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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 003576 
 
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 
FRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2006 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Erdogan Remarks on Turkey's Next President 
All papers report that Prime Minister Erdogan told the press on his 
way home from Macedonia yesterday that Turkey's new President should 
"represent the whole country and cover all groups in Turkey, refrain 
from causing tensions, and lay the groundwork for unity."  He 
shrugged off recent calls from the opposition and other groups that 
the new President be chosen in general elections.  Erdogan stressed 
the ruling AK Party would name its candidate when the time comes, 
but added they were ready to compromise on the matter both inside 
and outside of the Parliament.  Mainstream papers see his statement 
as indicative of Erdogan's longing for the Presidency, saying that 
the PM had described himself as the candidate for the post. 
Cumhuriyet and Milliyet speculate that Erdogan has implied he will 
not compromise with other parties in naming a candidate.  The 
opposition CHP responded to Erdogan by saying that the new President 
will represent only the AKP, and not all of Turkey. 
 
Heads of State, Government Invited to BTC Inauguration 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Zaman and others report the 
ruling AK Party has invited 15 Presidents including Bush and Putin 
and 30 Prime Ministers to the inauguration ceremony of the 
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline on July 13. 
 
1.5 Million Students to Take University Entrance Exam 
All papers report the nationwide university entrance exams for 
Turkish high school graduates to be held on Sunday.  Some candidates 
will buy wigs to hide their headscarves, which are not permitted in 
the exam hall, and others are going to saints' tombs to pray for 
success in the exam.  The head of the center that organizes the exam 
said about 1.5 million students will take the three-hour test, with 
less than 500,000 passing and getting the chance for further 
education in universities.  He suggested "baccalaureate" exams be 
implemented to graduate from high school, and that vocational 
education must supported. 
 
AKP, CHP Debate Draft 'Favoring' US Cargill 
Hurriyet and Milliyet report that the Turkish Parliament's 
agriculture commission witnessed heated debates Thursday over an AKP 
bill which allows unlicensed facilities built on farming lands to 
become operative again if the owners pay 5 Turkish Lira  for each 
square-meter.  The opposition CHP said the bill was submitted solely 
to safeguard the interests of US food giant Cargill operating in 
Bursa Province on a 195,000 square-meter property, and that Cargill 
would pay the humble amount of 1 million Lira if the bill is passed. 
 
 
Gul to Visit the US in Early July 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman and others: 
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is expected to travel to the US in the 
first week of July to meet with Secretary Rice and discuss Iran, 
Iraq, Cyprus, the PKK, and CIA rendition flights.  Papers expect the 
US-Turkey Strategic Vision Document to be disclosed during the Gul 
visit.  During his stay in the US, Gul will also make preparations 
for the trip of Prime Minister Erdogan to the US, a visit expected 
to occur in fall this year.  Radikal and Zaman speculate that after 
returning from the US, Gul would call on Tehran without public 
notification in advance.  The Turkish FM is expected to host his 
Iraqi counterpart Hoshyar Zabari before traveling to the US. 
 
On Friday, before leaving for Almaty to attend the Conference on 
Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA,) Gul 
told the press that he would visit the 
United States on July 5.  "I hope we will release the strategic 
vision paper together with US officials during my visit," Gul said, 
adding that there was no problem regarding the preparation of the 
document. 
 
Editorial Comments on Turkey's EU Process 
 
ANKARA 00003576  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
Cengiz Aktar, writing in mainstream Vatan, argues that the Cyprus 
issue has hijacked the process: "Most likely with support from 
Greece, the Republic of Cyprus managed to get a mention of Customs 
Union implementation included in the Joint Negotiations Document 
during the Turkey-EU negotiations for the Science and Research 
chapter although it had nothing to with the content of the 
negotiations. The Greek Cypriot side got what it wanted; and this 
attempt should serve as an indicator for the rest of the 
negotiations -- Cyprus' revenge-seeking Turkey policy will continue 
all through the negotiation process and the Cyprus issue will always 
be on the agenda during Turkey's EU accession process. 
Unfortunately, the Cyprus issue did not only take Turkey's EU 
process hostage, but the Turkey-EU relationship as well.  Neither 
Turkey, nor the EU can think about the overall accession process any 
longer since they both have to focus on the Cyprus issue." 
 
Writing in mainstream Sabah, Fatih Altayli outlines the concerns of 
the Turkish military regarding Turkey's EU membership, noting that 
they may be obstacles difficult to overcome: "The military is not 
against the EU but they have concerns related to two issues: the 
Aegean and Cyprus. According to the military, the island of Cyprus 
is strategically important for Turkey, and losing Cyprus will affect 
Turkey's power in the region.  The other important problem will come 
after Turkey's EU accession, the military believes.  Greece will 
immediately increase its territorial waters in the Aegean to 12 
miles.  This means, with Turkey's EU accession, the borders will be 
lifted in the Aegean and it will become a sea of Europe, and control 
of the sea and air will pass to Greece.  This is the biggest concern 
of the Turkish military.  It seems rather hard for Turkey to become 
an EU member with these two concerns." 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV (8 a.m.) 
 
Domestic News 
 
- A time bomb left in a trash container at a major outdoor bus 
station injured at least three people in Eminonu in central Istanbul 
on Thursday, police said. 
 
- A terrorist died on Thursday in eastern city of Van when the hand 
grenade he tried to throw at security forces exploded.  Police found 
A-4 and C-4 explosives in his house.  Another PKK terrorist was 
killed in a clash with security forces in the southeastern city of 
Mardin. 
 
- President Ahmadinejad has removed the ban on Iranian charter 
flights to Turkey's Aegean province of Izmir. 
 
- Standard and Poor's reaffirmed Turkey's credit ratings despite 
volatility in local financial markets.  S&P comments contrast with 
Fitch Ratings, which on Wednesday warned investors it may revise 
down its positive outlook on Turkey's ratings if "there are further 
policy slippages or negatives shocks."  S&P rates Turkey's long-term 
foreign currency debt at "BB-" and its short-term foreign currency 
debt at "B."  The outlook on the country is positive.  Fitch has 
Turkey's foreign and local currency ratings at "BB-". 
 
International News 
 
- EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said Cyprus and declining 
reforms were the largest hurdles challenging Turkey's EU entry bid. 
Luxembourg's Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker said EU should 
suspend accession talks with Ankara unless Greek Cypriots are 
granted access to Turkish ports and airports by the end of this 
year. 
 
- The UN Security Council voted on Thursday that UN peacekeepers 
remain in Cyprus for another six months as UNSYG Annan acknowledged 
 
ANKARA 00003576  003 OF 003 
 
 
the impasse would not be resolved before he leaves his post at the 
end of the year. 
 
- President Abbas has denied Israeli press reports that he helped in 
the transfer of Israeli weapons to al-Fatah. 
 
- An Iraqi group calling itself Al-Imam Ali Brigades abducted 
Turkish technician Hasan Eskinutlu and his translator in northern 
Baghdad.  The group demanded the Turkish government withdraw its 
Ambassador in Baghdad and halt Turkish supplies to US military bases 
in Iraq. 
 
  Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON