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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000449 
 
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, FEBRUARY 28, 2007 
 
 
ANKARA 00000449  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Gul Warns the Kurds to "Stop Fantasizing" 
All papers report Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul responded to 
questions about a recent sta region.  The Kurds should be realistic 
in their aspirations," Gul said, drawing attention to the example of 
Saddam Hussein's actions against the Kurds.  Gul also said Turkish 
officials would like to go to Iraq to show solidarity with the Iraqi 
government and people, but that there was no visit planned. 
 
Tenth Anniversary of the "Postmodern Coup" 
Columnists in several papers comment on the 10th anniversary of the 
"postmodern military coup" in Turkey, when the military forced the 
then-Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan from power in February 28, 
1997, for angering the secularist establishment by actions such as 
inviting religious leaders to his residence and by drawing closer to 
Iran and Libya. 
 
Hurriyet's chief editor Ertugrul Ozkok says February 28 was a 
"fine-tuning" of Turkish democracy against an inept Islamist 
government which was keen on changing the regime in Turkey, based on 
only 25 percent of the voters' support.  In the tabloid Posta, 
Mehmet Ali Birand says there were still some circles in Turkey who 
want the Turkish military to intervene if someone who wants to 
change the secular regime into a "religious republic" becomes the 
new president.  Mustafa Unal in the conservative/opinion maker Zaman 
writes Turkey cannot go through another February 28, expressing hope 
that the military will "not be provoked by those who want another 
military takeover."  Fehmi Koru of the Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak 
says the February 28 process has been "a total shame for Turkey," 
stressing that today Turkey is sure of itself and "the 
constitutional order will not be disrupted."  The 
leftist/nationalist Cumhuriyet's chief editor Ilhan Selcuk points to 
the ongoing "externally-supported counter-revolutionary period" in 
the country, warning against attempts to turn Turkey into a 
"moderate Islamic state."  Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Erbakan 
is quoted in Vatan as saying the United States, not the Turkish 
military, was the real architect of his downfall. 
 
Editorial Commentary: ICJ on Srebrenica 
After the recent ruling by the ICJ on Srebrenica, Rauf Tamer 
comments in the tabloid Posta, comparing more recent events: "The US 
lost 3,500 people in the Twin Towers attacks, and in return at least 
700,000 Muslims were killed in Iraq.  That's what I would call a 
genuine genocide.  America has never been so unsympathetic to the 
world in its entire history.  Today's America is certainly not the 
US of Clinton times.  And more importantly, Busards and bias, the real face of 
Europeans.  Europe spread anti-Muslim and anti-Turkish sentiment 
throughout the continent for more than 100 years.  Regarding the 
massacre of Bosnians, the steps for that genocide were taken by 
Europe as well.  Therefore, The Hague ruling does not come as a 
surprise.  History is just repeating itself.  Just think about the 
Hojali massacre by Armenians.  Do you remember any reaction from 
Europe about the murder of hundreds of Azeris? Yes indeed, there was 
only one reaction - a pat on the back to the Armenians." 
 
 
ANKARA 00000449  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
Iraqi Neighbors Conference 
Milliyet, Sabah, Yeni Safak, Aksam and others:  Papers report that 
the US will be sitting at the same table with Syria and Iran for the 
first time at the Iraqi Neighbors Conference in Baghdad in the 
middle of March.  Yeni Safak quotes White House spokesperson Dana 
Perino as saying "If an Iraq conference is convened and we are 
invited, of course we will participate.  It would be natural for 
Secretary Rice to represent the US at such a conference."  Sabah 
 
SIPDIS 
reports that when asked if Turkish PM Erdogan would travel to Iraq, 
FM Gul saiUS to count ` 
TV Highlights 
NTV (6 A.M.) 
 
Domestic News 
 
- Turkish Parliament has rejected a motion filed by the main 
opposition CHP against Prime Minister Erdogan and Interior Minister 
Abdulkadir Aksu for "breach of duty" in a series of events including 
the murder of Turkish Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, the attack on 
the Council of State, and the killing of Father Andrea Santoro, the 
priest in Trabzon. 
 
- Turkey's main Kurdish party DTP will hold its extraordinary 
convention in Ankara today. 
 
International News 
- Turkish Cyprus leader Mehmet Ali Talat is to visit Brussels today 
for talks with EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn. 
 
- On Tuesday, a car bomb killed 18 children at a soccer field near 
the Iraqi city of Ramadi. 
 
- The Iraqi government has approved a draft law that will govern all 
oil and gas development in the country. 
 
- Iran's Revolutionary Guards have killed three high-level officials 
of PEJAK, a PKK offshoot in Iran. 
 
- Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said Hamas has pledged to 
end missile attacks and violence against Israel. 
 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON