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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 006757 
 
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, DECEMBER 27, 2006 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Iraqi Court Upholds Saddam's Death Sentence 
All papers:  Iraq's highest appeals court upheld the death sentence 
for former President Saddam Hussein for crimes against humanity and 
said that he should be hung within 30 days.  The decision of the 
appeals court must be ratified by President Jalal Talabani and 
Iraq's two vice presidents. 
 
Regarding the future of Iraq, columnist Kamuran Ozbir sees little 
hope for a change in the US policy.  Commenting in the nationalist 
daily Ortadogu, he observed: "There are several indicators that a 
new chapter could be about to open in the Middle East: a Democratic 
majority in the US Congress, the resignation of Rumsfeld, and the 
Iraq Study Group's report.  However there is as yet no indication 
that the Bush administration is softening its stance on Iraq.  As 
the content of the ISG report suggested very clearly, the Bush 
administration left a mess in Iraq.  But this does not necessarily 
mean a change of Iraq policy in the future.  The US policy makers 
consist of the military and commercial sectors and the lobbies, 
including the Israeli lobby.  Moreover, one of the main reasons for 
the US presence in Iraq is due to vital long-term American 
interests, including the control of energy resources as well as 
decreasing the role of OPEC in the oil market and gaining strategic 
supremacy over China and Russia in this region.  As long as these 
vital US interests prevail, it is almost impossible for Washington 
to admit defeat and pull out of Iraq." 
 
Religious Leaders Summit in Cyprus 
Radikal reports that Turkish and Greek religius leaders in Cyprus 
will visit each other in January.  TRNC Religious Affairs Director 
Ahmet Yonluer stressed that this is a joint decision taken together 
with the Greek Orthodox bishop Hrisostomos II, as a good will 
gesture. 
 
Parliament Speaker Arinc: "F Type Prisons are Inhuman" 
All papers report that Speaker Arinc received the family of attorney 
Behic Asci, who is on a hunger strike to protest 'isolation' in 
F-type prisons, and argued that in implementation, conditions were 
"inhuman."  Arinc called Behic Asci to end his protest immediately 
and promised a review of prison conditions in the new year by saying 
'if he ends his hunger strike, I want to say that in the first week 
of January a delegation will work on the issue.' 
 
DTP Chairman Ahmet Turk Comments on PKK 
Hurriyet quoted DTP Chairman Ahmet Turk as saying that if the 
Republic of Turkey preferred to resolve the Kurdish issue through 
democratic and civilian methods then they would appeal to the PKK 
either to sweep the mines that it laid or to tell the whereabouts of 
the planted land mines.  Turk stressed that if the state took a step 
then the DTP would have stronger influence over the PKK, otherwise 
their efforts would be fruitless. 
 
Editorial Opinion: Iran and the UN Sanctions 
Sami Kohen commented in the mainstream Milliyet: "Members of the UN 
Security Council were pleased with the Iran decision as they finally 
were able to reach a consensus.  However they should also be aware 
of the fact that the decision, even though it came with unanimity, 
has no practical value.  Resolution 1737 talks about sanctions 
against Iran, but its content and force of application are limited. 
Sanctions on commercial or economic areas are not part of this 
resolution.  Besides, the Iranian regime has already declared its 
obvious intention to continue the nuclear program at all costs as it 
was planned.  As a second step, a series of tougher measures can be 
imposed upon Iran even though it may trigger Iran's harming of 
international interests via reprisals.   Both the US and Israel 
consider bombing Iranian nuclear facilities as one of the options on 
the table.  But the use of this option will inevitably lead to more 
serious conflicts and clashes in the world.  Given the situation, 
dialogue seems to be the only rational option; however, the dialogue 
 
ANKARA 00006757  002 OF 002 
 
 
channels have not achieved anything so far.  All of this means that 
the Iranian nuclear crisis presents an obvious impasse and there is 
no magic way to overcome it.  Turkey is very uncomfortable with the 
crisis.  Ankara, on one hand, is trying to improve its relationship 
with Iran but has declared at the beginning that UN decisions will 
be obeyed.  The latest resolution does not force any commitment from 
Turkey because Turkey is not a supplier of nuclear technology and 
materials.  As one Turkish official describes it, 'at this point, 
the resolution does not pose any problem for us.'  However there 
might be new resolutions against Iran or an economic embargo against 
Iran which may toughen the situation for Turkey as well. " 
 
Turkey Heals the Wounds of Indonesia 
Sabah, Turkiye and others:  Asians remembered the 2004 tsunami 
victims yesterday.  Thousands lit candles, visited mass graves and 
observed two minutes of silence for the victims.  National and 
international media praised the aid granted by Turkey to Indonesia. 
State Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin attended the ceremony during which 
700 houses built by Red Crescent were given to their new owners. 
The British Telegraph noted that everyone agrees that the best 
houses in Ache are the ones built by the Turkish Red Crescent. 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV (6 A.M.) 
 
Domestic News 
-  Yimpas President Dursun Uyar and ten other company officials have 
been given two-year prison sentences for holding unauthorized public 
offering 
-  A Retired Colonel has been given five years and ten months in 
jail for irregularities in military procurement 
-  Ankara-Bolu highway was closed to traffic yesterday as a result 
of heavy snow 
 
 
International News 
 
- A ruptured gas pipeline that burst into flames in Nigeria 
yesterday as thieves collected the fuel and killed at least 200 
people 
- A powerful earthquake struck off southwestern Taiwan yesterday 
- A series of car bombings killed at least 44 people in Baghdad 
yesterday. 
 
  Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON