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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 003451 
 
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 
MONDAY, JUNE 12, 2006 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Gul Will Not Go to EU Meeting Until Greek Cypriot Obstacle Removed 
All papers:  Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said Sunday he would not 
go to Luxembourg for a regular meeting with EU counterparts until 
the EU foreign ministers sort out uncertainty over the official 
opening of Turkey's accession talks on the chapter of Science and 
Technology.  The Greek Cypriot Administration is blocking the 
conclusion of Turkey's first detailed accession negotiations until 
Turkey opens its ports and airports to Cypriot vessels and planes. 
Ankara has announced that it would boycott the EU meeting if 
Nicosia's demand is accepted by the EU.  Turkish papers expect the 
Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis as well as Vienna and London 
to mediate and end the resistance of the Greek Cypriots.  "We will 
adopt a new policy if EU foreign ministers succumb to the political 
problems raised by the Greek Cypriot Administration," Gul warned, 
saying he will not go to Luxembourg until he receives a call from 
the Austrian term president.  Meanwhile, EU Enlargement Commissioner 
Olli Rehn warned again over the weekend that there was a serious 
decline in Turkey's EU harmonization reforms. 
 
MFA Condemns Killing of Palestinian Civilians by Israel 
Weekend papers:  The Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) on Saturday 
denounced the killings of seven Palestinians by the Israeli military 
on Friday, warning that such attacks would increase tensions in the 
region. 
"Turkey expresses deep sorrow over the killing of the seven 
Palestinians including two babies and one woman by an Israeli 
artillery shell," the MFA statement said.  The MFA called on the 
sides to turn to the Road Map as the only alternative for peace. 
 
Bell, Boeing Want Turkish Helicopter Contract Bids Cancelled 
Yeni Safak reports that having been ousted from bidding on the USD 
1.5 billion-valued Turkish military contract for the sale of attack 
helicopters, US-based Boeing and Bell are now lobbying for the 
cancellation of the contract, claiming the helicopters offered by 
Eurocopter and other companies would not meet Turkish needs.  Unlike 
the German-French-Spanish Eurocopter, and companies from Italy, 
Russia and South Africa, US-based Boeing and Bell declined to meet 
Turkish conditions for technology transfer and direct participation 
of Turkish companies in the production process.  Boeing and Bell's 
withdrawal from the bidding made Eurocopter the company with the 
best chance to win the deal.  Turkey's Defense Industry Executive 
Committee will make a decision on June 27. 
 
Turkey Removes Some Restrictions on Kurdish Language Broadcasting 
Radikal reports that the Radio and Television Supreme Board (RTUK) 
has unanimously removed the time restrictions for Kurdish language 
broadcasting of films and cultural programs.  RTUK has decided that 
there was no need for time restrictions in the airing of films and 
cultural programs. 
 
PKK Killed Two Soldiers in Tunceli 
All papers report that the PKK terrorists fired on a military convoy 
as it was passing through the Geyiksuyu township of Tunceli.  Two 
soldiers were killed and four security force members were injured in 
the attack.  The convoy reportedly was transferring three villagers 
from the village of Sin to Tunceli for aiding and abetting the PKK. 
Two of the detained villagers were reported among the injured. 
 
Turkish Textile Brands Pirated Abroad 
Hurriyet reports Turkish textile and ready-wear brands "Loft," 
"Cons," and "Little Big" are being pirated not only in Asian 
countries like China, India, and Pakistan, but also in developed 
economies such as Germany, Ireland, and the Netherlands.  The 
Turkish Denim Industrialists' Association said it was seeking legal 
sanctions against companies producing the fakes of  the 
Turkish-patented blue jeans in Russia, Hungary and Poland.  Men's 
 
ANKARA 00003451  002 OF 003 
 
 
wear company Sarar, the licensed producer of Boss in Turkey, said 
imitations of Sarar textile products were sold in China, Iran, Iraq, 
and Azerbaijan.  Turks, long accused of pirating renowned fashion 
brands, now see their successful textile products being pirated 
around the world. 
 
 
Editorial Comment on Post-Zarqawi Iraq 
 
Writing in the conservative daily Turkiye, Yilmaz Oztuna believes 
the violence will continue: "Time will show to what extent Zarqawi's 
death will have an impact on reducing the civil war chaos in Iraq. 
From the current picture we can conclude that civil war will 
continue until Iraqis find peaceful ways to deal with their 
problems.  Zarqawi was a Jordanian and he was sent to Iraq by Bin 
Laden following the US occupation in Iraq.  By using some 20,000 
al-Qaeda members stationed in Iraq, Zarqawi did everything cruel and 
merciless against Americans as well as those deemed to be 'US 
collaborators' -- Shiite and Sunnis, including Turks.  It is certain 
that Bin Laden will send some of his men to replace Zarqawi, and 
that means that the violence will continue." 
 
Washington-based Yasemin Congar, commenting in mainstream Milliyet, 
believes that concerns over vengeance attacks and the lack of 
general stability in Iraq mean that significant US troop withdrawals 
any time soon are unlikely: "Initial reactions from both Baghdad and 
Washington indicate that no one is expecting to see an abrupt end of 
violence in Iraq.  On the contrary, there is a general concern about 
a vengeance attack by Al Qaeda.  It must also be remembered that the 
Zarqawi group is only one of many insurgent groups.  Given these 
factors, Washington is not entirely relieved after the murder of 
Zarqawi.  President Bush will evaluate the situation in Iraq in a 
comprehensive meeting at Camp David, which Iraqi officials will join 
via DVC.  The Baghdad government has targeted some steps to take for 
a stable and secure Iraq, to which Washington is committed to 
provide full support.  Sources in Washington indicate that 
supporting Baghdad in its effort to achieve these targets requires 
the full presence of US forces in Iraq.  Therefore it looks very 
unlikely that the US will reduce its troops below the 100,000 level 
by the end of this year." 
 
 
TV News 
(NTV, 8.00 a.m.) 
 
Domestic News 
 
- Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat said EU pressures to open 
Turkish ports and airports to the Greek Cypriots were unacceptable. 
 
 
- Greek and Turkish foreign ministers Gul and Bakoyannis have agreed 
on new confidence building measures in the Aegean. 
 
- Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said having eliminated Zarqawi, now 
Iraq and the US should show the same sensitivity in the fight 
against the PKK. 
 
- Two Turkish soldiers were killed and five others were injured when 
PKK terrorists ambushed a military convoy in the eastern province of 
Tunceli on Sunday. 
 
International News 
 
- Russia has recognized Montenegro as an independent and sovereign 
state. 
 
- Palestinian President Abbas said he would hold a referendum on 
July 26 on the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside 
Israel. 
 
ANKARA 00003451  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
- Hamas militants fired small rockets into southern Israel, 
signaling the end to a 16-month cease fire. 
 
- The Guantanamo Bay prison camp for terror suspects has faced 
renewed criticism after three inmates hanged themselves.  The 
suicides pose a new challenge for the Bush administration, which is 
already under strong pressure to close the camp from critics that 
include the UN, international human rights organizations, and 
European governments. 
 
  Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON