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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 003164 
 
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 31, 2006 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
 
Turkey Sends Support Messages to Iraqi Government 
Sabah, Milliyet, Cumhuriyet, Zaman, Yeni Safak and others: 
Turkey's Special Representative to Iraq Oguz Celikkol met in 
Baghdad with the Iraqi Prime Minister and Foreign Minister 
to convey messages of support from Prime Minister Erdogan 
and Foreign Minister Gul.  Celikkol told the Iraqi leaders 
that since a new government has been formed, Iraq is 
expected to take steps to combat the PKK.  He also said 
Turkey would not remain indifferent to developments in 
Kirkuk, and the three-party mechanism must be revived 
against the PKK.  He also requested the banning of Iraqi 
political parties close to the PKK.  Yeni Safak says 
Celikkol has invited Foreign Minister Jabari to Turkey, but 
Ankara believes it is too early to issue an official 
invitation for President Talabani to visit Turkey.  Turkish 
sources told the press Celikkol used an American military 
plane to travel to Baghdad for security reasons. 
 
Commenting in the conservative-nationalist daily Turkiye, 
Nuri Elibol suggests that the PKK will be a tool for the US 
against Iran and other regimes in the region: "For many 
years Turkey has been trying to get a green light from the 
US to eradicate the PKK in Iraq.  But because the US plans 
to use the PKK against Iran, Syria and possibility even 
Turkey, the US doesn't want to take any action against them. 
Before the US launches an operation against Syria or Iran, 
all kind of advance actions, including acts of sabotage, 
will be launched by the PKK. Then the US will launch the 
main operation while these countries are in a state of 
shock.  Therefore, the US considers the PKK to be an 
important subcontractor in a possible operation against 
Iran." 
 
Turkish-Armenian "Secret" Talks 
Cumhuriyet says that secret meetings between Turkey and 
Armenia took place during a visit of Foreign Minister 
Abdullah Gul to Vienna in March for the EU Troika meeting. 
Turkey proposed forming two committees to handle 
disagreements, and wants the genocide claims to be discussed 
by historians.  Yerevan rejected the proposal, but is 
positive about launching political discussions with Ankara. 
 
Lawsuit against Baydemir for Transporting Dead Terrorist 
All papers report the Chief Prosecutor's Office has filed a 
lawsuit against Mayor Osman Baydemir of Diyarbakir for 
sending a municipal ambulance to transport the body of a PKK 
terrorist killed in a clash with Turkish security forces 
during the social unrest in the mainly Kurdish southeastern 
city in late March.  The prosecutor demanded a jail term up 
to one year for Baydemir and three other municipal personnel 
for "improper use of public vehicles under Turkey's 
transportation laws."  Baydemir said his municipality 
considered such requests a humanitarian duty, and that they 
do not investigate the identity of the deceased at such 
occasions. 
 
Annan Pessimistic on Current Conditions in Cyprus 
All papers:  UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said in a 
letter to Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat that the 
existing conditions in Cyprus do not allow the reactivation 
of the UN goodwill mission in the divided island.  The 
Turkish Cypriot "President" said despite the fact that Annan 
said that conditions prevented the resuming of the UN-backed 
efforts, the UNSYG ordered his assistant for political 
matters, Ibrahim Gambari, to visit the island soon to see 
the situation. 
 
ANKARA 00003164  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
Greek, Turkish Ships Avoid Row near Aegean Islet 
All papers report a Turkish navy ship left a disputed area 
in the Aegean Sea following the arrival of the Greek Coast 
Guard to help a Greek fishing boat that had been ordered by 
the Turkish ship to leave the area near an uninhabited 
islet, Kardak (known to Greeks as Imia,) in the eastern 
Aegean.  The two countries almost clashed in 1996 over that 
same islet.  The incident off Kardak came days after fighter 
jets from the two nations collided over the Aegean Sea. 
 
CODEL Blunt Discusses Iran with Prime Minister Erdogan 
Sabah, Zaman, Yeni Safak and others report US members of the 
Congressional Delegation headed by Congressman Roy Blunt 
urged Prime Minister Erdogan to take both a personal and 
official interest with regard to Iran's nuclear capabilities 
during a meeting in Ankara on Tuesday.  Erdogan told the 
delegation the US should not ignore Iran's call for 
negotiations, stressing Turkey favored a fair solution to 
the crisis.  Erdogan and the US delegation also discussed 
Cyprus, relations between Israel and Palestine, Iraq and the 
so-called Armenian genocide. 
 
Commentary on Iran 
Sami Uslu writing in the Islamist-oriented daily Zaman warns 
Iran that that it shouldn't rely on others for help: 
"Evaluating Iranian President Ahmedinejad's remarks, one can 
see clearly that he is relying on some people or something. 
But, Saddam Hussein used to rely on some people too. Once 
upon a time, Libyan leader Kaddafi trusted the Soviet Union 
and threatened the US.  But, when the US planes were bombing 
Libya, Russian technicians in Libya to use antiaircraft 
weapons, couldn't even stick their heads out of their tents. 
Another example is Vietnam: with support from Russia, 
Vietnam once threatened China but China retaliated severely 
with tanks and rockets. The Ottoman Empire also lost most of 
its land during World War 1 because it stood together with 
the Germans.  It is obvious that Ahmedinejad is relying on 
Russia, China and Europe and that he believes that they will 
balance the US.  I am afraid the result of this calculation 
will be disappointment.  Any steps taken in the 
international arena without relying solely on your own power 
create irreparable results." 
 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV (7 a.m.) 
 
Domestic News 
 
- Prime Minister Erdogan told his party group Turkey's 
credibility had increased globally with exports rising from 
36 billion USD to 73.4 billion as of end-2005, thanks to his 
government's efforts to promote Turkish interests around the 
world.  Erdogan said he would visit Croatia on June 12, 
Macedonia on June 13-14, and Strasbourg on June 28. 
 
- King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, in Turkey as the official 
guest of President Sezer, visited the Turkish parliament on 
Tuesday.  Swedish businessmen accompany their King to 
Turkey, looking for new investment opportunities in the 
country. 
 
- Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Seer said Turkey will 
give Turkish Cyprus a loan of 135 million USD. 
 
- The leader of Turkey's main Kurdish party DTP, Ahmet Turk, 
called for a sweeping amnesty for members of the PKK, 
including their imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan, at a 
meeting in the northern Iraqi city of Suleymaniye. 
 
ANKARA 00003164  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
- Two Turkish soldiers and two PKK terrorists were killed in 
a clash in Cudi mountain in the southeastern Sirnak province 
on Turkey's borders with Iraq and Syria. 
 
- Turkey's parliament is set to approve a controversial 
social security reform bill a second time this week, 
overriding President Sezer's veto of the IMF-backed reform 
earlier this month, saying it cut already-low pensions and 
set the retirement age at 65 in a country where the life 
expectancy is 66.  The main opposition CHP left the 
parliamentary discussions on the bill.  Hundreds of retired 
people and public servants clashed with riot police in 
Ankara during protests against the bill yesterday. 
 
International News 
 
- The EU's foreign policy chief Javier Solana said if Tehran 
rejects a prospective package of incentives in exchange of 
halting uranium enrichment, it would be a clear indication 
that Iran was working to produce nuclear weapons. 
 
- A bomb targeting Greek Culture Minister George Voulgarakis 
went off near his home in Athens, causing material damage in 
the neighborhood but no injuries. 
 
- The EU's highest court ruled that it was unlawful to order 
European airlines to pass on to the US government 
information about transatlantic air travelers. 
 
- The European Union has put the Sri Lankan Tamil rebels on 
its list of terrorist organizations. 
 
 Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
 
  http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON