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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 005830 
 
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, OCTOBER 5, 2006 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
EU's Rehn Warns on Article 301, Free Speech 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman and others: 
Visiting EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn warned yesterday in 
an interview with the all-news broadcaster NTV that the reform 
process in Turkey has slowed down over the past year.  "If we see no 
progress, then the progress report on Turkey will carry criticisms. 
Forward steps must be taken concerning free speech," Rehn said, 
stressing that the EU would not "horse-trade" with Turkey on the 
matter.  Rehn expressed hope that the new attempt by Finland, the 
current EU President, would be successful and lead to direct trade 
with Turkish Cyprus.  Rehn also reiterated that the Turkish military 
must be subject to civilian control.  In a press conference after 
meeting with Foreign Minister Gul, Rehn said Article 301 of the 
Turkish Penal Code had been used to silence views that do not incite 
violence, adding the number of lawsuits filed according to Article 
301 had reached sixty-nine. 
 
A court in Istanbul released the justification of its acquittal of 
leading novelist Elif Safak, saying "fictional" characters in novels 
cannot commit offenses.  Safak had been charged under Article 301 
for "insulting Turkishness" in her latest novel "The Bastard of 
Istanbul" in which one of the characters refers to the mass-killing 
of Armenians under Ottoman rule in 1915. 
 
In other EU news, German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives in Ankara 
on Thursday for her first state visit to Turkey. During the visit 
she will meet with Prime Minister Erdogan to discuss Turkey's EU 
aspirations, the nuclear dispute with Iran, and the situation in the 
Middle East.  On Friday in Istanbul, Merkel, accompanied by Erdogan 
and a German businessmen's delegation of twenty, will talk with the 
leading Turkish industrialists and businessmen. 
 
PM Erdogan Comments on Defining Fundamentalism 
Hurriyet, Sabah, Milliyet, Zaman and others:  Today's papers give 
extensive coverage to the proposal presented by Prime Minister 
Erdogan on his way back from London, to end tensions surrounding the 
debate about 'fundamentalist threats' in Turkey.  Sabah quotes PM 
Erdogan as saying that "no one offers a legal definition of 
fundamentalism.  This issue is always approached through politics 
and caused problems.  Naturally, the whole issue disturbs religious 
people.  Maybe that is why we should not call it 'fundamentalism' bu 
"extremism."  Hurriyet reports that the Prime Minister extended an 
olive branch to President Sezer and TGS Chief General Buyukanit by 
saying "we [the AKP government] are ready to discuss your concerns 
about fundamentalism."  Erdogan added that Turkey needed a package 
of measures for coping with the problem. 
 
Meanwhile, reaction from media and the opposition parties to US 
Ambassador Ross Wilson calling the Turkish internal debate over 
secularism 'cacophony' continues.  The main opposition party CHP 
deputy Ali Topuz denounced the recent comments of Ambassador Wilson 
as 'arrogance' and added that Wilson should not consider himself the 
governor of Turkey. 
 
THY Hijacking - the Aftermath 
All papers reported about the Justice Ministry gaff of calling a 
passenger from the hijacked plane the second hijacker.  The Justice 
Ministry realized its mistake four hours after passenger Mehmet 
Ertas was called a terrorist and stated in a second statement that 
they were mislead by the Interpol.  Hurriyet reports that the 
hijacker Hakan Ekinci, an army deserter, went to Albania last May. 
His passport was confiscated by the Tirana International Hotel after 
he failed to pay hotel fees.  UN Immigrants Commission bought his 
plane ticket to Istanbul.  Meanwhile, realizing that his political 
asylum request would be rejected by Albania, Ekinci requested a 
travel document from the Turkish Embassy in Tirana.  The Embassy 
told him that he could not be given a travel document until he 
withdrew his asylum request from Albania.  Ekinci presented the 
 
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Embassy with an asylum withdrawal document and managed to receive a 
travel document.  Because he was a draft dodger, the Embassy 
informed Ankara about his travel details so that he would be 
arrested on arrival.  But, Turkish Airlines officials were not 
informed about these details.  Meanwhile, Justice Minister Cemil 
Cicek said that Turkey would request the deportation of Hakan Ekinci 
from Italy after the legal procedure is finalized there. 
 
Turkish Youth Want Election Age Lowered 
Radikal reports on its front page that a gathering of Turkish 
youngsters, Turkey Local Agenda 21 Youth Organization, is to launch 
a signature campaign in 73 cities in an effort to lower the age at 
which people can be elected to office to 25 from 30.  "Agenda 21" 
said Turkey, a country with some eight million young voters, was the 
only country in Europe with a minimum election age of 30.  The 
outcome of the campaign will be submitted to Turkish Parliament on 
October 16. 
 
Erdogan Orders US Cargill's Problems Solved 
Milliyet reports that prior to his trip to the US, Prime Minister 
Erdogan has given "firm instructions" to his aides to solve the 
problems of US food giant Cargill in Turkey.  Erdogan told Cargill 
representatives in New York about the steps taken to solve their 
problems.  Cargill is in trouble with Turkish authorities for 
building an industrial plant in a farming area in Bursa near 
Istanbul in violation of legal regulations. 
 
Editorial Commentary 
Writing in the mass appeal Hurriyet Oktay Eksi complains about 
recent remarks by diplomats about Turkey: "Diplomats are generally 
known as very careful speakers although there are always some 
exceptions to this rule.  Some even forget about their position and 
act as if they are ruling the country to which they are assigned. 
The recent series of disrespectful statements started with the 
remarks from Turkey's EU representative, followed by the US 
Ambassador and ended with EU Commissioner.  It is difficult to say 
that such disrespectful statements will not continue.  Especially 
when the rulers of a country show weakness in preserving national 
pride, then diplomats without subtlety can easily find a platform to 
speak up." 
 
In the Islamist-intellectual Zaman Ekrem Dumanli comments on the 
debate over the influence of religious fundamentalism, praising PM 
Erdogan for suggesting that "extremism" was a more appropriate word: 
 "PM Erdogan made some comforting statements about the ongoing 
debate and the growing speculation regarding the rise of religious 
fundamentalism in Turkey.  He suggested that faithful people should 
be respected and that it would be better to talk about the issue of 
'extremism' instead of 'religious fundamentalism.'  His statement 
was tolerant and embracing as he noted the importance of 
understanding and tolerance to each other, and suggested that we 
should try to win over the extremists to make them centrist.   Some 
people are angry at the use of the word 'cacophony,' but in fact 
Ambassador Wilson has made a normal statement, because there is no 
need to worry about something which is based on merely suspicions. 
Therefore when we ask people in Turkey we cannot find a person who 
can thinks religious fundamentalism is a threat to Turkey.  People 
do not want to see fights over this issue and know well enough to 
live together in harmony with differences." 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV, 7.00 A.M. 
 
Domestic News 
 
- Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said Turkey would request the 
extradition of draft dodger Hakan Ekinci who had hijacked a Turkish 
airliner to Italy on Tuesday. 
 
- According to a Transparency International (TI) survey concerning 
 
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offering bribes of more than 11,000 business people in 125 
countries, companies from India, China, Russia and Turkey were 
listed at the bottom of the 30 countries ranked, while Switzerland, 
Sweden and Australia topped the list.  Companies in Turkey have a 
bad reputation for paying bribes abroad. 
 
- Several NGOs, professional organizations and political parties in 
Diyarbakir have released a statement welcoming the cease-fire called 
by the PKK as an important development. 
 
- Three Turkish soldiers were injured in a landmine explosion in the 
eastern province of Elazig. 
 
International News 
 
- The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) General 
Assembly has adopted a report urging more cultural rights for Kurds 
in Turkey. 
 
- At least 14 have been killed and 75 others wounded in a car bomb 
attack targeting the convoy of Iraq's industry minister in central 
Baghdad. 
 
- Northern Ireland's ceasefire watchdog the Independent Monitoring 
Commission said in a report the IRA campaign of violence was over. 
 
  Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON