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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 004768 
 
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 
 
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2006 
 
 
  In Today's Papers 
 
  Turks Debate Sending Troops to Lebanon 
  All papers:  On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul briefed 
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and CHP leader Deniz Baykal on Turkish 
plans for dispatching peacekeeping troops to Lebanon.  Baykal said 
the international peacekeeping force would eventually be dragged 
into clashes with Hezbollah in Lebanon, warning against the danger 
of getting involved in the Middle East fighting.  Gul told Baykal 
reluctance to take part in the international force for Lebanon would 
jeopardize Turkish expectations to be given a temporary seat in the 
UN Security Council for 2009-10, according to Yeni Safak. 
Cumhuriyet claims there is disagreement between the Turkish 
government eager to announce participation in the international 
Lebanon force and the military preferring to wait for a new UN 
resolution detailing the tasks of the peacekeepers.  The paper says 
the military had been concerned by the commitment of Prime Minister 
Erdogan for sending troops in a recent phone talk with Lebanese 
Prime Minister Siniora, and by the statement of Lebanese Embassy 
officials that Turkey was among the countries to join the UN force. 
 
 
  On Wednesday, Gul, accompanied by officials from the Prime 
Minister's Office and the Turkish General Staff (TGS,) left for 
Lebanon to meet PM Siniora and other Lebanese officials.  Gul will 
attend a working luncheon hosted by Siniora which French, Malaysian 
and Pakistani foreign ministers will also attend.  Hurriyet claims 
the Turkish delegation headed by Gul could hold indirect talks with 
Hezbollah in Lebanon, whereas Sabah disagrees.  Gul's visit to 
Israel, however, has been postponed until Sunday since Foreign 
Minister Tzipi Livni is scheduled to visit New York while Gul is in 
Lebanon.  Gul will also meet Prime Minister Olmert and his deputy 
Peres in Israel.  After Israel, Gul is expected to call on Damascus. 
 Gul is also set to participate in reconstruction and humanitarian 
aid meetings for Lebanon on August 31 and Palestine on September 1, 
both to be held in Stockholm. 
 
  Editorial Commentary on Turkish Troop Dispatch to Lebanon 
  Zafer Atay writes in the economic/political daily Dunya that a 
possible attempt by the prospective international peacekeeping force 
to disarm Hezbollah would be like "playing with fire:"  "After 30 
days of war, Israel confessed that it couldn't beat Hezbollah.  It 
will be crazy to expect UN soldiers to accomplish a mission that 
Israel couldn't.  Besides, Hezbollah did not agree on a UN peace 
force but only to a ceasefire.  In the past, foreign soldiers in 
Lebanon had to face violent attacks.  As an example, the US lost the 
biggest number of military lives in a day since the World War II, in 
1983, by a suicide attack against its Embassy and Marine 
headquarters in Beirut.   In a suicide attack on the same day, the 
French headquarters as well lost 60 lives.  Therefore, Ankara is 
following the right policy to wait for a second UN resolution to 
determine the duties of the peacekeeping force." 
 
  Mustafa Karaalioglu of the Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak believes 
Turkey should help Lebanon:  "All the countries willing to send 
troops to Lebanon, including Turkey, are still hesitant because they 
are not sure if they can trust Israel.  In only one month Israel 
presented the whole world with a new crisis.  Israel also revealed 
its rather ignorant policies when it bombed the UN office while it 
was hitting Hezbollah in Lebanon.  The paradox lies right here: on 
one side there is the necessity of helping the people of Lebanon, 
together with whom we cried for their losses during last month; and 
on the other side are Israel's tactics and success in involving 
other countries in its own problems.  We need to debate the issue a 
little more." 
 
  Tan Welcomes a US Special Coordinator for the PKK 
  Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) Spokesman Namik Tan told the 
 
ANKARA 00004768  002 OF 003 
 
 
Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak that the anticipated appointment of a 
US special coordinator for the PKK would speed up the struggle 
against terrorism.  Tan said a retired military official could be 
named as US coordinator.  "The United States is the first country 
that has declared the PKK a terrorist organization.  The US has 
provided Turkey significant help in the capture of Abdullah Ocalan. 
Bearing all that in mind, it is not possible that the US will hold 
meetings with the PKK," Tan emphasized. 
 
  Bush to Meet with Erdogan Early October 
  Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Yeni Safak:  President Bush has 
responded positively to Prime Minister Erdogan's request for an 
appointment at the White House, saying he could meet Erdogan on 
October 5-6.  Angela Merkel is expected to visit Turkey accompanied 
by Turkish businessmen on that day, so Ankara is now trying to put 
off the German Chancellor's visit to the second half of October. 
Sabah notes the upcoming Merkel visit was important due to the 
critical nature of Turkey-EU negotiations, saying Erdogan might have 
to make a difficult choice between Merkel and Bush. 
 
  Government, Labor Unions Negotiate Pay Rises 
  All papers report that during talks with labor unions which kicked 
off on Tuesday, the ruling AK Party government told public sector 
employees it is ready to compensate them for losses incurred due to 
rising inflation.  Public sector labor unions, Kamu-Sen, Memur-Sen, 
and KESK, demanded at least a 10 percent rise in civil servant 
salaries, and asked that the current monthly minimum wage of YTL 477 
in Turkey be raised to slightly above YTL 1,000.  Collective 
bargaining talks will be completed in two weeks. 
 
 
  TV Highlights 
  NTV (7 a.m.) 
 
  Domestic News 
 
  - Opposition CHP leader Deniz Baykal warned the dispatch of 
peacekeeping troops to Lebanon would cause serious troubles for 
Turkey. 
 
  - Two Turkish civil servants working on a road renovation project 
in the southeastern province of Bingol were abducted by suspected 
PKK terrorists on Tuesday evening. 
 
  - Two Turkish soldiers have been killed in fighting with the PKK 
terrorists in the southeastern border province of Sirnak. 
 
  International News 
 
  - US State Department has released a statement to note the 22nd 
anniversary of the beginning of the PKK campaign of terrorist 
violence against Turkey, calling on the PKK to "cease terrorist 
actions and lay down arms." 
 
  - United Nations is planning to deploy a peacekeeping force of 
15,000 to the south of Lebanon, with the first troops of a phased 
deployment on the ground within 10 days, officials said.  Israel has 
begun pulling its troops out of southern Lebanon. 
 
  - The Iraqi police on Tuesday closed down the "Ocalan Institution 
for Literature and Research" in Baghdad.  The office, used for 
political propaganda, international contacts with the PKK 
terrorists, and the treatment of injured militants, had opened seven 
months ago. 
 
  - A truck rigged with explosives detonated outside the offices of 
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) in the northern Iraqi city of 
Mosul, killing nine and wounding another 36. 
 
  - The Iranian administration has launched a "Holocaust cartoon 
exhibit" as a response to cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad published 
 
ANKARA 00004768  003 OF 003 
 
 
last year. 
 
 
  Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON