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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 006433 
 
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 16, 2006 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
National Education Convention 
All papers report that a prominent teachers' union yesterday walked 
out of the 17th Education Convention which started on Monday amid 
heated debate over the legal situation of the Imam Hatip schools, 
institutions designed to train Islamic clerics.  In 1999, following 
the 1997 army intervention in politics known as the February 28 
process, the power of the Imam Hatip schools was curbed with a 
series of laws lengthening compulsory education to eight years and 
introducing a restricted admission system for graduates from 
vocational school, including those from Imam Hatip.  The latter law 
was enacted especially to restrict Imam Hatip graduates from 
entering every department of universities like regular high school 
graduates.  Yesterday, on the third day of the National Education 
Council meeting, a proposal that would pave the path for Imam Hatip 
schools to gain the status of regular high school was adopted.  CHP 
leader Deniz Baykal criticized the Education Convention, saying that 
Minister Celik's aim is to use the convention to further political 
goals.  Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen's Association 
(TUSIAD) also voiced strong reactions to the proposal and also 
stressed that the National Education Council meeting had been 
manipulated for political goals. 
 
General Basbug Comments on Turkey-France Military Ties 
Sabah, Zaman, Milliyet and others:  Today's papers give extensive 
coverage to the comments of Land Forces Commander General Ilker 
Basbug at a reception held to mark the 23rd anniversary of the 
founding of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).  General 
Basbug said that following the French Assembly's adoption a 
resolution on the so-called Armenian genocide, military relations 
with France had been suspended. 
 
Iraqi PM Maliki in Ankara Today 
Turkiye, Cumhuriyet, Bugun and others:  Iraqi PM Maliki is coming to 
Ankara today for an official visit, as the guest of PM Erdogan. 
Maliki was scheduled to visit Turkey last month but, the visit was 
postponed due to a sand storm in Baghdad.  He will be received by 
President Sezer, as well.  During the visit, Turkish officials will 
stress that the sheltering of PKK terrorists in Iraq is unacceptable 
and Maliki will be urged to capture PKK terrorists based in Iraq and 
hand them over to Turkey. 
 
Several prominent Turkish commentators voice hope for change in 
American policy on Iraq in the aftermath of the Congressional 
elections.  One editorial today designs a significant plan for the 
US to pull out from Iraq with less painful consequences, and the 
other suggests that Turkey and the US might enjoy a better working 
relationship if the Washington administration changes its strategy 
with the help of Democrat majority in the Congress. 
 
In his column in the liberal-intellectual Radikal, Gunduz Aktan laid 
out a plan to save Iraq:  "The US acted unilaterally when it started 
the war in Iraq.  With the new composition of the US Congress, there 
is hope for change in the Iraq policy. In this regard, the US has to 
make sure that withdrawing from Iraq is not going to be a unilateral 
act.  If the US acts unilaterally on the withdrawal, consequences 
will be even more severe than the first mistake.  When the US 
occupied Iraq, there was certainly a possibility of winning this 
game.  Yet the current situation indicates a clear defeat for the US 
and thus America has to set the rules for ending the game by acting 
together with the international community.   An international 
commission is needed to prevent any undesired possibility for the 
future of Iraq, including a divided country or a country driven into 
a civil war.  Such an international body should consist of all of 
Iraq's neighbors as well as permanent members of the UNSC and the 
members of the Arab League.  Even the participation of Israel, the 
EU and the Islamic Conference Organization may also be considered. 
Guaranteeing Iraq's territorial integrity on an international scale 
as well as establishing consensus between the Iraqi groups prior to 
 
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the withdrawal of American forces will have to be the main focus of 
this commission.  Deploying a peacekeeping force from Muslim nations 
other than Iraqi neighbors may also be considered. " 
 
Writing in the Islamist-intellectual Zaman, Sahin Alpay expressed 
hope for a strategy change:  "Thanks to democracy, with the recent 
Congressional election results, America was given the chance to 
correct its previous mistakes on Iraq and foreign policy.  We hope 
that Democrats will use this opportunity to correct past mistakes, 
work to change its unilateral foreign policy stance and focus on 
acting together with the international community, as well as show 
respect for international norms and standards.  The truth is that 
there is a very long way to go for the US administration to correct 
its mistakes, particularly on Iraq and Palestine, and to regain its 
prestige worldwide. Stability in Iraq requires an extensive dialogue 
between Washington and the neighbors of Iraq, including Iran and 
Syria.  The US should change its threatening and pressuring policy 
against Tehran and Damascus.  The PKK presence in northern Iraq must 
come to an end.  Iran should get an assurance from the US that there 
will be no strike from America, and that Washington will not 
tolerate any Israeli attack on Iran.  Washington has to realize that 
its current policy on Iran and Syria only helps to enhance radical 
movements and authoritarian regimes.  The US strategy for the Middle 
East and Iraq will undoubtedly be a determining factor in shaping 
the Turkish-American dialogue in the next period to come.  Depending 
on the nature of the US strategy, Turkey and the US might end up 
collaborating very closely on the Middle East." 
 
Headscarf Rights 
Cumhuriyet, Zaman, Yeni Safak, Milliyet and others:  US State 
Department's Ambassador-at-Large for Religious Freedom John Hanford 
said that the US supports the right of Turkish women to wear 
headscarves.  Stressing that the US respects internationally 
recognized rights concerning the freedom of religion, Hanford said, 
"we have supported the rights of Muslims all over the world and we 
have protested the ways that the countries' administrations banned 
or limited the act of worship." 
 
Islamist-Leaning Business Association (MUSIAD) Congress 
Vatan reports that MUSIAD will host the 10th International Business 
Forum Congress in Istanbul on November 22-26.  Five thousand Muslim 
businessmen from 55 countries will join the congress.  Prime 
Minister Erdogan will open the congress. 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV, 6.00 A.M. 
 
Domestic News 
 
- Former Iranian President Khatami said that military operations 
would not help solve the PKK problem 
- State Minister Ali Babacan asks for NGO support on amending 
Article 301, the article in the Turkish penal code under which 
writers and journalists have been prosecuted for "insulting 
Turkishness" 
- The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) celebrates the 23rd 
anniversary of its founding 
 
International News 
 
- A US Army soldier has pleaded guilty to raping a 14-year-old Iraqi 
girl and murdering her and her family 
- The European Parliament will discuss the situation in the ghost 
town of Maras and the isolation of Turkish Republic of Northern 
Cyprus 
 
  Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
 
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MCELDOWNEY