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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 005369 
 
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 
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2006 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
The Diyarbakir Killings 
All papers report that on Thursday, Diyarbakir remained largely 
peaceful apart from minor clashes between youth and the police 
during a march to protest the deadly bomb blast which killed 10, 
including 6 children, in the mainly Kurdish city on Tuesday.  The 
protestors shouted slogans against Prime Minister Erdogan, and in 
support of Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of the PKK.  The 
majority of shopkeepers in the Bagcilar neighborhood, the site of 
the attack, pulled down their shop shutters in support of the 
protests.  Kurdish leaders laid carnations at the bus stop where the 
bomb went off. 
 
Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu went to Diyarbakir, where he vowed 
to capture those responsible for the killings.  Turkey's main 
Kurdish party DTP denounced the incident, saying not the PKK but the 
forces attempting to block a settlement in the Kurdish question were 
responsible for the attack.  The PKK-affiliated Firat News Agency 
blamed in a statement on its website the "counter-guerrilla forces" 
within the Turkish state for carrying out the bomb attack. 
 
Several press commentators and politicians believe the hardliners in 
the PKK to be behind the deadly attack because the organization was 
put under pressure by calls by the DTP for it to announce a 
unilateral ceasefire.  Several papers said a preliminary criminal 
investigation by the police showed the mechanism that triggered the 
explosion on Tuesday was the same that was used by the bombs made by 
the PKK.  Opposition party DYP chairman Mehmet Agar, a former police 
chief, said the AKP government had turned the anti-terror struggle 
into an issue to "weep over," criticizing the government for not 
issuing a statement even a day after the killings. 
 
Ralston Visit to Ankara 
All papers report Prime Minister Erdogan congratulated the US 
Special Envoy for Countering the PKK, retired Air Force General 
Joseph Ralston, on his new job at a meeting in Ankara yesterday. 
Erdogan warned Ralston not to take steps that may be interpreted as 
accepting the terrorist organization as an interlocutor.  He 
reminded Ralston that President Bush and Secretary Rice have been 
informed on the substantial steps that should be taken for 
eliminating the PKK in northern Iraq.  Ralston assured Erdogan that 
"the terrorists will never be accepted as interlocutors," adding 
"the Turkish nation will see that we will take solid and visible 
measures." 
 
Papers report Ralston's counterpart, retired general Edip Baser, 
would join Turkey's Anti-terror Board, and would use the title 
"Anti-terror Coordinator for Turkey," reporting to the PM.  Radikal 
reports Baser said he told Ralston that if there are any contacts 
with the PKK, he will resign.  Baser first of all will set up a 
timetable for action together with Ralston.  "We will outline a 
roadmap for action and will fix the interim targets," Baser said. 
 
 
The sensationalist Star reports an unidentified Turkish official as 
saying that during the Ralston visit to Ankara, Turks and Americans 
have decided to launch, if necessary, a joint operation against the 
PKK in northern Iraq.  Ralston said Erdogan's persistence on the 
issue had been effective in determining a new concept in the fight 
against terrorism.  Ralston drew attention to President Bush remarks 
that "We cannot accept Iraq providing shelter for terrorists," 
reports the paper. 
 
Turkish Directorate for Religious Affairs Criticizes Pope Benedict 
over Recent Remarks 
All Papers:  Today's papers gave extensive coverage to the harsh 
response given by Religious Affairs Directorate head Ali Bardakoglu 
to Pope Benedict XVI for criticizing Islam and Prophet Mohammed.  In 
a speech on Tuesday, the Pope quoted from a book recounting a 
 
ANKARA 00005369  002 OF 003 
 
 
conversation between 14th century Byzantine Christian Emperor Manuel 
Paleologos II and an educated Persian on the truths of Islam and 
Christianity.  "The Emperor comes to speak about the issue of jihad, 
holy war", the Pope recalled.  "He said, I quote, "Show me just what 
Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only 
evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the 
faith he preached.  Labeling the statement a matter of concern and 
grief both for the Christian world and for peace on earth, 
Bardakoglu said that the statement may reflect hatred and enmity in 
the Pope's inner world.  Bardakoglu described the Pope's statement 
as "disrespectful" and "hostile" and urged him to take his words 
back and apologize.  Milliyet reports that Bardakoglu also spoke out 
against the Pope's planned visit to Turkey in November by saying 
that "the visit would make no contributions to peace among different 
civilizations." 
 
SONAR Survey Reveals Considerable Decrease in the Popularity of AKP 
Cumhuriyet reports that a survey carried out by polling company 
SONAR has revealed that the ruling party AKP lost a considerable 
amount of its popularity.  According to SONAR survey at the 
beginning of 2006, 43.32 percent of Turkish voters were supporting 
PM Erdogan, whereas, the latest survey shows that this number 
dropped to 25.51 percent.  Main opposition party CHP's popularity 
jumped from 13.35 to 20.08.  The survey was based on interviews with 
1851 people in Ankara, Izmir, Adana, Bursa, Diyarbakir, Denizli, 
Edirne, Erzurum, Gaziantep, Kayseri, Mersin, Samsun and Trabzon. 
 
Editorial Commentary on War on Terror and NATO 
Yilmaz Oztuna writes in the conservative Turkiye: "President Bush 
has called on Americans to support the fight against terrorism by 
arguing that otherwise terrorism will bring a horrifying future for 
the coming generations.  However, people in the wealthy nations of 
the west, including Americans, are not in favor of any war or being 
involved in any kind of fighting.  Europeans, after committing 
suicide twice in 20 years with two world wars, are always trying to 
change Washington's mind when an international crisis escalates and 
leads up to a war situation.  Currently NATO has almost become the 
full extension of the US as Europeans stay away from making 
significant contributions.  It seems Washington is going to continue 
its policy goals in the Middle East with Israel and the UK, as well 
as with Kurdistan and Armenia.  At this point, Washington wants 
Turkey to be in this league however Ankara pledges nothing, only 
gives advice." 
 
Sami Kohen asks in the mainstream Milliyet whether or not NATO has 
become outdated: "Obviously NATO members, Turkey included, are 
totally unwilling to respond positively to the request for 
additional forces for the Afghanistan mission.  European nations, 
due to the pressure of public opinion, do not want to get involved 
in a dangerous military adventure. In addition, for most Europeans, 
the situation in Afghanistan is considered to be a US war.  As for 
Turkey, there is one more reason for the unwillingness to contribute 
additional forces - the public strongly believes that the western 
community has not done anything on Turkey's terrorism issue. 
Regardless of the reasons, NATO faces a new situation which requires 
an extensive debate on the organization's out-of-area 
responsibilities and operations.  Otherwise NATO will eventually 
turn into an outdated organization." 
 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV (6 a.m.) 
 
Domestic News 
 
- Visiting Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul had been given a warm 
welcome in Paris, with several French officials lauding Ankara's 
decision to join the international force in Lebanon. 
 
- A delegation of Turkish officials is to hold talks in New York on 
 
ANKARA 00005369  003 OF 003 
 
 
September 15-16 to discuss the technical details of the upcoming 
Turkish peacekeeping mission in Lebanon. 
 
- Two suspects fled after throwing a hand grenade at a jandarma 
patrol team in the Aegean tourist town of Marmaris. 
 
- State Minister Ali Babacan said the transfer of Turkish Central 
Bank headquarters would transform Istanbul into a financial center 
as well as strengthen Ankara as a political center. 
 
- IMF said it expected the year-end inflation in Turkey to stand at 
10.2 percent, predicting 5 percent growth. 
 
International News 
 
- The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) has released a 
statement asking the Vatican to unveil its views with regard to 
Islam. 
 
- The Turkish Embassy in Baghdad has been working for the release of 
a Turkish driver, Yildirim Tek, abducted by the insurgent "Brigades 
of the Lions of Righteousness" in Iraq.  The insurgents had 
threatened over the weekend to kill Tek within 72 hours unless 
Ankara withdraws his company Vinsan operating in Samarra. 
 
- French Le Figaro slammed the EU for trying to humiliate Turkey by 
forcing it to open its ports and airports to the Greek Cypriots 
despite the fact that Turkish Cypriots had accepted UNSYG Annan's 
reunification plan for Cyprus. 
 
- French socialist politician and presidential hopeful Segolene 
Royal warned her rival Nicolas Sarkozy's calls for excluding Turkey 
from Europe would bring "disastrous consequences." 
 
- Prime Minister Haniya claimed the US was trying to block efforts 
for forming a new national unity government in Palestine. 
 
- A report by Amnesty International (AI) accused Hezbollah of 
violating international law by deliberately killing civilians in 
rockets attacks into Israel during the 34-day conflict in Lebanon. 
Hezbollah rejected the charges. 
 
  Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON