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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 004887 
 
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 23, 2006 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Lebanon 
Gul Meets with the Families of Abducted Israeli Soldiers 
Hurriyet, Sabah, Bugun and others:  In addition to scheduled 
meetings with Israeli PM Olmert, FM Livni, and Defense Minister 
Peretz, FM Gul met with the families of the abducted Israeli 
soldiers during his one day visit to Israel last weekend.  Gul 
promised the families that he would exert every effort to obtain 
information on the soldiers' whereabouts. 
 
Gul in Syria 
All papers:  During his one day visit to Damascus, FM Gul received 
support from Damascus for Turkey's peacekeeping role in Lebanon and 
revival of the peace process in the Middle East.  Following his 
meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus, Gul told 
reporters that Syria would welcome a decision by Turkey to send 
troops to Lebanon.  Asked about the possible Turkish contribution to 
the UN peacekeeping force at a joint press conference with his 
Syrian counterpart, Gul said that Turkey still had not yet made a 
final decision on the issue. 
 
Advising Turkey to be extremely cautious on the peacekeeping force 
decision, columnist Fehmi Koru writes in the Islamist-oriented Yeni 
Safak: "Even if the Turkish peacekeeping force won't consider 
disarming Hizbullah as part of its mission, Turkish forces would be 
vulnerable to provocations.  In an event of a slightest provocation, 
Israel might interfere in Lebanon despite the existence of a 
peacekeeping force.  Regarding the role of a peacekeeping force for 
Lebanon, Israel and Lebanon have one hundred percent different 
expectations.  It would be extremely difficult for a UN peacekeeping 
force to succeed in Lebanon.  If Turkey decides to send troops, then 
Ankara would become part of extremely deep-rooted Middle East 
conflicts.  Turkey has to look for other options in order to 
contribute to a solution." 
 
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to Visit Turkey on September 6 
All papers:  UN Secretary General Annan is expected to visit Ankara 
on September 6 as part of a regional tour, where he will discuss 
Lebanon and the Middle East.  It is also said that he will lobby for 
Turkey's participation in UNIFIL. 
 
The US Army Wants to Carry Out Biological and Chemical Cleaning of 
its Tanks in Turkey 
Cumhuriyet reports that the US wants to use Iskenderun as a sea base 
to carry out the Biological and Chemical cleaning of its tanks to be 
withdrawn from Iraq.  US officials already inspected the port on 
March 2006 and passed their request to the officials in Ankara. 
 
Iran Responses to Nuclear Offer 
All papers:  Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani hand 
delivered Iran's response to the Western Package of nuclear 
incentives to Ambassadors of the UK, China, Russia, France, Germany 
and Switzerland.  According to Iranian officials, Larijani asked for 
fresh negotiations with the West on the dispute.  Chief of the 
Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Mohammed Saeedi said on Tuesday 
that "Iran's response to the package is a comprehensive reply that 
can open the way for resumption of talks for a final agreement." 
 
Columnist Erdal Safak of mass appeal daily Sabah thinks that with 
its response to the UN, the Iranian administration tied President 
Bush's hands for taking any further action.  He writes: "Considering 
the fact that the US administration has been applying sanctions 
against Iran since 1979 to no avail, no further measures will be a 
deterrent for Tehran to change its tactics.  Iran always comes up 
with counter-proposals to pave the way for future bargaining.  By 
doing that, Tehran gains time for the continuation of its nuclear 
program and thereby hopes to impose its terms in the course of time. 
 At this point there are only two effective ways to have Tehran give 
 
ANKARA 00004887  002 OF 002 
 
 
up its nuclear program: an oil embargo, or a military operation. 
The former does not seem possible since Russia and China are not 
supportive of the idea.  Besides, even the Bush administration may 
not be sympathetic to an oil embargo option because it will only 
help for the acceleration of oil prices towards $100 per barrel.  As 
for the military option, it only paves the way for colossal chaos 
and terror in the world.  Given the facts, negotiation seems to be 
the only way to deal with the Iran issue, but even so the terms will 
be determined by Iran.  Apparently, Iran wants to have talks with 
the US directly and wants to bring every issue to the table, from 
Iraq to Lebanon and from diplomatic relations to its nuclear 
program.  It remains to be seen whether Iran will be successful 
enough to have direct negotiations with the US, but the real 
question is whether Bush has some other options unless he opts for a 
military solution.  Probably not." 
 
Mainstream Milliyet's Sami Kohen considered Iran's response as both 
yes and no at the same time: "In the aftermath of the 
Israel-Hezbullah war, another danger signal comes from the Middle 
East.  Tehran's answer to the west's nuclear offer contains both a 
yes  and a no.  Iran seems to be playing games so as to gain time by 
not giving a clear no to the UN.  The same tactic also goes on the 
issue of stopping nuclear program, as Iran did not give a clear yes 
to this either.  If the answers frm Iran are going to be 
interpreted as I see it, there will be a mounting Iran crisis in the 
days ahead." 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV (7 a.m.) 
 
Domestic News 
Q PKK claimed responsibility for forest fires raging throughout 
Turkey 
Q UN Secretary General Kofi Annan will come to Turkey on September 
6 
 
 
International News 
Q A Russian passenger Jet crashed in Ukraine, killing 170 
passengers, including 10 crew members. 
Q Iraqi Kurdish Leaders' consultant in US Peter Galbraith said that 
a Kurdish State in Northern Iraq is inevitable and that Turkey 
cannot block establishment of independent Kurdish State. 
 
 
  Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON