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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001676 
 
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, MARCH 29, 2006 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Erdogan Participates in Arab League Summit in Khartoum 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Vatan, Sabah, Cumhuriyet, Radikal, Yerni 
Safak and others:  Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met 
with Syrian President Assad, King Abdullah of Jordan, 
Palestinian President Abbas, Lebanese President Lahoud and 
Prime Minister Siniora, and UN special representative for 
Iraq Ashraf Gazi on the sidelines of the Arab League Summit 
in Khartoum yesterday.  President Assad told Erdogan that 
Syria views the most recent UN report on the Hariri 
investigation as positive.  'The report has reduced 
tensions.  We are thankful to Turkey,'' Assad said. 
Addressing the summit yesterday, Erdogan warned against a 
'widening fault line' between the West and the Islamic 
world, and stressed that extremist groups on both sides are 
exploiting the situation.  Erdogan urged Muslims to refrain 
from violence.  He also warned that anti-Muslim laws passed 
in  EU countries and the US would incite tensions.  'Turkey 
has a cultural proximity to the Arab world,' Erdogan said: 
'Thus, contributing to the stability, security and 
prosperity of the Arab world is among Turkey's primary 
goals.'  Erdogan noted that Turkey wishes to see a stable 
and politically unified Iraq which is at peace with its 
neighbors.  'It is crucial that the strain between religious 
sects is defused, and the vicious circle of violence is 
halted in Iraq before they reach an irreversible point,' 
Erdogan emphasized, adding that  a broad-based government 
representing all groups will be in the best interest of the 
Iraqi people and the region.  Erdogan called on the new 
Palestinian parliament and the government to work in 
coordination with President Abbas to meet the expectations 
of the international community.  'The revival of the peace 
process on the basis of the road map should be the primary 
goal,' Erdogan stressed.  Erdogan also noted that reforms 
initiated by the Arab League are timely and appropriate. 
'The more we respect universal values such as democracy, 
human rights, gender equality, the supremacy of law, 
transparency, and pluralism, the more likely we are to 
contribute to regional and global peace,' the Turkish PM 
concluded.  Papers underline that ten Arab leaders, 
including Saudi King Abdullah and Egyptian President 
Mubarak, stayed away from the summit, and nearly half of 
Arab League members were represented at a relatively low 
level. 
 
ATC Conference in Washington 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Cumhuriyet, Radikal, Zaman and 
others:  State Minister Kursad Tuzmen told the 25th annual 
gathering of the American-Turkish Council (ATC) and Turkish- 
American Business Council (TABC) in Washington that it was 
'time to increase trade between Turkey and the United States 
to 30 billion USD.'  'Turkey is the world's 22nd biggest 
exporter and 14th biggest importer.  General Electric has 
invested 1.8 billion USD in Turkey.  We will carry on with 
tight fiscal policy and expand our macroeconomic goals,' 
Tuzmen stressed.  He noted that the private sectors in both 
countries must put more pressure on both governments to 
promote commercial ties. 
Joost Lagendijk, co-chairman of the Turkey-EU joint 
parliamentary commission, said at the conference that the EU 
decision to admit Cyprus to the Union before solving the 
Cyprus issue had been a mistake.  Lagendijk said the EU had 
failed to meet its pledges to end the isolation of the 
Turkish Cypriots.  Lagendijk called on Turkey to abide by 
its responsibilities embodied in the EU Customs Union 
protocol, warning that a crisis looms in October or November 
if Turkey does not grant Greek Cypriots access to Turkish 
ports and airports.  Lagendijk claimed that Prime Minister 
 
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Erdogan had failed to meet his pledges for democratic moves 
aimed at solving the Kurdish problem, and that the Kurds had 
failed to produce a leader to press for democratic reforms 
in Turkey.  He also criticized the Turkish government for 
failing to take steps to meet the demands of religious 
minorities.  Lagendijk said he believed the Turkish 
government wants to delay reforms on the minorities issue 
until elections that will be held in 2007.  Meanwhile, 
Turkish Defense Industry Undersecretary Murad Bayar told the 
ATC that 
Turkey plans to buy 100 new generation warplanes worth 10 
billion USD.  Turkey will choose between the US-led Joint 
Strike Fighter (JSF) and the Eurofighter by the end of this 
year. 
 
Riots in Turkey's Southeast 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Aksam, Vatan and others:   Serious 
clashes occurred in Diyarbakir between police forces and 
protesters during a funeral of four of the fourteen PKK 
terrorists killed in Mus recently by Turkish security 
forces. The clashes erupted when protesters chanted pro-PKK 
slogans and attacked police after the funeral.   The 
protesters attacked armored police vehicles with stones and 
firebombs, smashed the windows of a police station and 
stabbed two policemen in Diyarbakir.  Police in Diyarbakir 
used tear gas against the protesters.  22 protesters, 10 
policemen and two journalists were injured during the 
clashes, and police detained 23 protesters.  Hurriyet 
reports that police and protesters clashed during a funeral 
ceremony in Adana as well.  DTP Adana chairperson Leyla 
Guven reportedly attended the protests.  There were also 
clashes in Batman during a PKK funeral.  Hurriyet blames Roj- 
TV for yesterday's incidents.  According to Hurriyet, Roj-TV 
urged all shopkeepers in Diyarbakir to close their shops 
during the funeral.  70 shops, 3 banks and a health clinic 
that did not heed this call were attacked by PKK supporters 
with stones and firebombs. 
 
AKP Deputy Abdullah Caliskan Comments on the US and Israel 
Milliyet reports that during his speech at the 'European 
Parliamentarian Assembly' in Brussels, AKP Adana deputy 
Abdullah Caliskan said 'The US and Israel have been involved 
in terrorist activities since the day they wer established. 
The US and Israel continue to ocupy countries in the 
Mediterranean and the Middle East.  Today, the US affects 
the peace and the stability negatively by threatening Iran 
and Syria.  The EU, should stop following the in US' 
footsteps.'  Caliskan was applauded by Arab deputies and 
criticized by the Europeans after his remarks.  Caliskan 
stressed that his remarks reflect his personal views rather 
than those of the Turkish Government. 
 
Commentaries on the Israeli Elections 
In his column in the leftist Birgun, Mete Cubukcu says 
Kadima hopes to legitimize the Israeli security wall and 
finalize the Israel-Palestine border during its upcoming 
term.  "Despite the lack of international support for this 
approach, Israel has not given up and has American backing. 
By using the negative position of Hamas, Israel is planning 
to make this into a fait-a-complis.  But even Abbas will 
have a hard time accepting a border imposed unilaterally by 
the Israelis.  The Kadima plan includes an attempt to put 
Jerusalem under full Israeli control and turn it into 
Israel's official capital.  This would undoubtedly unleash a 
wave of fury in the region.  The election results constitute 
a historic step toward the two-state formula, but only time 
will tell how realistic this idea proves to be." 
 
Writing in mainstream Milliyet, Sami Kohen says that the 
 
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type of government that will be formed is more important 
than the election in Israel.  "The initial election results 
indicate a victory for Kadima, which is not a surprise.  The 
real surprise is the poor showing by Netanyahu's Likud. 
This election was important and historically significant for 
Israel.  Israeli voters had to choose between the new ideas 
presented by Kadima or a doctrine of unilateralism.  Olmert 
will not be able to turn his back on the unilateralists as 
long as Hamas continues to refuse to recognize Israel. 
Therefore, the new Hamas government of Palestine should 
change its position and heed the advice of Mahmoud Abbas." 
 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV, 8 AM 
 
Domestic News 
- Turkish Foreign Ministry denied press reports claiming 
that German Chancellor Merkel asked Prime Minister Erdogan 
to play a mediating role to prevent a US attack against 
Iran. 
 
- EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said the Cyprus 
issue could cause trouble in ties between Turkey and the EU 
this year, stressing that skillful diplomacy was needed to 
prevent 'a train wreck.' 
 
- Turkey is preparing for a rare total solar eclipse with 
some 100,000 foreign tourists arriving in the Mediterranean 
city of Antalya to observe the event today.  The eclipse 
will be best observed in 13 Turkish provinces for four 
minutes along a distance of 190 kilometers. 
 
International News 
- Israel's Kadima Party, led by Ehud Olmert, is expected to 
send 29-31 representatives to the 120-seat Knesset.  The 
second-place Labor Party won 20-22 seats, according to exit 
polls. 
 
- More than one million demonstrators took to the streets 
across France on Tuesday to protest a new law that reduces 
job security for young workers. 
 
- Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis said the UN must 
launch a new Cyprus initiative.  The Greek Cypriot press 
said British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw is examining the 
possibility of starting direct flights to Turkish Cyprus. 
 
Economy News 
- Finance Minister Unakitan said the government is preparing 
to implement VAT discounts in tourism and other sectors in 
Turkey, a move that many commentators have said is contrary 
to Turkey's agreement with the IMF. 
 
 Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
 
  http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
MCELDOWNEY