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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 003256 
 
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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 
MONDAY, JUNE 5, 2006 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Lagendijk: Turkey Has Lost its EU Enthusiasm 
Milliyet, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman and others report Joost 
Lagendijk, co-chairman of the Turkey-European Union joint 
parliamentary committee, as saying "Turkey has lost its EU 
enthusiasm," putting the blame regarding the slowdown in 
reforms on the approach of elections in Turkey.  Lagendijk 
told a panel meeting in Amsterdam that Turkey has lost its 
EU membership ambitions and has brought EU-oriented reforms 
to a standstill. 
"The State Council shooting and the failure of the ruling 
AKP to continue the reforms have led to the loss of ambition 
for EU membership in the country," Lagendijk said. 
Lagendijk also criticized the opposition CHP for shifting to 
nationalism. 
 
US Deputy National Security Advisor J. D. Crouch's Visit to 
Ankara 
Aksam, Sabah, Zaman:  On the way to the Bucharest to 
participate at the Black Sea Partnership and Dialogue Forum, 
Deputy US National Security Advisor J. D. Crouch paid a one- 
day visit to Ankara and met with Foreign Ministry 
Undersecretary Ambassador Ali Tuygan and National Security 
Council Secretary General Yigit Alpogan.  Addressing 
journalists following his talks at the Foreign Ministry, the 
US envoy said that President Bush made a very important 
decision last week and put a very sincere proposal on the 
table.  Stressing that the incentive package is to the 
benefit of Iranians, Crouch expressed hope for a positive 
response from Tehran.  Regarding expectations of the United 
States from Turkey on the issue of the Black Sea, Crouch 
said there were several important opportunities in the 
fields of political end economic cooperation, as well as 
security, including combat against smuggling, and expressed 
support for Turkey's leading role here. 
 
Commenting in the leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet, Turkkaya 
Ataov urges a diplomatic solution be found for the Iran 
crisis, but fears the Bush administration is still trying to 
go it alone:  "As it did during the Iraq crisis, the Bush 
administration is trying to manipulate diplomacy for its own 
purposes regarding the Iran issue.  At this point the 
international community should do everything it can to 
prevent a war.  War must be left out as an option when it 
comes to dealing with Iran.  The US can find ways to resume 
dialogue with Iran which would not necessarily signify 
Washington's approval of the Iranian regime.  The Iranian 
nuclear program should be left up to the IAEA, because 
attacking Iran and creating another Iraq-like, chaotic 
situation is not a solution.  And for the integrity of 
global peace, we should insist that both Iran and Israel 
abandon nuclear weapons programs." 
 
In contrast, Washington-based Ali Aslan writing in the 
Islamist-intellectual daily Zaman credits Secretary Rice for 
the shift in US diplomacy away from the unilateral approach 
of the past: "Secretary Rice has eliminated the concerns 
that her appointment would dilute the role of the State 
Department in forming and conducting foreign policy.  In 
fact she has brought a stronger role for foreign diplomacy 
and helped revitalize the State Department.  These days, the 
Bush administration's usual unilateral approach has been 
replaced by a multilateral attitude with a spirit of 
consensus.  Rice helped the State Department become a key 
player in American foreign politics.  More important than 
the fact that European leaders are predisposed to listen to 
what Rice has to say is that President Bush also pays close 
 
ANKARA 00003256  002 OF 003 
 
 
attention to her thoughts.  This is all positive and 
comforting news for international relations.  Thanks to 
Secretary Rice's wise diplomacy, the Iran issue has not 
 
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turned into a unilateral act by the US.  The recent US offer 
to resolve the Iranian nuclear crisis has not only received 
support from Europeans, but even China and Russia have felt 
obliged to give support.  Secretary Rice deserves credit as 
President Bush has learned to listen to the voice of common 
sense from his friends.  Now it is Iran's turn." 
 
Sezer Will Not Meet Hamas during Israel-Palestine Visit 
Weekend papers report that during his state visit to Israel 
and Palestine June 6-8, President Sezer will urge the 
Israeli administration to continue the Middle East peace 
process in dialogue with Palestine.  Sezer will also ask the 
Israelis not to halt financial support for the Palestinian 
people.  While in Palestine, Sezer will decline to meet with 
the 
representatives of the Hamas government and will hold talks 
only with President Abbas.  Sezer reportedly turned down a 
request from Hamas Prime Minister Haniyah through Abbas to 
be received by the Turkish President.  Hamas' 
characterization of the April 17 suicide attack claiming 
several civilian deaths in Tel Aviv as "legitimate self- 
defense" played an important role in Sezer's decision. 
Papers say it's unclear whether Sezer will wear a yarmulke 
during his scheduled visit to the Holocaust Memorial. 
 
International Iraqi Fair to Begin in Gaziantep on June 7 
All papers:  The Iraq International Fair will be held on 
June 7-11 in Gaziantep, with over 30 countries and one 
thousand companies participating from the Far East to the 
Middle East and from Africa to Europe.  The fair has been 
organized by the Iraqi Trade Ministry in cooperation with 
the Gaziantep Chamber of Commerce, the Turkish Foreign Trade 
Undersecretariat, and the Turkish Union of Chambers (TOBB). 
The fair formerly known as the International Baghdad 
Exhibition, has been unable to hold its annual event since 
¶2002.  Hotels in Gaziantep, Mardin, Urfa, Adana and 
Kahramanmaras are reportedly booked to capacity. 
 
Turkey to Modernize Own Jetfighters 
Radikal reports Turkey's Defense Industry Undersecretariat 
(SSM) has decided the modernization of 48 F-4 jetfighters 
will be done at the Turkish Aerospace Industry (TAI) 
facilities in Eskisehir rather than contracted to Israeli 
companies.  Israel's IAI company had earlier renewed the 
first batch of 54 jetfighters for USD 632.5 million.  The 
SSM has also decided not to import Israeli radar and flight 
systems, leaving the renewal work to the state-owned 
"Havelsan" and "Aselsan" companies, thus saving USD 400 
million. 
 
Rich-Poor Gap Widening in Turkey 
Milliyet and Cumhuriyet report that Turkey Statistics 
Institute said there is a 25-fold gap between the 
distribution of national income among the wealthiest five 
percent and the poorest five percent, with an average annual 
per capita income of YTL 556 (USD 371) in the poorest group 
against YTL 13,444 (USD 8,960) in the richest.  The poorest 
five percent account for less than one percent of the 
national income. 
 
TV News 
(NTV, 8.00 a.m.) 
 
Domestic News 
 
- Prime Minister Erdogan and Foreign Minister Gul responded 
to criticism from Turkey's prestigious businessmen's 
 
ANKARA 00003256  003 OF 003 
 
 
grouping TUSIAD by saying they will not abandon its EU entry 
bid. 
 
- One Turkish soldier was killed and 8 others were wounded 
in a clash with PKK terrorists in the eastern province of 
Bingol late on Sunday.  Two thousand people condemned 
terrorism at the funeral of a soldier killed by terrorists 
in Sirnak. 
 
- On Sunday, the first oil pumped through the Baku-Tbilisi- 
Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline was loaded onto the tankers at 
Turkey's Mediterranean port of Ceyhan to be transported to 
world markets.  The presidents of Turkey, Georgia and 
Azerbaijan are to meet on July 13 in Ceyhan for the official 
opening ceremony.  Turkey will gain USD 300 million annually 
from the BTC which will transport 1 million barrels of oil 
daily. 
 
International News 
 
- Israeli Prime Minister Olmert said after meeting with 
President Mubarak in Egypt on Sunday that he would try to 
resume negotiations with the Palestinian Authority before 
taking any unilateral steps to set Israel's borders. 
 
- Secretary Rice said the incentives offered by the West to 
end Iran's nuclear program were not open-ended: "I'm not one 
for timelines and specific schedules, but I think it's fair 
to say that we really do have to have this settled over a 
matter of weeks, not months." 
 
 
 
 Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
 
  http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON