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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 003474 
 
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 
TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 2006 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
EU Opens Actual Accession Talks with Turkey 
All papers:  European Union foreign ministers overcame last-minute 
objections from Nicosia demanding Ankara open its ports to Cypriot 
shipping and airports to Cypriot planes, enabling Turkey to hold the 
first session of detailed membership talks with the European bloc on 
Monday.  At a late-night press conference with EU leaders in 
Luxembourg, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul hailed it as a "milestone" 
in Turkey's drive toward joining the bloc.  Gul stressed Turkey 
would not move further without parallel EU action to ease the 
economic isolation of Turkish Cyprus, warning that EU-Turkey 
relations should not be "taken hostage" by Cyprus.  Gul flew in from 
Ankara late Monday afternoon for the talks, on the first of 35 
policy "chapters" to be negotiated before Turkey can join the EU. 
EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn also hailed the talks, but 
warned that Ankara needs to do more, and in particular implement the 
Ankara Protocol to include Greek Cyprus, to avoid a "train crash." 
Rehn called for more reforms in freedom of speech, judiciary, 
minority and religious rights.  Rehn said recent developments in the 
mainly Kurdish southeastern Turkey were worrying, referring to the 
public unrest and the surge in the PKK terror. 
 
Press commentary focuses on the EU meeting and the obstacles set up 
by Cyprus. Commenting in mainstream Vatan, Gungor Mengi urges the 
ruling AKP not to "use the goal of EU membership for domestic 
political purposes," warning "abandoning the EU goal might be the 
end of AKP rule" and also could end up with "the division of 
Turkey." 
 
Cengiz Candar commenting in the conservative Bugun suggests that 
Turkey "focus on its EU-related homework rather than worrying about 
the EU's capacity to digest new members and other hypothetical 
arguments," noting that "brinkmanship diplomacy" puts Turkey at the 
"same level as the Greek Cypriot side, where everything comes down 
to the Greek veto and Turkey's threatening language about boycotting 
the meeting." 
 
Noting that "tiny Cyprus has been trying to drag the entire EU into 
a crisis and the fact of the matter is that it has succeeded to a 
certain extent, Sami Kohen, writing in mainstream Milliyet, warns 
that "since it is certain that the Greek Cypriot administration will 
use the same tactic on every possible occasion, Turkey should be 
prepared to see the same scenario repeated as it moves toward the EU 
goal." 
 
Erdogan Visits Zagreb, Ankara Recognizes Montenegro 
All papers:  On Monday, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and his 
Croatian counterpart Ivo Sanader held a joint press event in Zagreb 
following their tte-`-tte and the signing of a joint economic 
council protocol on social security.  Sanader said that Turkish and 
Croatian businessmen should increase their joint projects in the 
third countries.  He noted that his government assisted the 
Institute of Turcology in Croatia, calling for the opening of a 
Croatian Language and Literature desk in Turkish universities. 
Erdogan said Turkey and Croatia have supported each other in the EU 
accession process, stressing that Turkey supports Croatia's NATO 
membership as well.  From Zagreb Erdogan moved on to Macedonia to 
meet Prime Minister Vlado Buckovski. 
 
The Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) said in a statement on Monday, 
''Foreign Minister Gul noted that Turkey decided to recognize the 
Republic of Montenegro and launch initiatives for diplomatic ties in 
response to the letter of Foreign Minister Miodrag Vlahovic, who 
expected Turkey to recognize Montenegro as well as to establish 
diplomatic relations.''  Turkey is among the first governments to 
recognize Montenegro, along with the EU, Iceland, Croatia, Russia 
and Switzerland. 
 
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Turkish University Student Poll 
Cumhuriyet reports on the results of a poll conducted by Ataturk 
University in which 7,568 students from various state and foundation 
universities in Turkey were surveyed regarding the "social and 
economic profile of Turkish university students."  According to the 
survey, 52 percent of the students define themselves as 
"nationalist," 40 as social democrat, 31 as conservative, 28 as 
socialist, and 24 as liberal.  Of those surveyed, 69 percent support 
Turkey's EU membership whereas 25.4 percent believe Turkey will not 
be admitted into the bloc, and 33.4 percent expect to be admitted in 
ten years.  Students say by 53 percent that national resources will 
be controlled by foreigners if Turkey enters the EU.  46 percent say 
sovereignty over foreign policy will be lost, and 44 percent believe 
the notion of nation-state will grow weak in an EU-member Turkey. 
 
Suicides Fuel More Calls for Closure of Guantanamo 
Radikal, Star:  After the suicides of three detainees in Guantanamo 
prison, the EU, UN, EC, some Human Rights Organizations and some US 
Senators urged the US to close the camp and to try or free the 
prisoners.  EU Foreign Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner 
told reporters yesterday in Luxembourg that 'Guantanamo should be 
closed'.  Meanwhile, Germany demanded a full explanation from the US 
about the suicides.  The UN reporter for countering torture Manfred 
Nowak claimed that the suicides are the proof of the prisoners' 
hopelessness. 
 
Bodrum Archeology Museum "Censorship" 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Radikal, Aksam and others:  The Cultural 
Ministry ordered the Bodrum Museum Administration to erase a 
500-year-old engraved inscription from the museum wall.  The 
inscription, 'The place where God does not exist', was reportedly 
engraved in Latin on the walls of a room believed to be used as a 
torture chamber in the Bodrum Castle.  The Museum Administration has 
already removed the signboard of the inscription in Turkish and 
English, and is now looking for ways to remove the engraved 
inscription from the wall.  The Museum claims that the inscription 
has no historical value. 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV (8 a.m) 
 
Domestic News 
 
- AKP officials said the parliament would pass the ninth EU 
harmonization package before the summer recess. 
 
- Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir has been interrogated by 
prosecutor in connection with a letter sent to Danish Prime Minister 
Rasmussen, in which Baydemir and some other Kurdish leaders urged 
the PM not to close the Copenhagen-based Roj TV. 
 
- State Minister for family, Nimet Cubukcu said 600 to 900 children 
had escaped from state orphanages across the country. 
 
- World Bank Turkey Director Andrew Vorking said he expected no 
imminent economic crisis in Turkey. 
 
International News 
 
- Hundreds of al-Fatah security forces loyal to President Abbas went 
on the rampage in Ramallah, attacking the parliament and government 
offices, in retaliation for an earlier attack by Hamas gunmen. 
 
- The Palestinian Assembly said a referendum regarding a two-state 
solution with Israel would be held on June 20. 
 
- Amnesty International said Israel's persistent violations of human 
rights should be a priority issue at tomorrow's EU-Israel 
Association Council. 
 
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- The Chief of Turkish General Staff General Hilmi Ozkok is in 
Canberra as the guest of his Australian counterpart to sign a 
military cooperation agreement between the two countries. 
 
  Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON