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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000231 
 
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 
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2007 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Hrant Dink Murderer Given a Hero's Treatment by Police, Jandarma 
 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Vatan, Aksam, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman 
and others report Ogun Samast, the murderer of Turkish-Armenian 
writer Hrant Dink, was treated "like a hero" when he was caught in 
the Black Sea city of Samsun.  A photograph of Samast posing in 
front, of a Turkish flag and the words of Ataturk taken after he was 
arrested, has become an issue of debate.  The camera footage of the 
photograph, aired by TGRT television yesterday, revealed that it was 
taken at the gendarme post in the Samsun bus station; although a 
senior gendarme officer told Hurriyet that the photos and video 
footage were not shot by gendarme.  The officer said the photo was 
deliberately leaked to the press in an attempt to raise suspicions 
about the role of the gendarme in the murder. 
 
Cumhuriyet points out the photo showing Samast as a hero was first 
published by Star daily known to be close to the ruling AKP 
government.  The paper also says the video footage of the photo 
shoot was aired by TGRT television, recently bought by Murdoch's 
Fox-TV. 
 
Sabah reports Interior Ministry inspectors probing the murder of 
Turkish Armenian writer Hrant Dink have found that the police in 
Trabzon received 17 tip-offs over the past year that Yasin Hayal, 
another suspect in the case, was planning to kill Dink.  Turkish 
newspapers say police were warned a year ago about a plot to kill 
Dink but failed to act to prevent the murder. 
 
Meanwhile, papers and television news broadcasts report Nobel 
laureate Orhan Pamuk has cancelled book tours in Germany and Belgium 
over security concerns and 18 other writers have been assigned 
bodyguards. 
 
NGOs to Meet to Discuss Article 301 
Milliyet, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman, Yeni Safak and others report 
19 Turkish NGOs will hold a meeting to discuss changes to Article 
301of the Turkish Penal Code.  Groupings such as Turkish Union of 
Chambers (TOBB), labor unions TISK and DISK, and professional 
organizations such as Turkish doctors' union TTB will join the 
meeting to be held at Turkish Bars Association TBB in Ankara today. 
Papers report Foreign Minister Gul said his government's decision 
about Article 301 would not be shaped under public pressure. 
Article 301 is related to expressions "insulting Turkishness," and 
is the statute under which writers such as Hrant Dink and Orhan 
Pamuk have been prosecuted. 
 
Cyprus-Turkey Oil Exploration Crisis 
All papers report the Turkish General Staff (TGS) chief General 
Yasar Buyukanit said concerning press reports that Turkey had 
dispatched warships to the eastern Mediterranean as a "show of 
force" against Greek Cypriot plans for oil exploration with Egypt 
and Lebanon that the ships were "already in the region" and that "no 
additional ships were sent."  Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said 
before departing for Albania yesterday the ships were in the region 
for "routine and planned" activities.  Sabah and Vatan report State 
spokesman Sean McCormack urged the parties to remain calm, to 
"refrain from any actions that might be misinterpreted by the other 
side" and called for "transparency," so that there are "no 
misunderstandings that might result in mishaps."   Papers also 
report McCormack pointed to the UN for a solution. 
 
Gul, Buyukanit Due to Visit the US 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman, Yeni Safak 
and others report Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and Turkish General 
Staff (TGS) chief General Yasar Buyukanit will discuss the PKK and 
cross-border issues in northern Iraq in upcoming separate visits to 
the US this month.  Sabah says the Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) 
and the TGS are considering possibilities for operations against the 
 
ANKARA 00000231  002 OF 003 
 
 
PKK together with the US as well as with Iraq.  Some papers report 
State spokesman McCormack as saying that Turkey and the US would 
discuss developments in Iraq, Iran, and the EU, as well the 
"cross-border problem."  Buyukanit, to visit the US on February 11, 
will meet the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Peter 
Pace, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and National Security Advisor 
Stephen Hadley.  Gul, due in the US on February 5, is expected to 
focus on the Armenian genocide bill submitted to the US Congress. 
 
Turkish MPs Due to US to Campaign against Armenian Genocide Bill 
 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Cumhuriyet, Zaman and others report 16 
members of the Turkish Parliament will travel to the US in three 
separate groups from February 10-March 31 to campaign against the 
Armenian genocide bill through meetings with US congressmen.  The 
first delegation will visit the US from February 10 -17, the second 
from February 24-March 3, and the third group between March 11 -18. 
Also, the Turkish Union of Chambers (TOBB) will reportedly help 32 
lawmakers travel to the US to meet the representatives of leading 
American companies against the genocide bill. 
 
Editorial Commentary on Armenian Genocide Bill in the US, 
US/Iraq-Iran 
Sami Kohen comments in the mainstream daily Milliyet:  "Introduction 
of the Armenian Genocide Resolution in the House the other day 
indicated a new crisis in the Turkish-US relationship, which was 
already in a sensitive situation.  This time the chances seem rather 
weak for the resolution to be withdrawn or to be abolished during 
debates in the commission.  If the resolution is adopted by the 
Congress, then, the main negative affect of it will be seen on 
Turkey-US relationship.  Responding to a question on the issue the 
other day, Foreign Minister Gul said 'our strategic partnership will 
come to an end if the resolution is adopted.'  Actually, despite the 
document signed last year, it is very obvious that the strategic 
partnership between Turkey and the US has been immensely weakened, 
lately.  Nevertheless, Turkey's partnership is very important for US 
regional politics.  And for Ankara, US general support and its 
coordination in the fight against the PKK in Iraq, is very 
important.  If the necessary steps are not taken immediately on the 
resolution issue, the Turkey-US relationship will definitely be 
damaged.  This issue is too urgent and important to be left in the 
hands of the Bush Administration.  It should be explained to the 
Congress, influential circles in the US and to the public.  The 
Turkish government, Parliament, political parties, NGOs, 
businessmen, academicians, journalists, everyone should directly get 
in-touch with their counterparts in the US immediately and start a 
campaign to convince them." 
 
 
Fehmi Koru observed in the Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak:  "The Bush 
Administration is losing its support not only in Iraq but in the US 
as well.  One of the latest surveys in the US showed that Bush is 
the most disrespected President so far.  Moreover, Bush and his team 
do not hesitate to announce openly their dream of attacking Iran. 
As if it wasn't bad enough to attack Iraq to topple Saddam, now, 
with one last effort, the Neo-crazies are exerting efforts to 
convince Bush to attack Iran.  The responsible team in Washington is 
thinking like this: The US has 150,000 troops in Iraq. Under these 
conditions it is not possible to launch an operation against Iran. 
If the US is considering an operation against Iran seriously, then, 
it definitely should decrease its responsibilities in Iraq.  We 
should evaluate the news from Iraq in light of these developments." 
 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV (6 a.m.) 
 
Domestic News 
 
- An explosion ripped through a storage tank at Turkey's largest oil 
 
ANKARA 00000231  003 OF 003 
 
 
refinery Tupras in Izmit near Istanbul, killing two South African 
workers and injuring seven others.  The explosion occurred when 
workers were dismantling a tetraethyl tank. 
 
- Milliyet's chief editor Abdi Ipekci, killed 28 years ago by hitman 
Mehmet Ali Agca, was commemorated in Istanbul yesterday.  Agca, 
still imprisoned in Turkey, had attempted to kill Pope John Paul II 
in 1981. 
 
- Cardinal Camillo Ruini, head of the Catholic bishops in Italy, 
will participate in Turkey in the ceremonies planned to commemorate 
Catholic priest Andrea Santoro killed in Trabzon last year on 
February 5. 
 
- Turkey's foreign capital association YASED will host in Istanbul a 
meeting of CEOs from around the world. 
 
- Turkish Parliament's justice commission has approved a bill on 
witness protection program. 
 
International News 
 
- The UK-based International Institute for Strategic Studies reports 
Turkish sources as saying the PKK was planning to strike targets in 
Turkey using remote-control model planes. 
 
- The Financial Times says Turkey weighs cross-border attacks in 
northern Iraq against the PKK together with the US. 
 
- Mark Mazower of The Financial Times calls on Turkey to start open 
debates on the Armenian issue. 
 
- Two suicide bomb attacks on a crowded outdoor market in the Iraqi 
Shiite city of Hillah killed 45 people and wounded 150 others. 
 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON