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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000351 
 
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 16, 2007 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Buyukanit Continues US Visit 
All papers report that on Thursday, Turkish General Staff (TGS) 
chief General Yasar Buyukanit told a press conference in Washington 
after meeting with Vice President Dick Cheney and National Security 
Advisor Stephen Hadley that he thought the US government "very 
determined" in their efforts to counter the Armenian genocide 
resolution in the US Congress as well as in the fight against PKK 
terrorism.  Papers report Buyukanit said his scheduled meeting with 
US House Foreign Relations Committee head Tom Lantos, canceled 
yesterday due to bad weather conditions, is to take place on Friday. 
 Buyukanit and Lantos are expected to focus on the Armenian 
resolution as the main subject of the meeting. 
 
Olmert Meets Turkish Leaders in Ankara 
All papers report visiting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and 
his Turkish counterpart Erdogan held a joint press conference in 
Ankara after a meeting on Thursday.  Olmert accepted Erdogan's 
proposal to send a team of technical experts to Jerusalem to inspect 
the controversial road building work near al-Aqsa Mosque.  "We have 
nothing to hide," Olmert stressed, "The work is being done outside 
the Temple Mount area.  We are very happy to host the prime 
minister's team, and therefore the right, correct and exact story 
will come out."  Olmert also reaffirmed Israel wants peace with 
Syria, but that Syria "has not stopped supporting terrorism, it 
needs to accept the principles that were set by the international 
community."  Erdogan said with regard to the Palestine question that 
the new Palestinian government is a hope, and that a positive 
approach by Israel and the Middle East Quartet would be beneficial. 
"It is not possible to solve this with Mahmoud Abbas alone; there is 
a need for a strong government standing on its own feet.  The 
formation of a unity government could affect the process 
positively."  Erdogan also noted that he would invite members of the 
new Palestinian government to Ankara once the national unity 
government has been formed. 
 
Olmert later met with President Sezer, Foreign Minister Gul, Defense 
Minister Vecdi Gonul, and chairman of the Turkish union of esponse to a question on possibe Turkish cross-border military 
incursions inQo northern Iraq, that he preferred peaceful methods, 
but that Turkey has a "right to self defense" if attacked. 
 
Editorial Commentary on Northern Iraq, Russia's Efforts in Middle 
East 
Okay Gonensin observes in the mass appeal Vatan:  "The American 
administration has decided to leave Kirkuk to the control of the 
Kurds and the upcoming referendum will only make this official. 
Given the fact, Turkey's current responsibility should be working to 
eliminate pressure on the Turkmen community and helping to establish 
democratic as well as peaceful relations in this area.  Northern 
Iraqi Kurdish leaders should also work with Turkey to discuss and to 
find ways to settle the Kirkuk issue through the involvement of 
Turkmen. Currently their attitude is to annoy Turkey even though it 
will not help anything.  If northern Iraq will eventually be an 
independent state, its soil should not be a base for terrorism 
against its immediate neighbor.  If the leaders of northern Iraq 
take some wise steps in this regard, they can pave the way for a new 
kind of relationship in the region.  In the meantime, Turkey should 
be able to adopt domestic policies toward establishing a lasting 
peaceful atmosphere regarding its own Kurdish problem.  This is the 
time for Turkey to take the steps in this regard -- steps which 
demonstrate Turkey's self-confidence." 
 
ANKARA 00000351  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
Zeynep Dagi comments in the Islamist-intellectual Zaman:  "Putin is 
working toward winning over the Arab, especially after the growing 
hate for the West due to the American occupation of Iraq and Israeli 
attacks in Palestine and Lebanon.  Putin's 
regard to the Iraq wate sympathy in the 
Mumic and politicalreasons.  Moscow is also trying to solve the 
terrorism problem that it has been facing since the demise of the 
Soviet Union.  Putin has become the first Russian president ever to 
visit Saudi Arabia.  His tour of the Middle East countries raised 
many eyebrows in Israel and the US, but he was welcome by Arab 
leaders.  Russia seems to be concentrating on new initiatives toward 
stability in the Middle East and toward establishing a multiple 
balance system as opposed to the US-based unilateralism." 
 
Eastern Mediterranean Oil Crisis Looming 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman and others report 
that despite objections from Ankara, the Greek Cypriot government 
opened a bidding process Thursday to license offshore oil and gas 
exploration.  The first round of licensing involves 11 offshore 
areas totaling around 60,000 square kilometers off the southern 
shores of Cyprus.  The Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) invited 
prospective bidders to exercise "common sense," saying in a 
statement yesterday, "Insisting on the tender process would affect 
peace and stability on Cyprus and in the eastern Mediterranean." 
Greek Cyprus signed a deal with Lebanon last month to facilitate 
future oil and gas exploration.  It has a similar deal with Egypt. 
Ankara has warned both countries not to carry on with the deals. 
Ankara says Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots too have legitimate 
rights in the Mediterranean.  Energy Minister Hilmi Guler said 
earlier this week that Turkey's state oil company TPAO will also 
explore oil in the eastern Mediterranean.  The TPAO is now expected 
to issue tenders for international partners to search for oil and 
gas in the Mediterranean and Aegean seas. 
 
Anniversary of PKK Leader's Capture Raises Tensions in Turkey 
All papers:  On the 8th anniversary of the PKK's jailed leader 
Abdullah Ocalan's arrest, there were many pro-Ocalan demonstrations 
in the southeastern region of Turkey yesterday.  Several shop owners 
closed their shops to protest Ocalan's capture.  In the provinces of 
Diyarbakir, Siirt, Sanliurfa and Mersin, streets filled with people 
protesting his arrest.  In Sanliurfa, a group that attempted to make 
a press statement and hold a march was blocked by police.  In 
Mersin, a group mostly made up of children, was dispersed by police 
after a short march with pro-Ocalan banners. 
 
Meanwhile, Milliyet reports that, in the northern Iraqi city of 
Erbil, a march by members of Kurdistan Democratic Solution Party the local Peshmerge s tQial in Istanbul.  Syrian citizen Louai 
Sakka Qs among 72 suspected al-Qaeda militants on tria, for alleged 
involvement in the bombings in Istanbul on November 15 and 20, 2003. 
 
 
Putin's Speech Posted on General Staff Website 
Sabah, Cumhuriyet, Milliyet, Aksam, Bugun:  Russian President 
Vladimir Putin's February 10 statement in Munich, in which Putin had 
strongly criticized the US and NATO, was placed on the Turkish 
General Staff's (TGS) internet site.  Sabah notes that no other 
foreign leader's speech has been posted on the TGS website. 
 
 
ANKARA 00000351  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV (6 a.m.) 
 
Domestic News 
 
- Authorities are monitoring a woman in a village in the 
southeastern province of Diyarbakir who is suspected of having 
contracted bird flu.  The village has been quarantined, and human 
health teams began checks of villagers. 
 
- Prime Minister Erdogan said he was ready to take steps to improve 
ties with the Kurdish administration of northern Iraq. 
 
- Opposition CHP is to launch a parliamentary inquiry against Prime 
Minister Erdogan and Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu for neglect 
in the Hrant Dink murder investigation. 
 
- Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki is to visit Turkey on 
February 20 to meet with Foreign Minister Gul as well as join a 
meeting of the Turkey-Iranian joint eco 
International News 
 
ed a speech to the natios ways to resolve the 
Israeli-Palestinian conflict and bring peace to Iraq and 
Afghanistan. 
 
- Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia expects the US to show 
the same flexibility in resolving the problem of Iran's nuclear 
program as it did with North Korea. 
 
 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON