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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 006696 
 
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 
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2006 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Erdogan in New York 
All papers report Prime Minister Erdogan told a news conference at 
UN headquarters in New York that Iran and Syria "fully agree on the 
protection of the territorial integrity of Iraq, therefore, any 
possible division of Iraq is not something that Turkey, Iran or 
Syria would view positively," while commenting on his recent visits 
to Tehran and Damascus.  Agreeing with the Iraq Study Group's 
assessments, Erdogan said carving up the country "would increase the 
level of civil war that is taking place."  Erdogan complained that a 
UN-sponsored plan to reunite Cyprus has been "shelved" despite the 
fact that Greek Cypriots rejected the plan in a 2004 referenda, with 
Turkish Cypriots and Ankara backing the blueprint.  Responding to a 
question, Erdogan said Turkey is composed of "many ethnic groups who 
live together harmoniously."  "I am a Turk from the Black Sea 
region, my wife is an Arab from Siirt, but there is no problem," he 
said.  Erdogan meet with the recently elected UN Secretary General 
Ban Ki-Moon for half an hour at a meeting closed to the press.  He 
also met with President Clinton to discuss Cyprus, Turkey's EU 
process, and the shape of things in Iraq. 
 
'Suleymaniye Incident' from an American Viewpoint 
The mainstream Hurriyet follows up on yesterday's reporting of 
comments made by a Turkish commander involved in the July 4, 2003, 
incident in which US troops briefly detained a group of Turkish 
special forces in the northern Iraqi town of Suleymaniye.  The 
unidentified "US team leader" told Hurriyet that two US special 
teams of over 60 troops raided the Turks' headquarters after 
"bribing the Arab-looking watchmen hired by Turks," detaining the 
soldiers inside the building.  Turkish troops didn't have time to 
react, said the US leader.  He noted that the raid was conducted 
because the US had learned that the Turkish troops were to take part 
in a plan to assassinate the newly elected Governor of Kirkuk. 
 
Editorial Commentary on Elections in the Middle East 
Hakan Celik writing in the tabloid Posta, warns that hoping for 
reform in Iran based on the recent election results is 
"unrealistic": "The results of the recent Iranian elections for the 
Municipal Councils and the Assembly of Experts seem to have 
strengthened hopes that reformists in Iran are prevailing.  This 
interpretation stems merely from the fact that Rafsanjani has a 
reputation for being a moderate reformist.   However, his election 
victory is not good enough to believe that the reform winds are 
blowing in Iran, mainly because of the strength of the mullah 
regime.  The Islamist regime in Iran has powerful roots.  Seeing 
Ahmedinejad soften his fundamentalist attitude due to an election 
outcome is unlikely to happen.  Ironically enough, Ahmedinejad is 
gaining more strength from the tension with the Western world. 
Given the facts, hoping for a reform process in Iran is not 
realistic at this point. " 
 
Commenting on the prospect of early elections in Palestine, Sami 
Kohen writes in the mainstream Milliyet:  "Palestine President Abbas 
considers an early election to be a way of getting rid of political 
tension and conflicts.  However Hamas thinks entirely differently, 
Prime Minister Haniyah included.  The current ceasefire is not a 
guarantee and the ongoing armed tension is not a good sign either as 
the election debate now becomes one of too many conflicts in 
Palestinian politics.  All of this is about a power struggle and 
ideological war between Hamas and Al Fatah.  In the end, the poor 
Palestinian people pay the bill while the two sides fight with each 
other continuously.  In addition to that, the Palestinian people 
have been suffering from the economic embargo for a year.  Let's 
assume that early elections were held in the end and Hamas became 
the winner again.  What would happen then?  Would Palestine be able 
to establish political stability?  Would the economic embargo be 
lifted after the elections?  This poses a serious impasse for the 
Western world, the defender of democracy.  British PM Tony Blair, 
just like President Bush, has said in Palestine that the struggle in 
 
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the Middle East goes on between the extremists and the moderates, 
adding that moderate forces have to be supported.  The fact of the 
matter is that ballot boxes do not always come up with moderate 
figures.  What happens if extremists win a democratic election?" 
 
DTP Members' Peace March to Ankara 
Radikal and Milliyet report that the peace march Democratic People's 
Party (DTP) started from Diyarbakir, ended in Ankara yesterday. 
TGNA Speaker Bulent Arinc refused to give an appointment to the 
group led by DTP Vice Chairperson Aysel Tugluk and Diyarbakir Mayor 
Baydemir.  DTP leader Ahmet Turk gave a speech saying that both the 
premier and the parliament speaker are insensitive and indifferent 
to their efforts for permanent peace in the country. 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV, 6.00 A.M. 
 
Domestic News 
 
- Monday's anti-terror board meeting chaired by Foreign Minister 
Abdullah Gul discussed strategies for combating terrorism in 2007. 
 
 
- The co-founder of Atlantic Records, music industry legend Ahmet 
Ertegun was laid to rest in Istanbul after passing away in New York 
last week at age 83. 
 
- Opposition CHP lawmaker Mehmet Sevigen sparked a controversy in 
the parliament by saying Prime Minister Erdogan had no right to 
become president because he was given a 10-month prison sentence for 
violating forest regulations during his time as mayor of Istanbul. 
 
 
- Representatives of several Turkish NGOs and human rights 
organizations sent letters to Prime Minister Erdogan and Parliament 
Speaker Arinc demanding the abolishment of F-type prisons. 
 
International News 
 
- The latest "Eurobarometer" poll shows support for EU accession in 
Turkey has dived to 54 percent. 
 
- Iranian President Ahmadinejad reportedly has suffered a "decisive 
defeat" in nationwide elections last week. 
 
- Disturbed by the recommendations by the Iraq Study Group to put 
off a Kirkuk referendum, Kurdish parliament members have warned that 
any postponement could drag northern Iraq into chaos. 
 
- British Prime Minister Blair has met Palestinian president Abbas, 
backing Abbas' call for new elections after rival parties Fatah and 
Hamas faced a political deadlock. 
 
- The fifth round of six-nation talks on dismantling North Korea's 
nuclear program begins in Beijing, following a 13-month impasse. 
 
  Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON