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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000493 
 
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 
MONDAY, MARCH 5, 2007 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Gul Joins Arab League Meeting in Cairo 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Zaman and others report Foreign 
Minister Abdullah Gul, in Cairo to attend the Arab League Foreign 
Ministers' meeting over the weekend, told a press conference held 
after meeting with Secretary-General Amr Moussa that Turkish 
territories would never be used in attacks against Turkeys' 
neighbors.  Gul also underlined the importance of protecting Iraq's 
unity, warning a divided Iraq would become a source of big trouble 
for the region.  He also noted that the fate of Kirkuk was important 
for keeping Iraq intact.  Radikal reported over the weekend that the 
meeting was a preparation for a meeting of Iraq's neighbors 
scheduled to take place in Istanbul or Cairo in April.  On his 
return from Cairo, Gul told the press Turkey was "not in a hurry" to 
impose sanctions on Iran.  "We will do as others do; I must remind 
you that UN resolutions are binding for all members," said Gul. 
 
Lantos to Back Turkey against Armenian Resolution 
Mainstream Sabah reports Congressman Tom Lantos has promised to work 
against the Armenian genocide resolution in the US Congress.  While 
Lantos was holding talks with visiting Turkish Chief of General 
Staff Yasar Buyukanit in Washington last month, Ankara told the 
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that the approval of the genocide 
resolution would harm not only Turkey-US ties, but Turkey's ties 
with Israel too.  Olmert spoke with Lantos and other representatives 
of the Jewish lobby, convincing them to work against the bill, says 
Sabah. 
 
Ergun Babahan noted in the mainstream Sabah that over the weekend 
The Wall Street Journal published an op-ed written by Mark Parris, 
US Ambassador to Turkey from 1997 to 2000, in which Parris argues 
that it would be "wrong for a country's parliament to adopt a 
resolution in order to try some other nation."  Babahan writes that 
"after stressing Turkey's importance for the US interests in the 
region, Parris concludes that the passage of the resolution will 
definitely be against US interests." 
 
US Draft Calls on Turkey to Establish Ties with Armenia 
Mainstream Milliyet reported Sunday that on March 6 the US Senate 
foreign relations committee will discuss a draft condemning the 
murder of Armenian journalist Hrant Dink and pressing Turkey to 
scrap article 301 of the penal code.  The draft praises Turkey for 
inviting Armenian clerics and politicians to the funeral of Dink, 
stressing Turkey should establish diplomatic, political, and 
economic ties with Armenia.  Even if approved by the Senate, the 
draft will not be binding. 
 
Editorial Commentary: Turkey in the Middle East 
Semih Idiz commented in the mainstream daily Milliyet:  "The meeting 
between Iranian president Ahmedinejad and Saudi King Abdullah in 
Riyadh and the meeting in Baghdad on March 10 which will bring the 
US, Iran and Syria to the same table are concrete signs of new 
developments in the region.  Turkish Foreign Minister Gul will 
attend this meeting in Baghdad as well.  But Turkey never seems to 
be right in the middle of these developments in the region -- never 
takes an active role in the regional problems but acts more like a 
reactive regional power.  President Sezer continues to reject 
meeting Kurdish leaders, one of whom is the president of the country 
and the other is the leader of the regional administration.  With 
this kind of stance, Turkey will always be left out of developments 
occurring right next to us while Saudi Arabia, Iran and others steal 
our role with their more relaxed attitudes.  While we are shaping 
our world according to personal understandings, the world is moving 
us to the back seat." 
 
Prosecution of DTP Members on the Rise 
The liberal/opinion maker Radikal reports an increase in operations 
against Turkey's main Kurdish party DTP, as seen in the arrest and 
 
ANKARA 00000493  002 OF 003 
 
 
detention of more than 60 party members over the last ten days. 
Hilmi Aydogdu, the DTP head in Diyarbakir, was arrested for saying 
they will perceive an attack on Kirkuk as an attack on Diyarbakir. 
Four DTP officials in Batman have been detained for supporting 
Aydogdu.  Twenty DTP members were arrested in Van for making PKK 
propaganda.  DTP co-chairpersons Ahmet Turk and Aysel Tugluk were 
given prison sentences for distributing declarations in Kurdish, 
calling Abdullah Ocalan a "public leader."  The Ankara prosecutor 
has launched an investigation into the DTP congress held on February 
¶28.  The DTP head in Silopi was detained for saying in a statement 
"Mr. Ocalan," and now faces investigation for praising criminals. 
 
Evren Investigated for Proposing Federation in Turkey 
All papers over the weekend and Monday report a prosecutor launched 
a lawsuit against former president Kenan Evren for proposing to set 
up a federation in Turkey.  The prosecutor asked for a 15-year 
prison sentence for the junta leader of the September 1980 military 
takeover in Turkey.  Evren backpedaled by saying he was not 
suggesting a federation, but was just proposing to appoint regional 
governors. 
 
Hrant Dink Commemorated 40 Days after His Death 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman, Yeni Safak and 
others report Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was remembered 
at the Armenian Virgin Mary Church and at his grave in Istanbul 
forty days after he was murdered on January 19.  Armenian Patriarch 
Mesrob Mutafyan said prayers for Dink, and lamented the fact that 
those behind the murder were not caught yet.  After the mass, two 
unidentified persons shot in the air in front of the church and 
escaped. 
 
TV News: 
(NTV, 8 A.M.) 
 
Domestic News 
 
- Turkish political parties agreed on a new regulation to lower the 
election age to 25 years to take effect in the next general 
elections. 
 
- Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin said charges about the 
poisoning of  PKK's imprisoned leader Ocalan were "provocation." 
 
- Turkish Council of Ministers will discuss Monday a report drafted 
by Environment Minister Osman Pepe on the impact of global warming. 
 
 
- Turkish banks are expected to open 600 new branches this year, 
recruiting 8,000 new employees. 
 
International News 
 
- The Turkish government is to make a deal with a new lobby company 
in the US, DLA Piper, a company close to the Democrats, before the 
discussion of Armenian genocide claims in the US Congress. 
 
- Iraq's Prime Minister said he will reshuffle his cabinet within 
two weeks and pursue criminal charges against political figures 
linked to extremists. 
 
- Former US Ambassador to Turkey Mark Parris said the approval of 
Armenian genocide resolution in the US Congress would harm American 
interests. 
 
- Major powers failed to settle differences over a second UN 
sanctions resolution against Iran for its nuclear program. 
 
 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
 
ANKARA 00000493  003 OF 003 
 
 
WILSON