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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002004 
 
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, APRIL 12, 2006 
 
  In Today's Papers 
 
  Erdogan Meets AKP MPs on Problems in Southeast Turkey 
  All papers:  On Tuesday, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan 
  discussed the problems and expectations of people in the 
  mainly Kurdish southeast Turkey with the ruling AK Party 
  lawmakers from the region.  The lawmakers told Erdogan 
  that the PKK was losing its grip in the region, urging 
  more investments and democratization.  In response to 
  some lawmakers calling for general amnesty on behalf of 
  the people in the southeast, Erdogan said that granting 
  such pardons would be impossible at a time of public 
  uproar at the funerals of security personnel killed by 
  the terrorists. 
 
  Twelve PKK militants and two Turkish troops were killed 
  in clashes yesterday in Sirnak near the Iraqi border. 
  Acting on a tip-off, police in Ankara detained 20 members 
  of the PKK who were preparing for attacks with Molotov 
  cocktails.  Five suspects were detained in connection 
  with a foiled bomb attack on a bus carrying judges and 
  prosecutors in Istanbul.  The Kurdistan Freedom Hawks 
  (TAK) claimed responsibility for the plot yesterday. 
 
  Erdogan 'Secretly' Meets with Iran Ambassador 
  Cumhuriyet claims on its front page Prime Minister Tayyip 
  Erdogan and the Iranian Ambassador in Ankara, Firuz 
  Dowlatabadi, held a secret meeting to discuss Tehran's 
  nuclear program, government formation efforts in Iraq, 
  and PKK terrorist infiltrations into Turkey.  Erdogan 
  told Dowlatabadi about the international community's 
  expectations from Iran, stressing that Tehran should 
  increase cooperation with the IAEA.  The two agreed that 
  a civil war in Iraq would affect the entire region, and 
  that a government must be formed in Baghdad at once.  The 
  meeting took place after Dowlatabadi returned from 
  Tehran, says Cumhuriyet, speculating that the Ambassador 
  might have brought a message to Erdogan from the Iranian 
  Administration. 
 
  Columnist Nuh Gonultas predicts region-wide chaos if the 
  US goes for the military option against Iran.  In his 
  column in the tabloid Bugun he writes:  "A war against 
  Iran will bring many consequences.  First, it will 
  aggravate Hizbullah in Lebanon and the Shiites in Iraq. 
  It is very likely that a war with Iran will lead to an 
  Israeli operation against the Hizbullah in Lebanon since 
  both Hizbullah and Hamas will be lethal to Israeli 
  security.  All of this will create a chain reaction and 
  lead to Syrian involvement." 
 
  Zafer Atay, writing in the economic-politic Dunya, 
  believes that an embargo will probably be used against 
  Iran, but wonders about the effectiveness: "Considering 
  the situation, cornering Iran seems to be the most likely 
  tactic and an embargo is the only way to do this.  A 
  comprehensive embargo against Iran will certainly push 
  the Tehran regime into a corner.  However we have to bear 
  in mind two realities as well.  First of all, embargoes 
  so far have not been very successful.  Secondly, oil will 
  play a major role.  Will the international community be 
  able to fully give up Iranian oil?" 
 
  Court Drops Charges Against 4 Journalists on Armenian 
  Conference Issue 
  Milliyet, Hurriyet, Aksam and others:  A court in 
  Istanbul dropped charges against four Turkish 
  journalists, Hasan Cemal, Ismet Berkan, Haluk Sahin and 
  Erol Katircioglu, accused of insulting the justice system 
  in Turkey, but decided to proceed with the trial of the 
 
 
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