VZCZCXRO9995
OO RUEHDA
DE RUEHAK #2624/01 1301452
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 101452Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5480
RUEKJCS/CJCS WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC//PA
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU
INFO RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 7174
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0487
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 0723
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 5263
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 4973
RUCNDT/SMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1590
RUEUITH/DET 1 39LG ANKARA TU
RHMFISS/USDOCO 6ATAF IZMIR TU
RHFIUU/39OS INCIRLIK AB TU
RHMFIUU/AFOSI DET 523 IZMIR TU
RHMFIUU/39ABG INCIRLIK AB TU
RHMFIUU/AFOSI DET 522 INCIRLIK AB TU
RUEUITH/AFLO ANKARA TU

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 002624 
 
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, MAY 10, 2006 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Aftermath of Larijani Visit to Ankara 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Cumhuriyet, Radikal, Zaman, Yeni 
Safak and others:  During his meetings in Ankara on Monday, 
Iranian chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani warned Turkish 
officials that the measures applied against Iran today could 
be applied against Turkey tomorrow.   Larijani argued that 
the West had launched a Crusade and that Turkey had to 
support Iran.  Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said Larijani 
had been urged to pursue realistic policies and to stay 
close to the international community.  Gul stressed there 
were already many problems in the region and that Iran 
should not exaggerate the disagreements.  Mainstream papers 
comment Larijani tried to win the support of Turkish 
government against the US, but instead received sharp 
warnings from Turks who have made a clear determination to 
act in line with UN resolutions with respect to Tehran's 
nuclear program.  Ankara told Larijani that Iran would be 
isolated if it refuses to abandon the program. 
 
Papers say the 18-page letter sent by President Ahmadinejad 
to President Bush did not mention the nuclear issue 
currently in discussion.  Papers quote Secretary Rice as 
saying the letter "does not provide any opening" on the 
nuclear issue.  The White House shrugged off the letter 
saying it was "useless propaganda."  The mainstream press 
pointed to the religious tone of the letter, in which 
Ahmadinejad "invited Bush to religion." 
 
Iran's Ambassador to Turkey, Firuz Dowlatabadi, went to 
Tehran following Larijani's meetings in Ankara to help 
prepare for the upcoming visit of Foreign Minister Gul to 
Iran. 
 
Writing in Dunya newspaper, Zafer Atay notes that every high 
level Turkish official told Larijani that Iran should stop 
escalating tensions and should convince the world that their 
nuclear program is only for peaceful goals.  Zafer points 
out that although Iran has threatened serious retaliation if 
the US does attack, those threats may not be enough to deter 
the US as "the adventurous officials in charge in the US, 
the world's only super power, are ready to risk any action." 
Zafer continues that a "new war at Turkey's borders would 
damage its strategic and economic stability" adding that if 
the UN decides on sanctions against Iran, "Turkey would have 
to comply," finally concluding that "Turkey cannot afford to 
ignore nuclear proliferation in the region." 
 
Fikret Bila writing in Milliyet contends that by attacking 
the PKK in Iraq and claiming that the US is negotiating with 
the PKK, Iran is clearly trying to create a wedge between 
the US and Turkey, sending Turkey the message that "Iran is 
doing what you want the US to do regarding the PKK issue; in 
your fight against the PKK, your ally is not Washington but 
Tehran." Bila argues that Iran's nuclear power is causing 
anti-American sentiments in the Muslim countries to increase 
as "Iran reiterates to the Islamic world that Iran's nuclear 
power belongs to whole Islamic world, and concludes "Iran's 
goal is to change the balance of power in the world. This 
goal is the biggest concern for the US and the reason why 
Tehran became a US target." 
 
Erdogan Meets French Businessmen against Armenian "Genocide" 
Bill 
All papers:  On Tuesday, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan 
received 22 representatives of French companies operating in 
Turkey.  During the meeting Erdogan requested support from 
the businessmen against the French draft bill which brings 
sanctions against denial of the "genocide" of Armenians by 
 
ANKARA 00002624  002 OF 004 
 
 
Ottoman forces in World War I, saying the approval of the 
draft bill could have an adverse affect on ties between 
Turkey and France. 
The French representatives of noted companies such as 
Renault, Peugeot, Carrefour, Danone and Lafarge assured 
Erdogan that they opposed the bill, and that they have sent 
a letter to President Chirac and French lawmakers to scrap 
the draft.  The draft bill to be voted in the French 
parliament on May 18 brings up to a year of imprisonment and 
a fine of up to Euro 45,000 for those who deny the "Armenian 
genocide."  Milliyet reports nine Turkish intellectuals, 
known for their anti-government views in the Armenian 
controversy, had published a declaration in the French daily 
Liberation criticizing the bill.  Turkish papers say Ankara 
is considering banning French and Canadian companies from 
bidding in state contracts, including projects for building 
nuclear power plants in Turkey. 
 
A Turkish judge from the European Court of Human Rights 
(ECHR,) Ali Ryza Turmen, said the French draft could be 
carried to the ECHR on the grounds that Article 10 of the 
European Human Rights Convention contains provisions 
protecting freedom of expression.  On Tuesday, the 
government and the Turkish General Staff (TGS) decided to 
boycott "Maple Flag-06" international military exercises to 
be held in Canada on May 12 in response to the Canadian 
Prime Minister's recent statements regarding Armenian 
"genocide." 
 
In remarks regarded by Turkish papers as a "veiled threat," 
the French Ambassador to Ankara reminded FM Gul that France 
was a member of the EU, and thus good bilateral ties were in 
Turkey's interest. 
 
EU Ambassadors Concerned over Turkey's New Anti-Terror Bill 
All papers report the ambassadors of the European Union 
countries to Ankara on Tuesday expressed concern to Foreign 
Minister Abdullah Gul regarding Turkey's new draft anti- 
terrorism law and also the unrest in Turkey's southeast 
region.  Gul hosted a dinner in honor of the EU ambassadors 
on Europe Day.  The European ambassadors said many observers 
believed the new anti-terrorism law would seriously harm and 
restrict civilian rights in Turkey.  The new bill, which was 
speeded up following the recent resurgence of terror 
activities across Turkey, extends and redefines terror 
offenses.  According to the draft, human and drug 
trafficking, blocking the right to education, influencing 
tenders, prostitution, pollution, and credit cards forgery 
may be treated as terror offenses.  The Turkish Parliament 
is to discuss the bill today. 
 
Sabanci Wants AKP Government to Tackle Structural Economic 
Problems 
Omer Sabanci, the chairman of Turkey's elite business 
grouping TUSIAD said since it took power in 2002, the ruling 
AK Party government has successfully implemented the IMF- 
backed economic program, with Turkey's Central Bank pursuing 
a tight monetary policy.  "The government's work on 
privatization and the restructuring of the banking system 
has been successful.  However, we expect a single party 
government to move faster and firmer on structural problems 
such as the unregistered economy and regional 
underdevelopment in Turkey," Sabanci emphasized. 
 
Murdoch to Buy "TGRT-TV," Christian Channel on Air in Turkey 
Vatan reports the American "media giant" Rupert Murdoch is 
bargaining with Turkey's Ihlas Holding Group of Companies to 
buy TGRT-TV for an estimated USD 140-200 million.  Murdoch 
will reportedly turn the conservative/nationalist TGRT-TV 
into an entertainment channel. 
 
ANKARA 00002624  003 OF 004 
 
 
 
Hurriyet reports a Christian TV channel, Turk-7, kicked off 
broadcasts in Turkey through SAT-1 satellite.  Turk-7 owners 
Fatma Unlu, a Turkish woman converted to Christianity, and 
David Middleton, an Irish citizen, said initial reactions 
coming mostly from non-Muslim viewers had been positive, but 
some newspapers were attacking them for launching Christian 
propaganda.  Turk-7 broadcasts religious cartoons for 
children, Bible stories, and documentaries on the life of 
Jesus Christ for two hours a day on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 
 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV (7 a.m.) 
 
Domestic News 
- Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is due to leave later 
today for Austria where he will attend the EU Presidents and 
State Leaders meeting tomorrow. 
 
Erdogan will attend the EU-Latin America Summit as the 
special guest of Austrian Prime Miniser Wolfgang Schssel. 
Erdogan will meet his Austrian counterpart to discuss 
bilateral relations on Thursday on the sidelines of the EU- 
Latin America summit. 
 
Austria is to hold a friendly match between a combined 
Europe team and a combined Latin America team on May 11 as 
part of activities to mark the hand-over of the EU term 
presidency to Finland. PM Erdogan, along with a former 
Turkish national team player, is to wear the jersey of the 
combined EU football team against a combined Latin America 
team in Vienna. 
 
 
Upon completion of his Austrian visit, Erdogan will visit 
Indonesia to attend the D-8 summit to be held on the 
Indonesian island of Bali on 12-13 May. 
 
- The AKP disciplinary board has decided to expel Fuat 
Gecen, lawmaker from Hatay province, from the party for 
claiming irregularities within the ruling party. 
 
- The European Commission has again conveyed to the Turkish 
government EU concerns that Turkish reforms had slowed down. 
 
- "Egitim-Sen" teachers' union accuses the ruling AK Party 
of instating party members in the Ministry of Education. 
 
International News 
- Iran claimed the US has moved a brigade to the Iraqi 
border with Iran for espionage activities. 
 
- Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Nuri al-Maliki said he 
expected to establish a national unity government in the 
forthcoming days, ending five months of stalemate since the 
elections held in December. 
 
- A car bomb killed 17 and wounded 35 others on Tuesday at a 
market in the Iraqi town of Tal Afar close to the Syrian 
border. 
 
- The Israeli deputy PM Shimon Peres said President 
Ahmadinejad should be aware of the fact that Iran can also 
be destroyed. 
 
- Greek opposition party PASOK sparked hot debates by 
nominating a member of the Turkish minority as a candidate 
for a key post in Western Thrace. 
 Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
 
ANKARA 00002624  004 OF 004 
 
 
 
  http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON