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Dianne Wampler  08/09/2006 04:40:29 PM  From  DB/Inbox:  Dianne Wampler

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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 004525 
 
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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, AUGUST 7, 2006 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
PKK Kills Soldiers; Bahceli Slams Government PKK Policy 
All papers report four Turkish soldiers were killed and eight others 
wounded in an ambush by PKK militants in the mountainous province of 
Gumushane near the Black Sea coast on Sunday.  Over the weekend, 
Turkey's extreme nationalist party MHP made a show of force with 
around 400,000 supporters attending an annual party meeting.  MHP 
leader Devlet Bahceli criticized the ruling AK Party for 
"encouraging PKK terrorism," stressing that Prime Minister Erdogan 
will be held to account for those killed by the PKK separatists. 
Bahceli called for early elections.  Meanwhile, Turkey's main 
Kurdish party DTP chairman Ahmet Turk warned the government against 
a cross-border military incursion into northern Iraq, saying it 
would not solve problems but only worsen the situation. 
 
Conflict in the Middle East 
All papers continue coverage of the ongoing Israeli offensive as 
well as the Hezbollah attack on Kfar Giladi in which 11 Israeli 
troops were killed.  Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem said 
"Syria is prepared for a regional war."  News commentaries say 
Israel's bloody attacks in Lebanon have overshadowed the 
deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza.  Additionally, papers 
report that over the weekend, a group of 45 Turkish "Volunteers for 
Palestine" departed Istanbul for Damascus to show solidarity with 
Palestine and Hezbollah against Israel. 
 
Commenting in conservative Turkiye, Yilmaz Oztuna argues that the 
actions of Israel, backed by the US, may have the opposite of their 
intended effect: "It is not possible to disarm such terrorist 
organizations by attacking them -- the only way is to dry up their 
sources of arms.  Israel and the US were disturbed by Hamas and 
Hezbollah militants winning seats in parliament.  The US believes 
that such developments are the biggest insult for democracy.  The 
two allies, the US and Israel, together with the UK want to warn 
Palestine and Lebanon on this issue.  Hezbollah and Hamas supporters 
are increasing with every passing day.  If the spreading war ends, 
there is a big possibility that both organizations could end up 
ruling their countries as the majority party in their governments 
after the next elections." 
 
Editorial Commentary: The War on Terror 
Ergun Babahan argues in the mass appeal Sabah that US actions over 
the past few years reveal it to be "the biggest threat":  "The Bush 
Administration invaded Afghanistan first in the name of democracy 
and the fight against terrorism, but, now the administration is 
struggling to fight against the powerful Taliban.  The occupation of 
Iraq followed the Afghanistan occupation.  President Bush claimed 
that the US would establish democracy there; however, Iraq also 
turned into a hell with innocent people dying everyday.  The US's 
biggest ally in the region, Israel, followed in the US's footsteps 
and decided to bring democracy to Lebanon and Palestine.  Everyday, 
innocent people, the majority Muslim, are killed with American 
ideology and weapons.  Every terrorist attack in the West causes the 
world to shake, but all countries prefer to remain silent in the 
current situation.  While they are causing the deaths of so many 
innocent people, they are shamelessly talking about Islamic terror. 
This past year's death toll alone is enough to prove that they are 
the biggest threat for the world.  After all this, they seem to be 
shocked to see increased anti-Americanism in the region from Turkey 
to Pakistan." 
 
TGS on Handcuffing of Turkish Major in Incirlik Airbase 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Zaman, Yeni Safak and others 
report the Turkish General Staff (TGS) issued a statement over the 
weekend with regard to the brief handcuffing of a Turkish pilot, 
Major Ferih Dincer, and his wife by a US sergeant on Incirlik 
Airbase in south Turkey last year.  TGS said the Turkish major was 
drunk, that he violated traffic rules in the parking lot, and that 
Dincer and his wife were removed from the vehicle and taken into 
custody when they resisted an order to get out of their vehicle. 
After a discussion with US officers, a judicial procedure was 
launched against the US sergeant who was then sent home from Turkey, 
said the TGS statement.  Dincer later resigned, blaming the Turkish 
military for "doing nothing about the incident." 
 
Turkish Imam to Attend 9/11 Court Case against US 
Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Zaman, Yeni Safak and others report a 
Turkish imam, Ibrahim Turkmen, will travel to New York on a "special 
visa" to attend the court hearing of his case against former 
Attorney General John Ashcroft and former FBI Chairman Robert 
Mueller for ethnic and religious discrimination.  Turkmen said he 
was detained and tortured in New Jersey Passaic Prison after the 
September 11 attacks.  "If I win the case, it will set a model for 
some 100 victims who have suffered from inhuman treatment similar to 
what I was subjected to," Turkmen said. 
 
Poll: AKP Leads in Possible Early Elections 
Saturday's Sabah carries a survey conducted by the polling company 
ANAR according to which if elections were held today, the ruling AK 
Party would receive 32.7 percent of votes, followed by CHP 11.5, 
pro-Kurdish DTP 5.3, MHP 5.1, DYP 4.9, ANAP 3.3. One-third -- 33.9 
percent -- of respondents were undecided. 
 
 
TV News: 
(NTV, 8.00 A.M.) 
 
Domestic News 
 
- Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, accompanied by a 400-person 
delegation including 45 businessmen, is due to pay a three-day visit 
to Turkey on Tuesday to sign agreements on military cooperation and 
trade.  King Abdullah will be received by President Sezer in Ankara 
before meeting with Prime Minister Erdogan on August 9 in Istanbul. 
 
 
- Turkish police on Sunday detained 17 demonstrators in Istanbul as 
they attempted to protest against the ongoing Israeli military 
offensive in Lebanon.  Following the morning prayers in the 
conservative Fatih neighborhood of Istanbul the same day, a group of 
people prayed for those killed in Palestine and Lebanon, and chanted 
slogans protesting Israel. 
 
- Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF) Chairman Sadettin Ergec and six other 
Turkmen officials are to visit Turkey on Monday to discuss the 2007 
referendum in Kirkuk as well as the strains between Turkmen and 
Kurdish groups in the region. 
 
- A public opinion survey conducted by international polling company 
GfK shows that the military tops the list of most trusted 
institutions in Turkey by 91 percent whereas politicians are 
regarded as the least trusted by 23 percent, down from 32 percent in 
¶2005.  The survey was carried out in 20 countries with one-on-one 
interviews with 19,674 people. 
 
International News 
 
- Hezbollah killed 11 Israeli conscripts in its deadliest rocket 
attack since the beginning of the Israeli offensive on Lebanon. 
Over the weekend, US Assistant Secretary of State David Welch met 
with Lebanese officials in Beirut on ways to end the conflict. 
 
- The UN expressed deep concern that the deteriorating humanitarian 
situation in the Gaza Strip was being neglected due to Israel's 
ongoing operations in Lebanon. 
 
- Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani said Tehran will not 
suspend uranium enrichment as demanded by the UN Security Council. 
 
- A suicide bomber attacked a funeral in Tikrit, killing 10 and 
wounding 18 others. 
 
 
  Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON