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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 004802 
 
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 
 
 
THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 2006 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Gul Visits Lebanon to Discuss International Force Deployment 
All papers:  Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul told the Turkish press 
after returning home from Lebanon on Wednesday that the 
international force to be deployed in the south of the country will 
not deal with Hezbollah or work to disarm Hezbollah.  On his day 
trip to Lebanon, Gul met with Prime Minister Fuad Siniora, 
Parliament Speaker Nabih Barri and Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh, 
and visited the Hezbollah-stronghold Dahia region which was 
incessantly bombed by Israeli forces during the war.  Gul lised as 
Turkish conditions for joining the peackeeping force that Turkish 
troops will not carry out combat duties, and that the force will not 
be asked to disarm Hezbollah but only perform logistical and 
humanitarian tasks. 
 
Zaman says Siniora has stated that all parties in Lebanon, including 
Hezbollah, want Turkish participation in the international force. 
Gul said Turkey strongly backed the seven-stage peace plan proposed 
by Siniora.  Gul noted Turkey's satisfaction with United Nations 
resolution no. 1701 calling for an end to hostilities in the region. 
 Zaman says if today's UN meeting expected to set the rules of 
engagement in Lebanon meets Turkish expectations, the government 
might call an extraordinary parliament meeting to discuss the issue. 
 Vatan says Ankara's decision would be shaped at a National Security 
Council (MGK) meeting to be held August 21.  Military and diplomatic 
officials told the papers Turkish influence in the region would 
decline if Ankara refuses to send troops to Lebanon.  Hurriyet 
reports Ankara would make a decision "after Gul's meetings in Israel 
on Sunday."  Cumhuriyet claims the Turkish General Staff (TGS) has 
cautioned the AK Party government against rush in sending troops, 
citing concerns of the military such as Turkey should first of all 
wait for action from Islamic countries which have remained 
"impartial" in the conflict, that UN has not yet announced the 
conditions of the ceasefire truce, and that the prospective force's 
mission description and location have not been clarified.  Turkish 
commanders warned in Cumhuriyet that Lebanon was not Kosovo, a 
region which had a basis for success. 
 
AKP Group deputy chairman Faruk Celik said Turkey would deploy 
peacekeeping troops to Lebanon just as it had done in Bosnia and 
Kosovo.  Turkey-Lebanon Parliamentary Friendship Group chief, AKP MP 
Medeni Yilmaz, said his group would travel to Lebanon soon to assess 
civilian needs in the war-torn country. 
 
Sami Kohen commented in mainstream Milliyet that it remained to be 
seen whether Hezbollah agrees to pull back all its militants and 
weapons from the region:  "Lebanon is not going to force Hezbollah 
to disarm, so, how will Hezbollah disarmament be realized?  Just as 
Turkish Foreign Minister Gul did, all the leaders from the countries 
possibly sending troops to Lebanon asked the government of Lebanon 
for some guarantees and explanations.  The UN is reluctant to 
determine the peacekeeping force's duties in a second resolution. 
Since, no one can give answers to the questions about the duties of 
the peacekeeping force, the ambiguity among the countries will 
continue." 
 
Turkey to Appoint a "PKK Coordinator" 
Sabah, Vatan, Cumhuriyet, Zaman, Yeni Safak:  Turkey is preparing to 
appoint a special coordinator, either a diplomat or a member of the 
military, for the struggle against the PKK after a US coordinator is 
named.  The Turkish coordinator will work closely with the 
coordinator to be appointed by the United States.  Iraq will also 
appoint its own coordinator under the framework of the three-party 
mechanism established among US, Turkey, and Iraq.  Vatan notes that 
the US decision sparked speculation that the coordinator would act 
as an intermediary between Ankara and the PKK. 
 
 
ANKARA 00004802  002 OF 003 
 
 
Fatih Altayli claims in the mass appeal Sabah that the PKK 
coordinators "have no meaning for Turkey" and should be seen as a 
"US tactic to calm Turkey down:"  "According to Turkish intelligence 
and security, there is no need for this group of coordinators.  If 
the problem is generating from the flow of information, then, there 
is no such problem because Turkish intelligence always shares 
information on the PKK with the US and the Iraqi Administration 
through the Turkish General Staff or National Intelligence Service. 
So, if there is no problem here, what will the duties of these 
coordinators be?  If the American coordinator meets with the PKK to 
serve as an intermediary between Turkey and the PKK, then Turkey 
might face unexpected "fait accomplit" decisions made on the PKK. 
Turkish security units believe that this coordinator initiative will 
bring Turkey enormous problems, therefore, they expect the Turkish 
government to reject this proposal." 
 
Iran Kicks Off Extensive Operation against the PKK 
Sabah and Cumhuriyet report that Iranian troops have launched an 
extensive military operation against PKK militants holed up in Mount 
Kandil, in etaliation against the killing of 10 Iranian sodiers in 
a PKK landmine attack on Tuesday.  The Iranian ground troops' 
advance into northern Iraq continues despite sporadic clashes while 
Iranian artillery continued shelling certain areas on the skirts of 
Mount Kandil. 
 
Seventh Anniversary of August 17 Earthquake 
All papers report seven years after the August 17 earthquake the 
Turkish government is still under the rubble.  Homeless survivors 
still live in dire conditions in prefabricated houses.  Plans to 
reinforce buildings have not been carried out and citizens are 
advised that everyone should strengthen their own houses.  The 
August 17, 1999 earthquake claimed some 18,000 lives, wounding 
another 44,000.  Non-official estimates put the death toll at around 
50,000. 
 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV, 8.00 A.M. 
Domestic News 
 
- The Turkish Red Crescent sent to Lebanon a third convoy of trucks 
carrying humanitarian aid. 
 
- Coalition government partners in Turkish Cyprus have come to the 
verge of split when the junior partner Serdar Denktas turned down 
reforms proposed by his partner CTP. 
 
- Turkish Health Ministry announced that results of a survey show 
the boom in cancer rates in the Black Sea region were not related to 
the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1993. 
 
- Civil servants and the Turkish government in collective bargaining 
failed on Wednesday to agree on the date pay hikes will take effect. 
 
 
- Turkey's state-owned Ziraat Bank to open a branch in Saudi Arabia 
as part of a broader cooperation program between the two countries. 
 
 
International News 
 
- The Lebanese cabinet discussed yesterday a plan to deploy Lebanese 
military south of Litani River as of Thursday. 
 
- The Armenian lobby in the US said in a letter to President Bush 
that Turkish military presence in Lebanon would harm US interests 
and impede lasting regional peace. 
 
- The Palestinian ruling Hamas party and President Abbas have agreed 
to begin talks on forming a national unity government. 
 
 
ANKARA 00004802  003 OF 003 
 
 
- The British daily Independent said the EU is mulling a transfer of 
authority over the Turkish Cypriot ports to the United Nations in a 
move to resolve a standoff between the EU and Turkey. 
 
 
  Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON