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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000040 
 
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, JANUARY 9, 2007 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Turkish Cypriots Remove Controversial Footbridge in Nicosia 
All papers report Turkish Cypriot "President" Mehmet Ali Talat's 
office has announced Monday that the Lokmaci footbridge in the 
Turkish side near the Ledra buffer zone in the center of Nicosia 
willbe dismantled despite objections from the Turkih military. 
Knocking down the bridge used by Turks is regarded as a first step 
toward opening "Ledra Street," the heart of the Nicosia commercial 
district.  When open, it means Greek Cypriots will have access to 
Turkish shops. 
 
Turkish Cypriot "Prime Minister" Ferdi Sabit Soyer has confirmed 
reports claiming tensions with the Turkish military in the 
footbridge controversy.  Papers expect the crisis to deepen if Talat 
insists on opening the Lokmaci border crossing after the demolition 
of the footbridge, a military zone controlled by the Turkish troops 
in north Cyprus.  Several organizations in the north have launched a 
campaign against Talat to block the demolition; however, television 
news reported today that work began Tuesday morning to take down the 
overpass.  Talat had accepted a demand coming from President 
Papadopoulos to remove the footbridge for the opening of the 
bordergate, in an effort to see a breakthrough.  The UN, EU and the 
US have been pleased by Talat's decision, say papers. 
 
Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) said the administration of Turkish 
Cyprus was to make the final decision about the dismantling of the 
Lokmaci footbridge.  Turkish Government Spokesman Cemil Cicek 
followed suit, and also said such goodwill efforts were needed to 
gain a better position.  Papers speculate the Turkish government has 
supported the removal of the walkway, but objects to the opening of 
the border crossing.  Chief of the Turkish General Staff (TGS) 
General Yasar Buyukanit had said over the weekend that the military 
opposed dismantling the footbridge without a reciprocal gesture from 
the Greek Cypriot side. 
 
Gul Due to Visit the US 
Hurriyet, Sabah, Vatan, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman, Yeni Safak and 
others report 
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is waiting for an appointment with 
Secretary Rice to visit the United States in February.  While in the 
 
SIPDIS 
US, Gul will discuss with Rice Iraq after the execution of Saddam 
Hussein, the planned referendum in Kirkuk, and the PKK as well as 
Iran, Syria, and Lebanon.  Zaman says Turkish General Staff (TGS) 
Chief General Yasar Buyukanit may also visit the US in February. 
 
Meanwhile, Turkey's special Iraqi envoy Ambassador Oguz Celikkol 
said the PKK issue had a negative impact on Turkey's ties with the 
Iraqi Administration and with groups in northern Iraq.  Celikkol 
said the Iraqi Interior Minister was expected to visit Turkey soon. 
 
 
PM Erdogan: My Remarks on Countering PKK Terrorism Directed at US 
All papers:  Speaking to the press following a meeting with the 
Association of Turkish Exporters, PM Erdogan emphasized his earlier 
remarks regarding the PKK coordination mechanism and said 'Our 
general [Turkish PKK Envoy Edip Baser]is fulfilling his duty.  My 
remarks were an evaluation of the situation, and they were directed 
at the United States.'  PM Erdogan stressed that the government is 
not considering renouncing the special envoy mechanism for 
countering the PKK terrorism. 
 
Editorial Commentary on Iraqi Oil Legislation 
Ridvan Akar writes in the leftist Birgun the Iraqi oil legislation 
reflects a "new style of colonialism and imperialism": "The recent 
hydrocarbon draft legislation waiting to be passed in the Iraqi 
parliament is a manifestation of a "naked emperor."  The people of 
Iraq have not yet been informed about the law but it got approvals 
from the White House, the IMF, the World Bank and relevant American 
 
ANKARA 00000040  002 OF 003 
 
 
and British oil firms.  Once again it shows that the attraction of 
Iraq for the US and UK was oil, nothing else.  The information about 
the law was made available right after Saddam's death which brings 
an important piece of history to mind.  Prior to the occupation, 
Saddam had made deals with French, Russian and Chinese oil companies 
for the country's oil.  They were waiting for the UN to lift the 
embargo in order to start the oil business in which British and 
American giants would get nothing.  Today, Iraq presents a lab for 
analysis, showing a new style of colonialism and imperialism in the 
21st century." 
 
Similarly, Mustafa Balbay comments in the nationalist-leftist 
Cumhuriyet: "Iraq is on the verge of two significant developments. 
President Bush is going to announce Washington's new Iraq policy and 
the Iraqi parliament is going to pass legislation to transfer all 
oil reserves to American and British companies.  At the current 
stage, Iraqi democracy has turned into an oil democracy.  This is a 
chain of events e all witnessed.  It started with the occupatio, 
was followed by a puppet administration andends up with the passing 
of a colonial-like laws by a so-called democratic parliament.  In 
fact the new oil law is not news any more, because similar stories 
have appeared in the press repeatedly since 2003, since the US 
invasion of Iraq.  Interestingly, those reports were denied both by 
Americans and Brits at that time.  Their argument was that they were 
bringing democracy, introducing human rights and saving Iraq from a 
dictator.  After 4 years, we can see the result: a democracy of 
allowing foreigners to loot the country!" 
 
Kurdish Conference to be Held in Ankara on January 13-14 
Sabah, Zaman:   A two day conference organized by the Democratic 
Peace Initiative, to discuss Kurdish issue will be held in Ankara on 
January 13-14.  Representatives of the academic world, media and 
politics are expected to participate at the conference.  The primary 
aim of the gathering was described by the organizers as an 
intellectual effort to contribute to a peaceful and democratic 
solution for the Kurdish problem, and the denouncement of any kind 
of act of violence as means of a solution.  President Sezer, 
Parliament Speaker Arinc and PM Erdogan have also been invited to 
express both personal and official views in sessions. 
 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV, 6.00 A.M. 
 
Domestic News 
 
- Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is to participate in the January 
24-28 World Economic Forum meetings in Davos. 
 
- The Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit is expected to 
visit Turkey this week. 
 
- The Turkish Health Ministry has taken new measures to cope with a 
possible bird flu pandemic. 
 
- State Minister Kursad Tuzmen said Turkey is targeting USD 100 
billion exports in 2007. 
 
International News 
 
- US State Department's Matt Bryza told a Turkish-American Council 
gathering that the US needs to do more for the elimination of the 
PKK presence in northern Iraq.  He also said a healthy and secular 
democracy functioned in Turkey, underlining the fact that the ruling 
AKP had been elected to power by the people.  Bryza noted that terms 
such as "lively debate, cacophony, and noise" were used to define 
politics in Turkey, maintaining that it was "a democratic 
requirement". 
 
- Sadettin Ergec, the head of the Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF,) said 
 
ANKARA 00000040  003 OF 003 
 
 
the Kurdish peshmerge were preparing to attack the Turkmen in the 
oil-rich northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk. 
 
- New Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has warned President Bush 
about proposing a troop increase in Iraq, saying Bush will not get 
"a blank check" for an open-ended commitment there. 
 
- Saddam Hussein's Anfal trial, for the killing of 180,000 Kurds in 
the 1980s, resumed in Baghdad on Monday with the late dictator's 
seat empty. 
 
- On Monday, the UN refugee agency UNHCR appealed for USD 60 million 
to help some half a million displaced Iraqis. By the end of the year 
the number is expected to reach 4.3 million people either living 
abroad or inside Iraq. 
 
 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
MCELDOWNEY