fault lines" that 
threaten social peace.  Erdogan said that nations around the 
world should cooperate against terrorism, and warned against 
traps set by those who seek a clash of civilizations.  He 
encouraged intelligence sharing among countries in the 
struggle against terrorism.  Erdogan noted that cartoons of 
the Prophet Muhammad had prompted a crisis, and that freedom 
of speech should have limits.  "Jesus and Moses are also our 
prophets.  We expect the same attitude toward Islam from the 
followers of other faiths," Erdogan said.  Erdogan also 
criticized the 'trillions of dollars' spent for military 
armament around the world.  Vatan says that Erdogan's 
planned visit to Darfur might be cancelled due to security 
reasons. 
 
Unity among Arab nations at the summit is a remote 
possibility, writes a columnist from the conservative daily 
Turkiye.  In his column, Yilmaz Oztuna reminded about Arab 
League summits held in the past and concluded: "History 
tells us that unity among Arab countries is possible only on 
 
ANKARA 00001652  002 OF 003 
 
 
paper.  Those nations do not have a sense of unity and 
solidarity.  As the Arab League Summit convenes in Sudan, we 
shall see how much unity emerges.  Turkey has been the only 
country making efforts on Iraq.  None of the Arab countries 
has done anything significant on the Iraq issue.  Iraq is 
the main problem for discussion at the Arab League summit, 
but frankly speaking, a productive reslt will be as elusive 
today as it has been atthe League's first 17 summits." 
 
Tensions betwen US-Shiites on Rise in Iraq 
All papers:  Tensions in Iraq increased after an American 
raid on a mosque in Baghdad's Sadr district, which killed at 
least 22.  Following the raid, the Shiites asked the US to 
hand over the security of Baghdad, and Governor al-Tahan 
suspended cooperation with the Americans until an 
independent investigation is completed.  The Iraqi 
government, al-Sadr's militia, and Prime Minister Jafari 
accused US forces of 'massacring' people praying in the 
mosque.  A statement by the US military said the attack was 
perpetrated by Iraqi security forces.  Meanwhile, a suicide 
attack against a US-Iraq military base in Mosul reportedly 
killed 40, most of whom were Iraqis waiting at the base 
entrance to be recruited. 
 
President Bush Praises Turkey in a Letter to Ambassador 
Sensoy 
Hurriyet reports that President Bush, in a letter to 
Turkey's new Ambassador in Washington, Nabi Sensoy, 
expressed gratitude for Turkish efforts to convince Sunni 
groups to join the democratic process in Iraq.  Bush 
expressed support for Turkey's EU membership bid, and 
welcomed Turkish efforts to prevent a clash of 
civilizations.  Bush said that recent visits of the FBI and 
CIA directors to Turkey show the importance attributed by 
the US to cooperation with Turkey in the struggle against 
terrorism.  President Bush also thanked the Turkish people 
for their assistance to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. 
 
 
"Democracy a La Carte is not an Option" 
Sami Kohen observed in the mainstream Milliyet (3/28): 
"Expanding democracy throughout the world has become a major 
goal for the US and the western community.  But what they 
really want is to establish Western-style democracies with 
pro-Western leaders.  When those expectations are not 
realized, democracy advocates find themselves in a quandary. 
There are various examples of this, such as Afghanistan and 
Palestine.  Everyone is aware of the fact that once other 
Arab nations like Egypt, Jordan and Syria transform to a 
democratic system and go to free elections, all of them will 
end up with religious fundamentalists as the winners. 
Westerners should take a lesson from these developments and 
understand better about these different socio-cultural 
dynamics.  They must also accept that their own democratic 
models may not necessarily produce the same results 
elsewhere.  Working for the expansion of human rights and 
freeoms in other countries also requires the willinness to 
bear the consequences of democratic results.  The fact is 
that there is no such thing as democracy a la carte." 
 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV (8 a.m) 
 
Domestic News 
- The main opposition CHP hosted 30 spouses of ambassadors 
in Ankara, including the US and Japan, for a discussion of 
women's issues. 
 
 
ANKARA 00001652  003 OF 003 
 
 
- Secretary Rice sent a get-well message to Foreign Minister 
Gul following his ear surgery.  Rice also said she was 
looking forward to meeting with FM Gul. 
 
International News 
- Polls show Israeli Prime Minister Olmert's Kadima Party 
far ahead of its competitors.  Observers expect Kadima to 
win one-third of the seats in the Knesset today. 
 
- A suicide bomb attack against a US-Iraq base in Mosul 
killed over 30 people, mostly Iraqis. 
 
- Prime Minister Blair has pledged to keep British troops in 
Iraq and Afghanistan until the two countries are stabilized. 
 
- Preliminary results indicate that Ukrainian President 
Viktor Yushchenko has lost to rival Yulia Tymoshenko and the 
pro-Russian candidate Viktor Yanukovych in Ukrainian 
parliamentary elections held on Sunday. 
 
- Greek Cypriot President Papadopoulos said he is ready to 
meet Turkish Cypriot 'President' Talat to discuss the fate 
of people who went missing following Turkey's occupation of 
the northern part of the island in 1974. 
 
Economy News 
- The State Statistics Institute reported that Turkey's 
jobless rate rose to 11.2 percent (21,332 million) in the 
November-January period, compared with 10.6 percent reported 
for the last three months of 2005.  Despite sound economic 
growth, targeted at 5 percent for this year, unemployment -- 
at 10.3 percent for the whole of 2005 -- has remained a weak 
spot as large numbers of young people enter the labor 
market. 
 
- The Fitch Credit Rating Agency said that IMF warnings and 
ambiguity over the appointment of a new Central Bank 
governor have delayed positive developments on Turkey's 
international credit rating. 
 
 
 Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
 
  http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
MCELDOWNEY