VZCZCXRO2884
OO RUEHDA
DE RUEHAK #4962/01 2401328
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 281328Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8233
RUEKJCS/CJCS WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC//PA
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU
INFO RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 7390
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 1159
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 1041
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 5410
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 5123
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1763
RUEUITH/DET 1 39LG ANKARA TU
RHMFIUU/USDOCO 6ATAF IZMIR TU
RHMFIUU/39OS INCIRLIK AB TU
RHMFIUU/AFOSI DET 523 IZMIR TU
RHMFIUU/39ABG INCIRLIK AB TU
RHMFIUU/AFOSI DET 522 INCIRLIK AB TU
RUEUITH/AFLO ANKARA TU

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 004962 
 
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, AUGUST 28, 2006 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Struggle Against the PKK; US to Name Coordinator 
Milliyet, Hurriyet, Zaman, Sabah and others:  Milliyet reports 
Kurdistan Democratic Party officials in Iraq have been disturbed by 
Turkish troop activities in Kanimasi and Bamerni towns in Northern 
Iraq and pressured the US to use its influence on Turkey to withdraw 
its troops. The paper reports that Turkey has put its 1500 troops 
deployed in Northern Iraq since 1997 on alert, in cooperation with 
KDP.  The mountainous region in Zako and Dohuk, which is believed to 
be a transit route for the PKK to penetrate Turkey, is being 
patrolled by Turkish troops.  Saturday's Zaman and Monday papers 
report that the US is going to appoint former NATO Supreme Allied 
Commander of the US in Europe Joseph Ralston as a special envoy to 
coordinate efforts in combating the PKK.  Zaman and Sabah also 
mention that General Ralston, as vice-chairman, was the top 
candidate to succeed the Chief of Joint Staffs position in 1997, 
however his affair with a CIA employee during the 1980s while he and 
his wife were separated became public, and he was forced to withdraw 
his name from consideration. 
 
Change of Command at the Turkish General Staff (TGS) 
All papers report that in a ceremony at the TGS headquarters to be 
held at 16:30 Monday, General Yasar Buyukanit will take over duties 
as the Chief of General Staff from General Hilmi Ozkok.  At a 
ceremony last Friday, General Buyukanit handed over his post as the 
Land Forces Commander to General Ilker Basbug.  Both Generals made 
strong remarks about the principle of secularism, separatist 
terrorism and the unity and integrity of the country. 
 
Three Options for Deciding on Troop Deployment in Lebanon 
Cumhuriyet reports that despite the objections of the President, the 
Military and the opposition, the Turkish Government is determined to 
send troops to Lebanon.  Within this framework, the government is 
working on three formulas:  The first possibility is to pass the 
resolution in Parliament prior to Kofi Annan's visit on September 6. 
 The second plan is to bring the resolution to the Parliament right 
after Kofi Annan's speech to the Parliament and finally, take action 
according to the reaction after the UN Secretary General's speech at 
the Parliament.  Saturday's papers gave extensive coverage to 
President Sezer's objections to Government plans for sending troops 
to Lebanon.  Saturday's Sabah reported that at the change of command 
ceremony in the Land Forces on Friday, Sezer stressed that the 
priority task of the Turkish Government is to solve problems at 
home.  Sezer was quoted as saying that "Turkey is not responsible 
for protecting the interests of other countries or for solving 
security problems abroad." 
 
In the Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak Fehmi Koru notes what he 
believes is justifiable mistrust of Israel among many countries, 
causing them to hesitate in committing to peacekeeping 
participation: "Israel is the main reason for this hesitation. 
There is a clear mistrust of Israel in almost every country.  A 
recent comment by respected Washington Post reporter Thomas Ricks 
actually says it all.  Apparently Israeli forces were intentionally 
not countering some of Hezbollah's missiles during the recent 
conflict because they thought they could have moral supremacy in the 
Lebanon operations as long as missiles continued to strike Israel. 
Can we possibly trust a country like Israel which apparently did not 
even care for the lives of its own citizens?  Considering similar 
examples of the incredible Israeli tactics, if the countries 
contributing to the peacekeeping force are hesitant because of 
Israel, we cannot blame them." 
 
 
Bomb Explosions in Marmaris, Istanbul 
Papers and TV channels reported that a total of 21 persons --10 
British citizens and 11 Turkish -- were wounded in the explosions 
which occurred in Mugla's Marmaris district on Saturday night.  The 
 
ANKARA 00004962  002 OF 002 
 
 
first explosion in Marmaris occurred inside an inner-city minibus 
when the bomb exploded, which was placed under the seat of the 
minibus.  Approximately 45 minutes after this explosion, bombs 
placed in garbage bins at the seafront of the Ataturk Boulevard and 
at the Siteler neighborhood exploded one after another.  There were 
no wounded in Siteler, however, six were wounded at the seafront 
boulevard.  Meanwhile, six persons were wounded when a bomb placed 
near the wall of a school exploded in Istanbul's Bagcilar district. 
There have been no claims of responsibility for any of the 
explosions. 
 
 
TV News: 
(NTV, 7.00 A.M.) 
 
Domestic News 
 
Q Seven people were killed when a car plunges into a construction 
hole on Ankara-Konya road. 
Q Forest fires in Bursa and Bolu have been brought under control 
Q State arms producer MKEK has started campaign for the sale of its 
handguns for customers using credit cards 
Q DYP leader Mehmet Agar extends support to President Sezer in 
debates about the dispatch of troops to Lebanon 
Q Seven people were killed in an explosion at a fuel oil station on 
the Adana-Konya road 
 
 
International News 
 
Q Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah said that he would not 
have ordered the capture of  two Israeli soldiers if he had known it 
would lead to such a war 
Q Delta Air Line commuter plane crashes shortly after takeoff in the 
US, killing 49 
Q Two Fox-TV journalists kidnapped two weeks ago in Gaza have been 
released by their captors 
 
  Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON