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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 006387 
 
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, NOVEMBER 9, 2006 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
EU Releases Turkey Progress Report 
All papers report the EU Commission's Turkey progress report 
released Wednesday stresses that Turkey should open its ports and 
airports to Greek Cypriot vessels and airplanes.  The document 
criticizes the influence of the military in politics, implying that 
the military meddled in the judicial process of the Semdinli 
bombing.  It points to the problems with regard to the independence 
of the judiciary and notes that Turkey should open its border with 
Armenia.  It also says that dialogue with local authorities is 
critical for the normalization of the situation in the mainly 
Kurdish southeast, asking the government to develop strategies for 
protecting the rights of Kurds.  The report mentions that Halki 
Seminary in Istanbul is still closed, adding that the Greek Orthodox 
Patriarch is not allowed to use his ecumenical title.  It also notes 
that Turkey needs more reforms in freedom of expression, Article 301 
should be amended to meet European standards, and there is limited 
progress in the fight against corruption, the blueprint underlines. 
 
 
Turkish dailies say the EU Commission gave Turkey until the EU 
summit on December 14-15 to open its ports and airports to Greek 
Cypriot traffic.  The whole negotiation process would be influenced 
unless Turkey changes Article 301 and takes forward steps on Cyprus, 
Radikal says in an evaluation of the process. 
 
Joost Lagendijk, co-chairman of Turkish-EU Joint Parliament 
Commission, said talks with Turkey over eight or nine chapters could 
be suspended if Turkey fails to record progress in Cyprus in the 
next three weeks. 
 
The Turkish government said the report confirmed Turkish commitment 
to reforms, and indicated that there were some problems concerning 
implementation.  In a statement yesterday the Turkish government 
called on the EU countries to act with common sense, adding that the 
future of Turkey's EU process depended on the political vision of 
European leaders.  It noted the Cyprus problem should not be linked 
to Turkey's membership in the bloc.  "The Cyprus question is a 
political one and is not an obligation for our accession process, 
which is of a technical nature," the statement said. 
 
Prime Minister Erdogan said on Wednesday Turkey would not open its 
ports to Cypriot vessels unless the EU moved to end the isolation of 
the Turkish enclave in northern Cyprus.  Foreign Minister Abdullah 
Gul said Turkey was determined to meet the criteria for EU 
membership.  Gul reiterated that Turkey supports Finland's efforts 
on Cyprus. 
 
Commenting on the EU's demand for reform of the military's role in 
Turkey, Oktay Eksi observes in the mass appeal Hurriyet: "According 
to the EU progress report, Turkey's military-civilian relations 
should be up to EU standards.  True, but for us to be able to meet 
this standard the government should stop violating the principle of 
a secular regime.  As long as this violation continues in Turkey, 
civilian-military relations will not be at the level the EU demands. 
 As a result of this, Turkey may not become an EU member but at 
least it will be able to protect the secular regime." 
 
 
State Funeral to be Held for Ecevit 
All papers report a state funeral will be held for former Prime 
Minister Bulent Ecevit in Ankara over the weekend.  On Saturday 
morning, Ecevit's coffin will be taken from the military hospital 
GATA to the veteran politician's Democratic Left Party (DSP) 
headquarters, from where to be moved on to the Parliament before a 
funeral service at the Kocatepe Mosque around noon.  Mainstream 
papers expect a mass rally with the participation of hundreds of 
thousands of Turks, which will likely turn into a "secular show of 
 
ANKARA 00006387  002 OF 003 
 
 
force" against the Islamist AKP government. 
 
Erdogan Says He's "Not Fixed on" Becoming President 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman and others 
report Prime Minister Erdogan said Turkey's next president would be 
chosen from the ranks of the current parliament.  "It is our 
decision that the president must emerge from this parliament," 
Erdogan said at a meeting with Turkish press on Wednesday. 
Parliament selects the president under Turkey's constitution. 
Erdogan said the AKP would listen to public opinion and consult 
other parties before deciding on its candidate.  He did not 
elaborate further on whether he would seek the presidency, although 
several columnists interpret his remarks as a signal that he is 
interested in the post. 
 
Zabari on Ties with Turkey 
The Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zabari told Hurriyet in Paris 
that Iraq and Turkey shared mutual interests.  "I will accompany our 
Prime Minister on a visit to Turkey in mid-November.  We are working 
with Turkey against the PKK.  The Iraqi government is determined on 
this issue; the three-party mechanism should be worked," said 
Zabari.  He added the Iraqi government closed the Ocalan Cultural 
Center in Baghdad, banning the PKK front organizations in the 
country as well as pressing them for a ceasefire.  On Kirkuk, Zabari 
said the constitutional process regarding the oil-rich northern 
Iraqi city should be supported.  "Kirkuk is not a Turkish city, and 
its future will be decided on by the Iraqis," he stressed.  Zabari 
also emphasized that the death penalty given to Saddam Hussein will 
not cause chaos in Iraq, but will contribute to stability. 
 
ATC Delegation Visits TOBB 
Aksam reports that Wednesday the American-Turkish Council (ATC) 
leaders James Holmes and Brent Scowcroft and an accompanying 
delegation paid a visit to Turkish Union of Chambers (TOBB) in 
Ankara.  Holmes told the press after the meeting that the existing 
strong trade and investment ties between the two countries needed to 
be enhanced.  "Turkey and the US are only exploiting a mere .3 
percent of their bilateral trade potential; we want to increase 
significantly this truly modest amount.  We of course want Turkey to 
succeed in its EU drive, carrying on as an economically and 
politically strong partner with the United States," said Holmes. 
 
AKP Expected to Change Article 301 
The conservative/opinion-maker Zaman reports the ruling AKP 
government will change Article 301 of the Penal Code in a way to 
expand free speech, and will welcome proposals coming from NGOs to 
that end.  One possible change is that the concept of "Turkishness" 
in Article 301 will be replaced with "Turkish nation."  The paper 
expects the changes to be approved by the parliament before the EU 
summit in December. 
 
Editorial Commentary on US Congressional Elections 
Ibrahim Karagul commenting in the Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak sees 
a possible post-election "softening" in the US stance toward Iraq, 
Lebanon, Syria and Iran:  "Now, a very difficult era is starting for 
the Bush Administration, which is responsible for the Iraqi 
occupation, Iraq's division, torture and loss of hundreds of 
innocent lives.  It is possible that the US stance might soften 
toward the crisis in Lebanon, Syria, and Iran.   The occupation of 
Iraq might be questioned, war budgets could be inspected and there 
could be huge public pressure for the US to withdraw from Iraq. 
Because, since the US has lost in Iraq, there is nothing else left 
for the US to do there.  Everyone, including the US commanders and 
the architect of the war, Richard Perle confess that the US has lost 
the war in Iraq.  Actually, they did not loose only in Iraq, but in 
the whole geography of Islam." 
 
Commenting in the leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet, Mustafa Balbay 
points out that the sentencing of Saddam did little to help 
President Bush:  "The recent congressional elections in the US were 
 
ANKARA 00006387  003 OF 003 
 
 
seen as a "vote of confidence" for the Bush Administration's Iraq 
policy.  That is why the decision date for Saddam's death sentence 
was brought forward.  The Bush Administration believed that the 
death sentence for Saddam would impress the voters in favor of Bush. 
 However, the electors did not ask for Saddam's head but Bush's. 
And, that is why Bush, in a last-minute, quick effort, asked for 
Rumsfeld's head!  Will there be any change in US Iraq policy after 
Bush's defeat?  Of course not.  But, it is still promising to see 
that the public in the US do not approve of the Bush policies 
either.  This will directly affect the global policies in our 
region." 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV, 7.00 A.M. 
 
Domestic News 
 
- Prime Minister Erdogan will meet with the Spanish Prime Minister 
Zapatero and UNSYG Annan in Istanbul on November 12 at a high-level 
group meeting of the Alliance of Civilizations Initiative. 
 
- Turkish National Security Council (MGK) Secretary-General Yigit 
Alpogan is to pay an official visit to Poland Thursday. 
 
- The ruling AKP will hold its party convention in Ankara over the 
weekend. 
  Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON