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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002472 
 
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 
THURSDAY, MAY 4, 2006 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
 
EU Slams Turkey on Freedom of Expression, Kurdish Rights 
All papers:  The EU Commission Representative Hansjorg 
Kretschmer said with regard to the overruling of a court 
decision to suspend a prison sentence given to Armenian 
journalist Hrant Dink by a high court that the political 
authority in Turkey was responsible for the "unlawfulness" 
in the judiciary.  Kretschmer stressed that the reform 
process in Turkey was being suspending, urging the 
government to be sterner if it really supports EU reforms. 
Kretschmer noted that the EU Commission's enlargement report 
would mention not only the trial of journalist Hrant Dink, 
but also other cases related to freedom of expression. 
"There is a clear threat to freedom of expression in Turkey, 
and our attitude will not change before the threat is over. 
There are also negative developments with regard to 
religious freedom. Turkey cannot board the EU train without 
a breakthrough on these issues," Kretschmer warned. 
 
Joost Lagendijk, co-chairman of Turkey-EU joint 
parliamentary commission, told the Turkish Parliament 
yesterday although he understood that the government was 
busy with preparations for elections in 2007, reforms should 
not be forgotten, urging the Turkish government to clarify 
its positions on freedom of expression.  With respect to the 
Semdinli investigation, Lagendijk said Van Prosecutor Ferhat 
Sarikaya was sacked for inspecting the case.  "It seems that 
somebody is trying to hush up the issue," Lagendijk 
emphasized.  Lagendijk also said that several political 
groups in the European Parliament have condemned PKK 
terrorism, and that his colleagues have called on the Kurds 
in Turkey to "abandon old methods."  He noted the 
significance of maintaining economic development and 
cultural rights in southeast Turkey, and suggested Turks 
give positive messages by extending the permitted hours of 
Kurdish broadcasts and giving the Kurds the right to be 
represented at the Turkish Parliament. 
 
A third warning came from EU spokeswoman Krisztina Nagy who 
stressed that the new anti-terror law should be in harmony 
with the spirit of reforms in Turkey.  Cumhuriyet calls the 
Nagy statement the first warning from Brussels regarding the 
anti-terror bill. 
 
Erdogan-Ahmadinejad Baku Meeting; Larijani Due in Ankara 
Cumhuriyet and Sabah claim the US and Israel have sent to 
Turkey a message through "unofficial" channels that they do 
not approve of a possible bilateral meeting between Prime 
Minister Erdogan with the Iranian President Ahmadinejad in 
Baku at the ECO summit, which both leaders are scheduled to 
attend. Therefore, the papers report, Erdogan and 
Ahmadinejad will only meet briefly on the sidelines of the 
meeting.  Cumhuriyet comments that, by doing so, Ankara is 
trying to please Iran, and the US and Israel.  Turkish 
Foreign Ministry (MFA) Spokesman Namik Tan said in a weekly 
press briefing that during  his visit to Ankara next week, 
Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani will be warned 
to be more transparent in dealings with the IAEA and the 
international community.  Larijani is expected to meet Prime 
Minister Erdogan, Foreign Minister Gul, and National 
Security Council (MGK) Secretary General Alpogan on Monday. 
 
PKK Threatens to Retaliate if Attacked in Northern Iraq 
Milliyet, Cumhuriyet, Radikal, Zaman and others report Murat 
Karayilan, the PKK's senior commander, yesterday threatened 
to retaliate if Turkey or Iran attacked the PKK camps in 
northern Iraq.  Karayilan told a news conference in Raniyah 
 
ANKARA 00002472  002 OF 003 
 
 
the PKK would increase attacks in major Turkish cities if 
Iran and Turkey continue attacking the bases of the PKK or 
other Kurdish groups.  Papers report that in the face of the 
Iranian bombings and Turkey's military preparations, the PKK 
militants and Kurds settled in villages near Mount Kandil 
began evacuating their camps and homes.  Cumhuriyet says in 
an effort to prevent Turkish operations, the PKK leaders, 
through their media outlets, called on Ankara to meet with 
the Kurds' "legal representatives" in Turkey. 
 
In a commentary in mainstream Sabah, Asli Aydintasbas 
reported that last week, in a written note of protest, Iraq 
asked Turkey to pull back its troops deployed in Northern 
Iraq, but that Baghdad withdrew the demand within 48 hours, 
following the visit of US Secretary of State Condoleezza 
Rice.  The note, presented to the Turkish Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs on the day Secretary Rice left Turkey for 
Baghdad, reflected Iraqi officials' concerns about possible 
Turkish cross-border operations in Iraq and also asked 
Turkey to withdraw its troops from Northern Iraq. 
Aydintasbas says that in response, Turkish officials 
stressed that Turkish troops were working in coordination 
with US troops and Iraqi officials and that the main goal of 
Turkish troops was not to damage Iraqi sovereignty, but, on 
the contrary, to boost coordination and fight against the 
PKK.  Aydintasbas reports that "at this point, Washington 
intervened and the escalating Turkey -Baghdad tensions 
eased"  as Washington officially told Baghdad that it did 
not support such demands and that Turkish troops were 
cooperating with US troops in Mosul, and that they had been 
there for a long time.  Aydintasbas concludes that "the 
positive role the US played during this process was 
appreciated by Turkey, because, without the help, not only 
the relationship between Turkey and Iraq but that between 
Turkey and Washington as well, would have been affected 
negatively." 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV, 8.00 a.m. 
 
Domestic News 
- A bomb believed to have been placed by the PKK went off 
beside a bus carrying military officers' children home from 
school on Wednesday in the city of Hakkari in southeast 
Turkey, injuring 21 people including 11 children.  President 
Sezer strongly denounced the attack. 
 
- PM Erdogan is to meet his Greek counterpart Karamanlis in 
Thessalonica, Greece on Thursday to discuss bilateral ties 
and the Greek Cypriots' accession to Turkish ports and 
airports.  Karamanlis will make clear during the meeting 
whether he will visit Turkey in the short term or not. 
 
- Turkey's main Kurdish party Democratic Society Party (DTP) 
said its Co-Chairmen Ahmet Turk and Aysel Tugluk will travel 
to northern Iraq to participate in the opening of the 
Kurdish Parliament in Erbil on May 7. 
 
- A court fined ANAP leader Erkan Mumcu to pay TL 10,000 in 
compensation to Prime Minister Erdogan for insulting 
comments in an interview with Vatan daily. 
 
- On World Press Day, AKP MP Ertugrul Yalcinbayir has urged 
PM Erdogan and other politicians to withdraw lawsuits 
against journalists. 
 
- The Turkish Naval Forces Command said on Wednesday Turkey, 
Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania and Russia will join the ''Black 
Sea Partnership-2006" maneuvers to be held in the western 
Black Sea from May 5-12.  The maneuvers aim at developing 
 
ANKARA 00002472  003 OF 003 
 
 
military cooperation among the Black Sea littoral countries. 
 
- Greenpeace has sent a letter to President Sezer urging him 
to veto some anti-environment provisions of Turkey's new 
environment bill. 
 
International News 
- The European Union has suspended entry talks with Serbia- 
Montenegro after Belgrade failed to hand over war criminal 
General Mladic to The Hague.  Serbia's deputy prime minister 
resigned on Wednesday after the EU suspension. 
 
- A report by the New York-based Committee to Protect 
Journalists says North Korea tops the world's most censored 
countries. 
 
- Only the Turkish Ambassador to Lithuania will represent 
Turkey at the May 4 summit meeting in that country where 
leaders from the European Union, United States and the newly 
emerging democracies in the Black Sea region will discuss EU 
expansion and the NATO military alliance. 
 
 
 Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
 
  http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON