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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 006121 
 
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 26, 2006 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Erdogan on Iraq, Syria, Iran 
Sabah reports Prime Minister Erdogan said in an exclusive interview 
with the London-based Arabic Al-Hayat daily that despite a 
parliamentary decision in 2003, Turkey declined to send troops into 
Iraq due to the Iraqis' opposition to Turks' presence in their 
country.  Erdogan remarked that despite the coalition forces' 
efforts, terror has been rising in Iraq.  "We went to Lebanon on an 
invitation.  What we are concerned about in Iraq is the situation in 
Kirkuk," Erdogan said.  He stressed that when approaching Syria, the 
key notion should be "contact" instead of "isolation."  On Iran, 
Erdogan pledged Turkey was ready to do all it can to see a 
diplomatic solution to the nuclear crisis.  The PM also noted that 
Turkey was a "secular republic" where religion has been separated 
from politics. 
 
General Jones Calls on Turkey to Extend Operations out of Kabul 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Radikal, Zaman, Yeni Safak and others report the 
supreme NATO commander General James Jones has asked 26 member 
countries including Turkey to extend operations against Taliban 
forces out the capital Kabul.  General Jones asked Turkey to help in 
NATO duties in other areas of the country.  On Wednesday, Milliyet 
reported from Washington that General Jones said Turkish authorities 
had been notified about the request.  "Turkish companies dominate 
Afghanistan.  They did a very good job in building the US Embassy in 
Kabul.  The ISAF had Turkish commanders.  Turkey has an enormous 
capacity to make a difference in Afghanistan," General Jones said, 
stressing that Afghanistan was not a problem for Turkey, but "for 
all of us." 
 
Kurds to Open New Oil Refineries in Iraq; Appoint PKK Envoy 
Cumhuriyet reports the regional Kurdish administration in northern 
Iraq is planning to establish 10 new oil refineries in the region in 
an effort to end their dependency on diesel and other oil products 
coming from Turkey.  The opening of new refineries will also 
strengthen the Kurdish administration's independence from Baghdad 
regarding the use of natural resources, according to Cumhuriyet. 
 
 
Additionally, Citing Kurdish website firatnews.com, Yeni Safak 
reports the leader of the regional Kurdish administration, Massoud 
Barzani, has appointed 'interior minister' Kerim Singari as the 
Kurdish envoy for countering the PKK. 
 
Iraqi PM Due to Visit Turkey 
Sabah reports the Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki said he will visit 
Turkey after the Ramadan holiday.  An earlier visit scheduled for 
October 15 had been cancelled due to a sandstorm at Baghdad airport. 
 Diplomatic sources believe that by visiting Turkey, al-Maliki 
intends to end speculation that it was President Jalal Talabani who 
kept the Iraqi PM from paying a state visit to its neighbor. 
 
Editorial Commentary on Iraq 
Turgut Tarhanli argues in the liberal-intellectual Radikal that a 
"loose federation" may be a possible solution for Iraq but that in 
order for that formula to succeed a foreign "balancing" power, not 
occupation force is necessary: "There are several suggestions as to 
how to end the chaos in Iraq.  However it is not realistic to make 
an analysis of the future of Iraq without taking into account the 
fact that the current chaotic situation merely stems from the 
occupation by foreign troops.  Unlike the situation in 
Bosnia-Herzegovina, there are strong traces of the occupation in the 
nature of the religious and ethnic clashes in Iraq.  At this point, 
can we really see a 'loose federation for Iraq' as a viable option? 
Iraq lacks the internal dynamics which would allow it to reach a 
consensus among the different groups, and this again stems from the 
fact that it is an occupied country.  Given the circumstances, Iraq 
might be in need of a foreign power to play a balancing role, and 
the US can do that.  The realization of this goal by the US remains 
 
ANKARA 00006121  002 OF 003 
 
 
a big question mark.  There is no way to be certain that the US can 
achieve this goal given its ongoing invader identity. " 
 
Mustafa Balbay points out that the situation in Iraq is likely to 
get worse as sectarian violence increases: "When the President of 
the United States accepted the fact that Iraq resembles Vietnam, he 
depicted the current picture of this country.  Even though Bush 
later did not accept the way his remarks were interpreted, that does 
not change the reality in Iraq.  It seems the US and the UK duo made 
plans for everything before invading Iraq but made an oversight when 
they ignored the people of Iraq.  Currently resistance against the 
invaders is rising every day.  In the days ahead there will 
certainly be more stories about the resistance in Iraq because the 
possibility of their winning has become more likely. On the other 
hand, as President Bush said in election campaigning remarks, there 
will be no immediate withdrawal from Iraq because of a sectarian 
war.  One wonders who provided the ground for a sectarian war.  That 
was the US, wasn't it?  All of this leads to the fact that the US is 
on the way toward an even worse situation in Iraq which will create 
a very negative impact not only for the US but for the entire 
region." 
 
Turks Used Greek Soldiers as 'Guinea Pigs' in 1984 
Sabah, Milliyet and Zaman cite an Agence France-Presse (AFP) story 
saying a September report by the Virginia-based International 
Strategic Studies Association (ISSA) claims the Greek and Greek 
Cypriot soldiers captured during Turkey's 1974 military intervention 
in Cyprus had been used as "guinea pigs" in "secret Turkish army 
biochemistry laboratories" from 1984-88.  ISSA chairman Greg Copley 
said the report's references have been "some, including from Turkey, 
who have been doing field work" and some Kurds working in the 
Turkish army laboratories. 
 
Moderate Earthquakes Strike Turkey 
All papers reported a magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck the Gemlik Bay 
about 155 miles south of Istanbul on Tuesday.  On Friday, an 
earthquake of magnitude 5.0 shook the western city of Balikesir 250 
miles south of Istanbul.  In 1999, two devastating earthquakes hit 
northwestern Turkey, killing some 18,000 people.  Papers quote some 
experts as saying the recent earthquakes should not be seen as 
indicators of stronger jolts for Istanbul, and some others as 
warning that a stronger one might be coming for the north and south 
of Marmara Sea, which would have devastating effects on Istanbul. 
 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV, 7.00 A.M. 
 
Domestic News 
 
- Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) President 
Rene van der Linden has arrived in Istanbul on Wednesday to meet 
with Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah 
Gul. 
 
- Prime Minister Erdogan has decided to extend his Ramadan holiday 
rest in the coastal tourist resort of Marmaris until the weekend. 
 
-  A total of 105 people have been killed in traffic accidents 
within five days during the Ramadan Holiday in Turkey. 
 
- The Turkish Red Crescent has sent YTL 105 million in humanitarian 
aid to 34 countries over the last two years. 
 
- IMF has issued warnings about the increasing inflation, gaping 
current deficit and unfavorable international conjuncture for 
Turkey. 
 
International News 
 
 
ANKARA 00006121  003 OF 003 
 
 
- Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres said if he is named the new 
Israeli president he could free Marwan Barghouthi, the imprisoned 
leader of al-Fatah. 
 
- Secretary Rice is urging the UN Security Council to impose 
sanctions on Iran immediately for Tehran's defiance regarding the 
nation's nuclear program. 
 
- The war in Iraq has become a major issue in the November 7 
Congressional elections in the US. 
 
- The Financial Times said Germany has turned its military into an 
international intervention force after a radical restructuring of 
its military since 1945. 
 
  Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON