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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 002043 
 
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, APRIL 14, 2006 
 
 
  In Today's Papers 
 
  AKP Government Responds to the President's Comments on 
  Fundamentalism 
  All papers:  On behalf of the government, Deputy PM 
  Mehmet Ali Sahin responded to President Sezer's remarks 
  yesterday that the ruling AK party has laid the 
  groundwork for religious fundamentalism.  Rejecting 
  claims that the government has filled the bureaucracy 
  with Islamists, Sahin said that public personnel are 
  hired through a centralized examination and placement 
  system.  Sahin said that the government and the AKP are 
  as determined as Sezer is to protect the secularism of 
  the state. "If the president has a list of individuals 
  who have entered or are about to enter public service, or 
  who have been involved in reactionary or separatist 
  activities, then he should pass these names to me," Sahin 
  added.  Meanwhile, the leader of the main opposition 
  party (CHP) Deniz Baykal backed Sezer by saying "the 
  president didn't intend to create tension; that has been 
  done by the government." 
 
  Human Rights Watch Member Deported Yesterday 
  Birgun:  Human Rights Watch (HRW) member Jonathan Sugden, 
  who was in Turkey monitoring human rights in Bingol, was 
  deported yesterday for not having a work visa.  HRW 
  officials stressed that Mr. Sugden is an expert who has 
  been monitoring the human rights violations in Turkey for 
  decades and that he came to Turkey several times with a 
  tourist visa and completed his research without any 
  problems. The organization urged Turkey to stop arresting 
  and deporting HRW officers, stating that efforts to cover 
  up the human rights violations in Turkey are still very 
  strong. 
 
  Barrels of Toxic Waste in Tuzla 
  All papers:  After finding hundreds of barrels of toxic 
  waste last Saturday in Tuzla, a second group of barrels, 
  even more environmentally hazardous, have been 
  discovered.  There is a risk of water contamination in a 
  nearby river if poisonous chemicals have leaked from the 
  barrels.  Zaman reports that burying of toxic waste is 
  not the only environmental problem in Turkey and reminds 
  readers that 1850 tons of toxic waste polluted Iskenderun 
  Gulf last year when a Spanish ship sunk there. Speaking 
  at the parliament, Environment Minister Osman Pepe said, 
  "Provincial units from the Environment & Forestry 
  Ministry filed all the complaints regarding the barrels 
  suspected of carrying toxic and dangerous materials and 
  the Public Prosecutor's office has started an 
  investigation." 
 
  Social Security Reform Package Debates in Parliament 
  Radikal, Cumhuriyet:  Reform package in Turkey's Social 
  Security System faced heated debates in the parliament 
  yesterday before it was passed.  The bill suggests 
  merging all social security institutions under one roof. 
  The reform aims to cut Turkey's large social security 
  deficit through more efficient management and by raising 
  the retirement age.  The atmosphere was tense during 
  yesterday's debates.  Main opposition CHP deputies 
  protested the package and walked out of the debates. 
  Other opposition parties chose to speak up against the 
  reform package. 
 
  Islamic Conference Concludes 
  All papers:  The Istanbul Conference of the 
  Parliamentarian Union of the Organization of Islamic 
  Conference concluded yesterday with the issuing of  final 
 
ANKARA 00002043  002 OF 002 
 
 
  statement entitled the 'Istanbul declaration'.  The 
  Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), on Turkey's 
  request, changed the official way of referring to Turkish 
  Cypriots from the "Muslim Community in Cyprus" to the 
  "Turkish State of Cyprus."  A call on the international 
  community to take concrete steps to end the inhumane 
  isolation of the Turkish Cypriots was also included in 
  the final declaration. 
 
  Controversy Over Turkish Defense Bids 
  Bugun:  Following the story in Bugun yesterday regarding 
  the terms for the Turkish defense bids, about which 
  Ambassador Wilson had sent a letter to Turkish Defense 
  Minister, the Undersecretary of  the Turkish Defense 
  Industry Murat Bayar explained that there are some 
  unchangeable conditions in defense bids to protect 
  Turkey's national interests, such as technology transfer. 
  Bayar rejected the contract terms as a secret embargo 
  against the US and said that Turkey welcomed all 
  bidders..  However, Bayar added that Turkey had 
  difficulties with the US particularly on the issue of 
  renewing export licenses by administrations. 
 
  TV Highlights 
  NTV (7 a.m.) 
 
  Domestic News 
  -    Deputy Prime Minister Sahin responded to the 
  criticism of President Sezer about the rise of 
  fundamentalism in Turkey 
  -    More barrels containing toxic waste have been found 
  in Tuzla 
 
 
  International News 
  -  Mohammed El Baradei is on a mission to Iran to check 
  whether Iran has complied with a UN Security Council 
  request to suspend its nuclear research program. 
 
  Economy News 
  -    Social Security Reform will enter into effect 
  tomorrow 
  -    The World Bank will give Turkey $150 million loan to 
  strengthen its electricity system 
 
 Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
 
  http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON