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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 005634 
 
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, SEPTEMBER 27, 2006 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Talabani Threatens Turkey with Supporting Illegal Elements 
All papers report Iraqi President Jalal Talabani "threatened" that 
Iraq could cause trouble for Turkey as well as Iran and Syria by 
supporting "the opposition" in their countries, if they do not stop 
interfering in Iraq's internal affairs.  "We can try to make trouble 
for Iran, Syria and Turkey as they are doing for us, but we are not 
doing it," Talabani told the National Public Radio in Washington. 
The word "opposition" in Talabani's statement implicitly refers to 
the outlawed PKK based in northern Iraq, according to Turkish 
papers.  Papers note that only a couple of days ago Talabani was in 
New York for UN General Assembly meetings, telling Newsweek that he 
had persuaded the PKK to announce a ceasefire soon.  Turkish Foreign 
Ministry (MFA) sources in New York said the statement was 
unacceptable.  MFA Spokesman Namik Tan said in a statement, "Turkey 
maintains contacts with all political groups in Iraq, working toward 
Iraq's stability in a constructive manner.  Turkey will continue to 
stand with the Iraqi people in resolving their problems and 
establishment of peace and stability." 
 
Commenting in the mass appeal Hurriyet, Oktay Eksi concludes that 
Talabani has "joined the US" in "distracting Turkey" on the PKK 
issue: "Although he has had the title of president of Iraq since 
March of last year, Talabani comes with a history of easily telling 
lies and spinning the truth.  Just two days ago he was speaking 
about the PKK decision to declare a ceasefire, and now he is talking 
about supporting opposition groups in Turkey.  First of all, his 
statement about a PKK ceasefire shows nothing but his friendly 
relations with the PKK.  It is also true that he was not telling the 
truth when he promised Turkish officials in Baghdad he would not 
allow any terrorist elements against Turkey to operate in Iraq. 
Talabani and the Iraqi government have made similar promises before. 
Recent events indicate that Iraq has joined the US in the process of 
distracting Turkey's attention, as they continue to fool Turkey. 
Given the facts, there is absolutely no way to be hopeful about 
Talabani." 
 
Turkish Parliament Delegation Visits Northern Iraq 
All papers report a Turkish parliamentary delegation, including MP 
Turhan Comez, from the ruling AKP, and MP Orhan Diren, from the 
opposition CHP, arrived in Erbil city late on Monday for a four-day 
visit to northern Iraq.  The delegation's convoy was stopped at the 
entrance of Kirkuk due to landmines planted on the road, and moved 
on after US troops cleared them.  At a meeting with the head of the 
Kirkuk local assembly, Comez reacted to an antique map on the wall 
depicting southeast Turkey and Kirkuk as parts of Kurdistan, by 
saying official institutions should have official maps.  Visiting 
Turks are scheduled to meet with the head of the Turkmen Council as 
well as the governor of Kirkuk during their stay. 
 
Kurdish Mayors Defend Free Speech at Court 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Cumhuriyet, Radikal, Zaman, Yeni Safak 
and others report 56 
Kurdish mayors stood trial Tuesday in Diyarbakir, accused of charges 
of helping terrorists by asking in a letter to Danish Prime Minister 
Rasmussen not to take off the air the Copenhagen-based pro-Kurdish 
Roj TV.  The mayors defended their letter as free speech.  "We are 
standing behind each of the 405 words in our letter.  It points to 
the need to tolerate opposition and the establishment of a 
democratic system," they told the court.  A prosecutor demands up to 
15 years in prison for the mayors.  The trial was adjourned until 
November 21. 
 
Kurdish Organization Charged with Article 301 
Yeni Safak reports Ankara Press Prosecutor's Office has launched a 
lawsuit against the Ankara-based Kurdish Democracy Forum and 
Academic Research Association for violating Article 301 by "not 
including" in its regulations any provision pertaining to 
"Turkishness."  The chairman of the association, Feridun Yazar, said 
 
ANKARA 00005634  002 OF 003 
 
 
their regulations carried not a single article which would be 
interpreted as "insulting Turkishness."  "Our regulation claiming 
the existence and improvement of Kurdish language and literature has 
been perceived as an insult to the Turkish identity.  Following the 
same logic, you can say that Kurdish broadcasts on the state TV TRT 
constitute an insult on the Turkish identity," Yazar said. 
 
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Erdogan pledged to make adjustments to 
Article 301 if the provision restricts legitimate rights and 
freedoms while fighting against crime.  The opposition CHP leader 
Baykal rejected the call of Erdogan saying Italy, Germany, Austria, 
Spain, the Netherlands and France had provisions similar to Article 
¶301.  "Erdogan wants a partner in crime to set free insulting the 
Turkish identity," Baykal said, adding CHP would not support such 
moves. 
 
Editorial Commentary on the Situation of Minorities in Turkey 
Mehmet Ali Birand wrote in the tabloid Posta (9/27):  Forgetting the 
ignorant masses, some of the things our well-educated people write 
and say are enough to demonstrate the presence of a secret enmity 
toward minorities in Turkey. There are those who claim that the land 
of the country is supposedly being sold to foreigners almost free of 
charge. Some claim that property returned to Turkey during the 
population exchange with Greece in the 1920s is to be given back. 
Still others claim that associations in the future will turn into a 
political power, and there are those who even assert that non-Muslim 
citizens could take over Hagia Sofia and set up a religious state 
such as the Vatican.  It is simply unbelievable.  The worst is that 
this view is held by the opposition CHP. The whole thing reflects 
absolute ignorant behavior.  We should be able to realize that where 
Turkey stands now. While trying to create a country proud of its 
minorities regardless of their religions and a country enriched by 
its minorities, we ended up living with small-minded administrators 
afraid of their own shadows and too blind to realize the country's 
greatness.  What a shame." 
 
Greek Coast Guard Dumps Immigrants Off Izmir Coast 
Sabah, Milliyet, Cumhuriyet, Radikal and Zaman report a Greek Coast 
Guard boat took some 40 illegal immigrants before they landed on the 
Greek island Chios back to the Turkish territorial waters before 
dumping them overboard in the sea off the city of Izmir on the 
Aegean coast.  Three Tunisians, one Palestinian, one Algerian and 
one Iraqi drowned while trying to swim to the shore. 
 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV (7 A.M.) 
 
Domestic News 
 
- Professor Ali Bardakoglu, the head of Turkish Religious Affairs 
(Diyanet) has expressed content with Pope Benedict XVI' expression 
of regret for his statements infuriating the Islamic world and the 
pontiff's comments highlighting the importance of dialogue between 
religions. 
 
- Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul continues his visit of the United 
States to join the meetings of the UN General Assembly until 
September 29. 
 
- State Minister Ali Babacan will travel to Italy to participate in 
a conference held by Morgan Stanley in Rome where he will also meet 
with Prime Minister Prodi and Foreign Minister D'Alema. 
 
- Seven suspects preparing for terrorist attacks have been captured 
in Diyarbakir and Istanbul. 
 
- Cisco Systems says it would invest up to USD 275 million to 
promote technology projects in Turkey over a five-year period. 
 
 
ANKARA 00005634  003 OF 003 
 
 
International News 
 
- During the Iraqi parliamentary discussions of a draft bill on 
federalism, some MPs objected to a map drawn up by the Kurds in 
northern Iraq, which showed the disputed oil-rich city of Kirkuk as 
part of the Kurdish area. 
 
- The European Commission put on a green light to the EU accession 
of Bulgaria and Romania on January 1 next year. 
 
- President Bush said it is naive and a mistake to think that the 
war in Iraq has worsened terrorism. 
 
- A Taliban leader denied a French daily reporting Osama bin Ladin 
was dead, saying the head of al-Qaeda is alive. 
 
  Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON