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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002662 
 
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 11, 2006 
 
 
A QUICK LOOK AT THE TURKISH PRESS 
May 11, 2006 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Turks Lobby in Paris against Armenian "Genocide" Draft 
All papers continue coverage of Turkish efforts in the face 
of a controversial Armenian "genocide" bill that will be 
considered by the French Parliament on May 18.  On 
Wednesday, a Turkish parliamentary delegation of the ruling 
and opposition parties, in Paris to lobby against the bill, 
met with the French Parliament Speaker Jean-Louis Debre. 
The Turkish delegation reportedly pointed to the calls for 
the boycott of French goods in Turkey, stressing bilateral 
ties would be harmed if the draft becomes a law, making the 
denial of Armenian "genocide" a crime.  Some renowned 
Turkish intellectuals including Turkish Armenians Etyen 
Mahcupyan and Hrant Dink, professors Baskin Oran, Halil 
Berktay and Murat Belge, and novelist Elif Shafak said in an 
advertisement published in Liberation such a bill would 
block free discussions both in France and Turkey, disrupting 
the "questioning of historical and common memory."  "We, the 
citizens of Turkey, feel the burden of the inhuman calamity 
which Ottoman Armenians were subjected to.  We share their 
pain.  No one can deny the ruthless acts of 1915.  As the 
Armenian conference in Istanbul in September last year 
revealed, the ongoing democratization process in Turkey can 
enlighten the 90-year darkness.  The draft law to be debated 
by the French parliament will obstruct free discussions both 
in France and Turkey.  Today, both parties are far from 
conveying their views to the one another.  Armenian efforts 
supporting laws restricting freedom of expression in 
response to the Turkish state's policy of denial can spark 
stricter disagreements.  Therefore, we call on Armenians not 
to make a mistake which will be quite difficult to correct 
in the future," the advertisement said.  Turkish papers 
report Prime Minister Erdogan said he was "confident" that 
France would "not make a wrong move". 
 
Writing in Radikal, Murat Yetkin observed that an embargo 
against French goods in Turkey would "have legal and 
economic consequences for Ankara not for Paris." He urges 
"wise men" to "stand up with wisdom, common sense and 
knowledge and make their voices heard" so that Turkey will 
admit that regarding the Armenian issue, "the emperor has no 
clothes and that the current policy cannot even be called a 
policy." 
 
MFA Denies Gul Will Visit Iran 
Radikal, Yeni Safak report Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) 
Spokesman Namik Tan has rejected reports that during a 
recent visit to Ankara, Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali 
Larijani gave Turkey documents proving meetings between US 
officials and PKK militants in Iraq took place.  Tan also 
rejected press reports that Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul 
would pay a visit to Iran. 
 
Asli Aydintasbas comments in Sabah that Iran is in the 
middle of a "serious global public relation offensive," 
which appears to be "rather successful." Aydintasbas notes 
that by launching operations against the PKK and accusing 
the US of having contacts with the PKK, "Iran scored a goal 
against the US in Turkey's arena."  She concludes that with 
this public relations campaign, Iran is building "step by 
step" the infrastructure to position itself to "bargain with 
the US face to face" and that "that was the main reason for 
Larijani's visit to Ankara." 
 
New "Danistay" Head Warns against Fundamentalism, Criticizes 
AKP 
 
ANKARA 00002662  002 OF 003 
 
 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Cumhuriyet, Radikal, Zaman and 
others:  The newly-elected head of the Council of State 
(Danistay) Sumru Cortoglu warned the ruling AK Party in a 
ceremony yesterday against partisan appointments to public 
posts, judicial rulings, and threats to secularism.  She 
said some fundamentalist groups were threatening Turkey's 
constitutional order, stressing that religious freedoms 
could be restricted to protect public life and secular 
values.  Cortoglu also strongly criticized a regulation 
which will bring changes in the bureaucracy in the case of 
the appointment of a new government.  Prime Minister Erdogan 
shrugged off the warnings, saying similar speeches had been 
delivered at each Turkish judicial institution ceremony. 
 
Turkey-Greek "Dogfight" in Aegean 
All papers report Turkish jetfighters and helicopters 
participating in search and rescue maneuvers in the 
international waters of the Aegean were harassed by Greek 
warplanes yesterday.  Turkey sent jetfighters to the region, 
prompting a dogfight between Turkish and Greek planes that 
went on until the end of the exercises in the first air 
confrontation between the two sides since March 21.  Papers 
recall that in a recent meeting in Sofia, Turkish and Greek 
foreign ministers Gul and Bakoyannis had agreed to set up an 
emergency phone line to prevent dogfights in the Aegean. 
 
Sezer Vetoes Pensions Bill 
All papers:  President Ahmet Necdet Sezer has vetoed an IMF- 
backed pensions and health insurance reform bill which was 
to raise the retirement age gradually to 65 from the current 
58-60 and introduce universal health insurance as part of a 
package to overhaul Turkey's social security system.  A 
statement from Sezer's office said 65 was too high a 
retirement age in a country with an average life expectancy 
of 66.  The IMF wants the reforms to be passed by the 
Turkish parliament before it launches a review to release 
the next tranch of a USD 10 billion loan package.  Papers 
comment the veto might add to negative market sentiment 
generated by a court decision suspending the sale of the 
state-owned steel maker Erdemir. 
 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV, 8.00 a.m. 
 
Domestic News 
- PM Erdogan traveled to Austria on Wednesday to participate 
in the EU-Latin America Summit in Vienna.  Erdogan will move 
on to Indonesia on May 13 for the D-8 summit, which Iranian 
and Nigerian presidents, Malaysian and Pakistani prime 
ministers, and the Egyptian foreign minister will also 
attend. 
 
-  The main opposition CHP did not join the parliamentary 
subcommittee to discuss the controversial anti-terror bill 
in a move designed to protest Article 6 of the bill which, 
many believe, will pave the way for the release of the PKK's 
imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan. 
 
- Former members of Turkish Prime Ministry human rights 
advisory board, professors Ibrahim Kaboglu and Baskin Oran, 
were acquitted in a lawsuit filed against them for their 
report on Muslim and non-Muslim minorities in Turkey. 
 
- Police detained four suspected PKK terrorists, seizing 
five Kalashnikov rifles in the Aegean port city of Izmir. 
 
International News 
- Joost Hiltermann, Middle East analyst at the Brussels- 
based International Crisis Group, called on Washington to 
 
ANKARA 00002662  003 OF 003 
 
 
intervene to solve the Kirkuk problem before it is "too 
late." 
 
  -    President Bush said on Wednesday his younger brother 
     Jeb, the Governor of Florida, would make "a great president 
     for the United States." 
 
 
 Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
 
  http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON