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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 004367 
 
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, JULY 31, 2006 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Deadly Israeli Attack on Qana Sparks Fury 
All papers report that Israel conducted an air strike on Qana over 
the weekend killing 60 civilians including 37 children.  Most papers 
described the bombing as a massacre.  Israeli missiles hit a 
three-story building where many people were taking refuge in the 
basement.  Hours after the Israeli planes flattened houses in Qana, 
believed to be the location of Hezbollah headquarters, Lebanese 
Prime Minister Fuad Siniora vetoed a visit to Lebanon by Secretary 
Rice saying "Lebanon would be open only to discussing an immediate 
and unconditional cease-fire."  The attack drew immediate global 
condemnation.  The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly 
denounced the attack.  Secretary Rice made one of her strongest 
statements saying "We want a ceasefire as soon as possible."  But, 
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Israel would not rush into a 
ceasefire until it achieves its goals of eradicating Hezbollah. 
Meanwhile, in Beirut, some 500 protesters angry over the air strike 
on Qana, broke into the main UN building in the Lebanese capital 
burning UN and American flags. 
 
Commentary on the Middle East 
Ardan Zenturk writes in the tabloid Star that in today's world 
"winning a war means conquering hearts and minds -- even when the 
cause is justified."  Zenturk argues that the US "gained great 
sympathy throughout the world when it played a leading role to save 
Bosnians from Serbian oppression," but that the "US today is totally 
different because of its policies in Iraq and Israel." According to 
Zenturk, "Israel has already lost the war in people's minds and no 
further justification can change this conviction." 
 
Washington-based Ali Aslan wrote in the Islamist-intellectual Zaman 
that the current situation indicates that "the Bush administration 
did not learn any lessons from past events and did not change its 
mentality - one of arrogance, disregard for international public 
opinion and aggression." He continues that given this mentality, an 
international peacekeeping force for Lebanon "becomes a disturbing 
issue," as there will be "no safety and no authority for any kind of 
force stationed in this area unless a deal is carried out with the 
Hezbollah-Iran-Syria axis." 
 
Writing in the liberal Radikal, Omer Taspinar calls the "the tragedy 
in Lebanon" and "the bloodshed in Iraq" a clear "fiasco for the US," 
adding that "thanks to the Bush administration's policy, the 21st 
century will belong to the Shiites."  Taspinar concludes, "Following 
the policies adopted in the aftermath of 9/11, the Shiites have 
started enjoying an enormous influence in a vast geography.  If I 
were an Iranian mullah, I would certainly be very grateful to George 
Bush." 
 
Semih Idiz, writing in the mainstream Milliyet, argues that "the war 
is just beginning" for Hezbollah: "Looking at the remarks by 
Hezbollah leader Nasrallah, it seems Hezbollah does not want a 
ceasefire right now.  There are signs indicating that Hezbollah 
wants to drag Israel onto Lebanese soil.  If that happens, Hezbollah 
will certainly experience serious losses but those militants are 
very much ready to sacrifice their lives especially after the scenes 
of massacre in Lebanon.  The Israelis are not ready for heavy losses 
in a ground operation.  Given the facts, there is no reason for 
Hezbollah to advocate for a ceasefire; the war is just beginning for 
them." 
 
Turkey Adopts a New Plan for Combating the PKK 
Sabah, Radikal:  Sabah columnist Asli Aydintasbas in her column in 
Sunday's Sabah gave details about the new strategy Turkey has 
adopted for combating the PKK.  According to this new strategy 
Kurdish politicians in Turkey have met Iraqi Kurdish leader Massoud 
Barzani and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani to convince the Kurdish 
leaders to pressure the PKK to lay down its arms.  As a result, 
 
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Barzani and Talabani have started to pressure PKK to disarm its 2000 
militants in Northern Iraq and send these disarmed militants to 
Turkey.  Within this framework, Talabani has indicated that PKK 
camps in Northern Iraq would be isolated and the organization would 
have no access to the cities.  The Kurdish leaders had offered to 
resolve the problem through a general amnesty.  Turkey rejected this 
offer but agreed to overlook the return of low-level militants. 
According to the report, the plan has been discussed and agreed to 
by the National Security Council, President Sezer, Prime Minister 
Erdogan and Chief of General Staff General Ozkok. 
 
Turkish Intellectuals Address the Kurdish Issue 
Radikal and Milliyet: A group of 38 intellectuals issued a 
declaration saying that violence and terrorism cannot be ended with 
arms.  The political, economic, legal, cultural and international 
dimensions of the Kurdish problem should be taken into account while 
trying to find a solution to the Kurdish issue.  Derya Sazak, Elif 
Safak, Murat Belge, Tarhan Erdem are among the intellectuals who 
signed the declaration. 
 
Hazelnut Producers Demonstrate against the Government 
Cumhuriyet, Radikal, Aksam and others:  A rally in the Black Sea 
city of Ordu to protest low hazelnut prices staged by 100,000 
hazelnut producers turned into a violent demonstration against the 
government.  The demonstrators criticized the government, PM Erdogan 
and his advisor Cuneyd Zapsu who is in the hazelnut business.  After 
the rally the demonstrators closed the Ordu-Samsun highway to 
traffic for about 8 hours. 
 
TV News: 
(NTV, 8.00 A.M.) 
 
Domestic News 
 
- The Supreme Military Council of Turkey (YAS) will convene under 
Prime Minister Erdogan from August 1-4 to decide on promotions and 
retirement of high-ranking military personnel. 
 
- US State Department advisor Phil Zelikow paid a visit to Ankara to 
test the ground for Turkish participation in an international 
peacekeeping force to be deployed in Lebanon. 
 
- 130 members of Turkey's main Kurdish party DTP have been taken 
into custody in the southeastern city of Sanliurfa for holding a 
meeting on behalf of an outlawed terror organization. 
 
- One child has been killed and three others injured when a landmine 
believed to have been planted by the PKK detonated in the eastern 
province of Bingol. 
 
International News 
 
- Hassan Nasrallah vowed Hizbullah would continue rocket attacks on 
central Israeli towns unless Israel halts its bombardment of 
Lebanon. 
 
- The Organization of the Islamic Conference will convene on August 
3 to discuss the situation in Lebanon.  Prime Minister Erdogan is 
expected to join the summit. 
 
- Four US Marines were killed in fighting with insurgents in Anbar 
province in west Iraq.  Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is expected to 
make a cabinet reshuffle following an escalation in violence, 
according to government officials. 
 
 
  Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
 
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WILSON