VZCZCXRO3776
OO RUEHDA
DE RUEHAK #6454/01 3241253
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 201253Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9991
RUEKJCS/CJCS WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC//PA
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU
INFO RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 7595
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 1653
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 1352
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 5573
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 5294
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1954
RUEUITH/DET 1 39LG ANKARA TU
RHMFIUU/USDOCO 6ATAF IZMIR TU
RHMFIUU/39OS INCIRLIK AB TU
RHMFIUU/AFOSI DET 523 IZMIR TU
RHMFIUU/39ABG INCIRLIK AB TU
RHMFIUU/AFOSI DET 522 INCIRLIK AB TU
RUEUITH/AFLO ANKARA TU

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 006454 
 
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 
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2006 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
MHP Convention 
All papers:  MHP held its regular general convention on Sunday, 
November 19 in Ankara.  Devlet Bahceli was the only candidate for 
the chairmanship, and he was re-elected as the party chairman with 
1127 votes for and only 12 votes against.  In his one-hour 45-minute 
speech, Bahceli criticized the AKP, DYP leader Agar and the EU. 
Giving clear anti-EU messages, Bahceli said that the EU should 
"leave and take its Copenhagen Criteria with it."  He asserted that 
Turkey is not dependent on EU, accusing the Union of trying to 
create artificial minorities in the country.  He branded the EU a 
"treacherous destruction project aimed at Turkey's disintegration." 
Criticizing the government over its methods in tackling the terror 
problem, Bahceli said the AKP encouraged the PKK to follow its plan 
to divide country.  He asserted that the MHP, if it came to power, 
would take cross-border operations seriously into consideration and 
send Ocalan to an "F-type prison."  Condemning debates over general 
amnesty for the PKK, Bahceli accused DYP leader Agar of treason, and 
said that MHP would end ethnic separatism and would do whatever is 
necessary to curb terror. 
 
Cutting Off the PKK's Financial Sources 
Saturday's Cumhuriyet reported that US Principal Deputy Coordinator 
for Counterterrorism Frank Urbancic visited Europe last week to 
discuss cutting financial support for PKK with officials there. 
Before coming to Turkey, Urbancic held contacts in Germany, Belgium 
and France where PKK activities are rather intense.  The activities 
of the PKK and affiliated organizations and their financial sources 
were discussed at the meetings.  Urbancic's trip showed that there 
was a change in the US approach to the PKK issue.  Today's 
Cumhuriyet reports that during his visit to Ankara, Urbancic met 
with Hayati Guven, General Director for Intelligence at the Foreign 
Ministry, and revealed a report about the financial activities of 
PKK in Europe and the support generated by various associations. 
 
Iraq 
Milliyet, Aksam:  In an interview with Milliyet, Turkey's Special 
Envoy to Iraq Oguz Celikkol said that the PKK and Kirkuk were at the 
top of the agenda during the visit of Iraqi PM Maliki to Turkey last 
week.  Celikkol said that Iraqi officials are aware of the PKK 
threat in Iraq.  Aksam reports that Peter Galbraith, an American who 
serves as political advisor to the Kurdish leaders in Northern Iraq, 
said that Turkey is important for Kurds, and due to the investments 
in the region, Kurds approach Turkey with sympathy.  He predicted 
that an independent Kurdistan will be established in five years and 
added that Iraq has already been divided.  Galbraith added that 
"Kurdistan" does not view the PKK warmly. 
 
Yasemin Congar, writing from Washington in the mainstream Milliyet, 
warns against the expectation that the US might turn to a more 'low 
profile policy' on Iraq in the aftermath of Congressional elections: 
"The Congressional elections posed a serious blow to Bush. However 
this fact does not necessarily mean that the US will pursue a low 
profile in the international arena and abandon its Middle East 
democracy project.  Influential Democratic Party figures also 
validate this argument by emphasizing that the US cannot and shall 
not go through a post-Vietnam-like syndrome due to the failure in 
Iraq.  They attach more importance to the democracy ideal and talk 
about correcting the notorious human rights record of the US.  The 
Democratic policy makers believe in the need for more engagement in 
Iraq, Afghanistan and the Middle East.  Democratic Party politicians 
simply do not share the left-wing view on Iraq, which can be 
summarized as 'let's leave Iraq as soon as possible, and don't think 
about the rest of it.'  The fact is that there is no miracle to find 
on the Iraq issue and the Bush administration is having a hard time. 
But that does not validate the argument that the US will implement a 
softer foreign policy and go back home." 
 
Commentary on the Middle East Peace Process 
 
ANKARA 00006454  002 OF 002 
 
 
Kerim Balci observed in the Islamist-intellectual Zaman: "Spanish PM 
Zapatero started a new initiative on the Middle East issue with the 
support of Italy and France.  It will be wrong to believe that this 
was originally Zapatero's idea because there are two names behind 
the scenes of this plan.  UN Secretary General Kofi Annan is one of 
them.  Annan is deliberately working on ways to make the UN more 
effective in local and global crises.  He pursues negotiation as a 
first approach as opposed to the American use of force.  The second 
name in the plan is Spanish Foreign Minister Moratinos.  He is a 
well-known and respected figure in the Arab world and a leading 
figure in shaping EU foreign policy.  On the other hand, regardless 
of the nature and sincerity of a plan, success is directly related 
to the level of acceptance by relevant parties.  Palestinians stay 
in the middle, as they say the plan is a positive step but there are 
things to discuss.  Israel is very negative for two reasons: the US 
is not part of the plan, and the initiative is not something that 
the Israelis asked for.  Given the facts about acceptance, the 
chance for success of the Spanish initiative on the Middle East is 
almost zero.  The Middle East problem is a chronic one, and needs 
new leaders instead of new solution formulas." 
 
 
TV News: 
(NTV, 7.00 A.M.) 
 
Domestic News 
- Security officials have undertaken special security measures to 
prevent the honor killing of a 21 year old pregnant girl in Van 
- Industrialists voice reactions to reports for increases in 
electricity prices 
 
 
International News 
- A suicide bomber kills 22 people south of Baghdad 
- Israel cancels a planned raid on the home of a Gaza militant after 
hundreds of Palestinians barricade themselves inside the building. 
- Russia and the United States signed a bilateral deal for Moscow's 
entry in the World Trade Organization 
 
  Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON