VZCZCXRO5020
OO RUEHZC
DE RUEHAK #0270/01 0391509
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 081509Z FEB 07 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0890
RUEKJCS/CJCS WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC//PA
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU
INFO RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 7792
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 2084
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 1634
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 5728
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 5465
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2101
RUEUITH/DET 1 39LG ANKARA TU
RHMFIUU/USDOCO 6ATAF IZMIR TU
RHMFIUU/39OSS 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 000270 
 
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 
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2007 
 
 
ANKARA 00000270  001.6 OF 002 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Gul Continues Talks in the US 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman, Yeni Safak 
and others report Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, in Washington on a 
state visit, said the operations launched against the PKK in France 
and Belgium were "no coincidence," adding they were initiated 
following information supplied by the US.  Gul told the National 
Press Club in Washington yesterday that Turkey could cross the 
border into Iraq at any time, but what mattered was the outcome of 
such a move.  Gul noted the US was not pressing to block a Turkish 
military operation against the PKK. 
 
Several papers note the failure to arrange meetings with House 
Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Defense Secretary Robert Gates amounted to 
a "cold shower" for Turks, prompting Gul to cancel a trip of Turkish 
lawmakers to Washington to lobby against the Armenian genocide bill 
to be submitted to the US Congress. 
 
Meanwhile, papers report that Ankara is seeking the extradition of 
the PKK members detained in France.  Papers report thirteen suspects 
have been captured in raids in Paris, including Riza Altun and Nedim 
Seven, known to be the "treasurers" of the PKK.  Several papers 
report a spokesperson for US Ankara Embassy said the raids in 
European countries were expected to continue. 
 
Columnists Report on Conversation with Ambassador Wilson: PKK 
Arrests in Europe, Armenia, US-Turkey Relations 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Cumhuriyet and Zaman report US Ambassador 
to Turkey Ross Wilson said at a roundtable with prominent 
commentators in Istanbul that the US has begun to see the results of 
its objective of blocking the activities of the PKK in Europe in the 
arrests of the PKK members in Paris and Belgium.  "The recent 
arrests have been a result of cooperation among the US, Turkey and 
Europe," Wilson said, adding that in secret documents some European 
countries were characterizing the PKK as "the second most dangerous 
terror organization after al-Qaeda."  Wilson emphasized that Ankara 
should work closely with the Iraqi government regarding the capture 
and extradition of the PKK members.  Wilson said "Turkey and the US 
need each other now more than ever," stressing, "A worsening of ties 
will damage both sides."  On the Armenian genocide resolution, 
Wilson said the Congress and the White House were in separate hands, 
but that such resolutions do not have any "binding effect" on the 
Administration.  Wilson also underlined the importance of the 
continuatioe US and Turkey, and suhe steps to normalize relat if he 
knew it would produce results but that it was not his decision to 
make. 
 
Dnk Murder Investigation Continues, Article 301 
All papers report that Yasin Hayal, a key suspect in the murder of 
Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, said police informant Erhan Tuncel 
had plotted the 2004 bombing of a McDonald's restaurant in Trabzon 
and the assassination of Dink.  Meanwhile, Armenian Patriarch Mesrob 
Mutafyan said that he has been receiving threat messages since the 
assassination of Dink.  Mutafyan said the police found out that the 
messages directed against him come from the same source as those 
sent to Hrant Dink.  Papers say Metin Tekce, the Kurdish mayor of 
the southeastern city of Hakkari, received similar messages form the 
same source. 
 
Meanwhile, Turkish NGOs meeting on the issue of amending Article 
301of the Turkish Penal Code, under which Dink and others have been 
prosecuted for "insulting Turkishness," have suggested keeping the 
"Turkishness" reference, but referred to Turkish Constitution 
 
ANKARA 00000270  002 OF 002 
 
 
- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is expected to visit Turkey on 
February 15. 
 
- A bill drafted by the ruling AKP envisages three-year prison 
penalties for those who fire their guns at weddings. 
 
- Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener said that a draft 
introducing mortgage in Turkey would be discussed by the parliament 
soon. 
 
International News 
 
- A framework agreement was signed Wednesday in Tbilisi on the 
construction of the Baku-Tbilisi- Kars railway with the 
participation of Azerbaijani President Aliyev, Georgian President 
Saakashvili and Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan. 
 
- Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis has promised to write off 
the debts of Turkish foundations in Western Thrace during a visit to 
the region. 
 
- Israeli excavation work near a compound in Jerusalem that houses 
the al-Aqsa mosque has drawn strong Palestinian protests. 
 
-  Interior Minister Wolfgang Schauble said that Turks in Germany 
were gradually getting more radical. 
 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON