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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002154 
 
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 18, 2006 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
New Anti-Terror Draft Submitted to Parliament 
Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman and others:  A 
draft bill to amend Turkey's anti-terror law has been 
submitted to the parliament.  The ruling AK Party government 
has broadened the scope of terrorist offences in the bill 
which will prompt fierce debate as its provisions could 
contradict Turkey's EU-linked reforms.  Journalists will 
face imprisonment, prosecutors will be authorized to ban 
publications, and human and drug trafficking, irregularities 
in state contracts, prostitution, pollution, and credit card 
forgery will be treated as terror offenses under the new law 
which also aims at curbing the financial resources of 
terrorism.  Media outlets which "promote and propagate 
terrorism" will be suspended for up to one month at the 
request of a public prosecutor.  Terrorist organizations' 
members will face 10 years imprisonment and supporters three 
years.  The same sentences will be applied to those who 
carry "a sign or emblem, or wear a uniform of a terrorist 
organization."  Dailies express concern that Turkish reforms 
in the last ten years to improve freedom of expression will 
suffer a setback.  Cumhuriyet says the measures introduced 
by the draft would be worse than those applied under marshal 
law. 
 
Warning the government about the negative impact of the 
newly introduced anti-terror law, columnist Fehmi Koru wrote 
in the Islamist-opinion maker Yeni Safak: "The government's 
"no step back from democracy" rhetoric conflicts with the 
anti-terror draft.  Almost every aspect of the anti-terror 
draft envisions the narrowing down of democratic rights and 
freedoms.  The new initiative has not only a potential for 
imposing limitations on citizen rights but also has 
potential to influence Turkey's future negatively.  The new 
anti-terror law also conflicts with all the EU-harmonization 
laws introduced by the government during the last four 
years." 
 
Turkey Names New Central Bank Governor 
All papers:  President Sezer approved the ruling AK Party 
nominee, Durmus Yilmaz, to be appointed to govern the 
Central Bank (CB,) ending a month of uncertainty that had 
threatened to undermine the country's economic gains. 
Yilmaz, 59, a UK-educated economist who has been with the 
Central Bank since 1980, pledged to continue the fight 
against inflation and to achieve "lasting price stability." 
Analysts said Yilmaz would bring steadiness to the bank and 
the conduct of monetary policy.  Yilmaz succeeds Sureyya 
Serdengecti, the widely admired governor whose term expired 
on March 14.  Turkey's financial markets rose after the 
announcement. 
 
Poll: Turks Don't Trust Political Leaders 
Milliyet:  A public opinion survey conducted by the ruling 
AK Party's Political Strategies Center, headed by AKP 
lawmaker Mahmut Kocak, showed 49.6 percent of respondents 
trusted none of the political leaders in Turkey.  79.6 
percent said they were mostly influenced by "nationalism" 
among several other trends.  The percentage of votes in case 
of general elections would be as AKP 28 percent, MHP 14, DYP 
12, CHP 11, pro-Kurdish DTP 5.5, and ANAP 4.3.  The survey 
was carried out with 16,704 people in 27 provinces between 
March 28 and April 9. 
 
Turkey Condemns Tel Aviv Suicide Bombing 
Sabah, Milliyet, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Yeni Safak and others: 
Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) condemned Monday's suicide 
attack in Tel Aviv that killed 10 and injured 50 others.  A 
statement by MFA urged the sides to block efforts to 
 
ANKARA 00002154  002 OF 003 
 
 
boosting violence in the region.  MFA Spokesman Namik Tan 
said at a weekly press briefing yesterday Hamas statements 
supporting terrorist attacks "are not helpful to the 
political process," adding "in line with the expectations of 
the international community, Hamas must take forward steps 
that would contribute to the process."  Sabah says Israel 
had been uneasy with Ankara's reluctance to condemn 
statements of Hamas officials justifying the attack.  In a 
phone conversation with FM Gul, the Israeli FM Livni urged 
Turkey to respond more strongly to Hamas statements 
supportive of terrorist actions.  Livni will soon pay a 
state visit to Ankara for meetings on Hamas, Sabah says. 
Meanwhile, Radikal reports the Palestinian Authority 
President Mahmoud Abbas will visit Ankara on April 24. 
 
Commenting in mainstream Sabah, Mehmet Barlas noted that 
while most see the tensions in the world as negative, there 
are also those who benefit: "The oil giants are certainly 
the number one on this list because every new crisis in the 
Middle East leads to a dramatic rise in oil prices which 
means a significant rise in profits.  The arms industry is 
undoubtedly another beneficiary of world tensions. Ongoing 
tensions with Iran also serve the interests of both the 
Iranian mullahs and American neo-cons.  Iranian religious 
figures are enjoying the opportunity to enhance their 
standing with the people while American neo-cons are also 
happy to have the chance to gain attention once again 
particularly after the Iraq failure." 
 
Secretary Rice Due to Visit Turkey 
 
SIPDIS 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Cumhuriyet, Radikal, Zaman and 
others report Secretary Rice is to visit Turkey on April 26 
before she participates in the NATO foreign ministers 
meetings in Sofia.  Rice will meet with President Sezer, 
Prime Minister Erdogan, and Foreign Minister Gul to discuss 
the PKK, nuclear strains with Iran, Palestine, and Cyprus. 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV, 8.00 a.m. 
 
Domestic News 
- Turkey's National Security Council (MGK) will meet on 
Thursday to discuss terrorism and Iran's nuclear activities. 
 
- Three PKK militants and one security personnel have been 
killed in operations in the southeastern provinces of 
Hakkari and Siirt.  22 people, including four women, have 
been detained in anti-terror operations in central Turkish 
provinces of Sivas and Tokat for recruiting new members for 
the PKK.  Four members of Turkey's main Kurdish party DTP 
have been detained in Tunceli for alleged ties with the PKK. 
 
- Four people detained in connection with burying barrels of 
toxic waste in Tuzla near Istanbul have been set free after 
the prosecutor said there is still no law under which they 
could be charged. 
 
- On April 22-23, State Minister for economy, Ali Babacan 
and accompanying economists will attend IMF and World Bank 
Spring meetings in Washington where they will also meet with 
US Treasury, and World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz.  The 
delegation will move on to New York on April 24 to attend 
the UN Economic and Social Council meeting. 
 
International News 
- Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis has reiterated 
support for Turkey's EU entry bid, urging Turkey to meet its 
political responsibilities for membership. 
 
- President Bush said "all options are on the table" in 
 
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dealing with Iran's nuclear program, stressing diplomacy is 
still the best course. 
 
- Secretary Rumsfeld said he won't quit despite calls by 
several retired American generals to step down. 
 
- Yalcin Ozbey, Turkish fugitive implicated in the 
assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II in 1981, has been 
rearrested in Brussels for crimes committed in Belgium.  He 
will appear before court on Thursday.  Turkey sent a file to 
the Belgian authorities for Ozbey's extradition. 
 
 Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
 
  http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON