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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 006219 
 
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, NOVEMBER 1, 2006 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Finland's Effort for a Cyprus Summit 
Hurriyet, Radikal, Milliyet and others:  EU Term President Finland 
planned to bring together Turkey, the Turkish Republic of Northern 
Cyprus (TRNC), and the Greek Cypriots for a meeting in Helsinki on 
November 5-6, prior to the release of the EU Commission's report on 
November 8.  After the Finnish initiative to arrange a three-party 
Cyprus summit failed, Turkey insisted that Greece also should join 
the talks.  Now Finland is exerting efforts to ensure the 
participation of Greece and the UN in the Helsinki meeting. 
Hurriyet reports that before the meeting the Finnish Foreign 
Minister will hold talks with TRNC President Talat in Brussels. 
Milliyet reports that, FM Gul, on his way to Moscow to attend the 
Black Sea Ministerial, said there is no such meeting planned, and as 
the term president, Finland has been making some good will moves. 
 
National Security Council (NSC) Meeting 
All papers:  The NSC meeting was held yesterday. General Buyukanit 
attended the NSC meeting for the first time as the TGS chief.  The 
statement issued after the meeting said recent developments both in 
Turkey and the world were discussed at the meeting in detail.  Sabah 
reports that increased military-civilian cooperation against 
fundamentalism was agreed on at the meeting.  Separatist terrorism 
and Iran's nuclear program were also discussed at the meeting and 
the importance of finding a solution to the Iranian problem was 
highlighted.  General Buyukanit is heading to Athens today as an 
official guest of the Greek Chief of General Staff. 
 
Central Bank Warns Government on Trade Deficit 
Hurriyet, Sabah, Radikal and others:  Turkish Statistics Institute 
(TUIK) stressed yesterday that Turkey's foreign trade deficit 
increased by 25.2 percent in the first nine months of the year and 
reaches $39.8 billion.  Speaking at a press conference yesterday 
Central Bank Governor Durmus Yilmaz said that the inflation rate 
would be between 9.2 and 10.6 at the end of 2006 with 70 percent 
probability and added that they needed the support of all segments 
of the society to meet the inflation targets, asking everyone to 
adapt their pricing habits according to the target.  Yilmaz was 
quoted as saying, "We know that the wages of civil servants are low, 
but we are obliged to warn the government because we all will suffer 
if the fight against inflation collapses." 
 
 
Gallup Poll in Armenia 
Milliyet reports that according to a Gallup poll held in Armenia 
only 1 percent of the Armenians consider the so-called Armenian 
Genocide issue a priority, the majority consider unemployment as a 
major issue to be resolved first of all. 
 
 
Editorial Opinion on Iraq 
Mete Cubukcu argued in the leftist Birgun that the linking of the 
current situation in Iraq to Vietnam indicates that "America is 
headed to the end of the road" in its invasion:  "Depicting Baghdad 
as the Arabian Saigon is a perfect characterization of the current 
situation.  The US army is not declaring a defeat but is not capable 
of controlling Iraq either.  The failure of US tactics in Iraq is 
now expressed by officials as well, from President Bush to State 
Department officials.  The uncertainty of Iraq's future brings many 
speculations along with it.  One of the options might be putting the 
democracy dream on the shelf and establishing a junta regime under 
the pretext of the need for stability.  The fact of the matter is 
that the current Iraqi administration is not much more than a junta, 
since the strings are fully controlled by US Baghdad Ambassador 
Khalilzad.  The US administration faces a vicious circle in Iraq as 
resistance grows using newer tactics while the occupation 
authorities are getting harsher, albeit to no avail.  There will be 
no remedy for Iraq until a pull-out is presented as a strategy and a 
calendar for withdrawal is offered." 
 
ANKARA 00006219  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
Zafer Atay writing in the economic-political Dunya argues that a US 
pull-out from Iraq is inevitable as soon as it does the government 
will collapse: "As American authorities are admitting, the chaos in 
Iraq is growing every passing day with increasing attacks against 
security forces, government buildings and more.  Like in the Vietnam 
situation, it is not possible to identify who is a friend and who is 
an enemy in the midst of anarchy.  It looks like Saddam's prediction 
is coming true as he was expecting that the occupation forces will 
eventually ask for his help to stop the bloodshed.  Iraq is also 
experiencing a lack of central authority.  There is no doubt that 
the so-called government of Iraq will collapse the day the US pulls 
out.  In the end, both England and the US will have to pull out from 
Iraq.  And, unfortunately, Turkey will end up living next to a 
neighbor with blood and fire." 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV (7 A.M.) 
 
Domestic News 
- Five players from second league soccer team Alanyaspor were 
injured when lightning struck their field during training. 
 
- CHP Leader Deniz Baykal criticized PM Erdogan harshly for his 
reluctance to start action against irregularities in Islamic company 
Yimpas. 
 
-     Turkey introduced EU standards for its lottery. 
 
 
International News 
- British Defense Ministry announced that the cost of Britain's 
military involvement in Iraq has passed four billion pounds. 
 
- North Korea decided to re-join the six-party talks concerning its 
nuclear program. 
 
- A NATO Soldier and 55 insurgents were killed during a six-hour 
firefight in southern Afghanistan 
 
Economy 
 
- Pipeline company BOTAS has increased price of natural gas used in 
households by 5.8 percent. 
 
- Turkey agreed to buy 12 S-70B Seahawk naval warfare helicopters 
from the US. 
 
 
  Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON