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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000680 
 
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 26, 2007 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Nationalist Party Head Detained in Dink Murder Case 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Cumhuriyet, Zaman and others report police 
detained on Sunday the extreme nationalist Great Unity Party's (BBP) 
Trabzon provincial head Yasar Cihan in connection with the 
assassination of prominent Turkish -Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. 
Yasin Hayal, a leading suspect detained earlier for inciting the 
murder, was allegedly tied to BBP.  BBP chairman Muhsin Yazicioglu 
rejected charges that his party was involved in the Dink killing. 
Radikal reports lawyers are concerned about the course of the 
investigation into the murder, claiming a report about alleged 
police negligence has not been sent to prosecutors. 
 
Meanwhile, Armenian Patriarch Mesrob Mutafyan complained to the 
press that the perpetrators of the murder had not yet been found. 
"It means that," said Mutafyan, "those behind the murder have been 
given "very good protection." 
 
Football Diplomacy 
Hurriyet reports that Turkey's Fenerbahce football team will go to 
Damascus on April 3 to attend the opening ceremony of Aleppo 
stadium.  The initial offer came from PM Erdogan and Syrian 
President Assad agreed to the plan.  On April 3, PM Erdogan will go 
to Damascus, meet with President Assad and later the two leaders 
will attend the ceremony together in Aleppo.  Reporting in Hurriyet, 
Fatih Cekirge says that 'this is a very important initiative 
because, in the past, the dictatorships of the Middle East would 
never allow such programs.  Therefore, this is not only the opening 
of a stadium but more like the end of the history of the dictators 
and the opening of the Middle East to the world.' 
 
Editorial Commentary on Iraq: 
 
Washington-based Ali Aslan wrote in the Islamist-intellectual daily 
Zaman:  "President Bush expressed that an immediate pull out plan 
for the US troops, even though it may seem attractive in the short 
term, will not serve the American security interests in the long 
run.  A majority of Democrats do not support this view and they are 
working on draft legislation to set a date for a pull out, but this 
will most likely be vetoed by President Bush in the end.  It is true 
that a majority of Americans are tired of Iraq policy and support 
the troops coming home as soon as possible.  President Bush could 
not pursue a realistic Iraq policy, but for the first time he has 
made a realistic statement regarding the events of Iraq, and I 
support his approach that an immediate pull out is not a good idea. 
Politicians should listen to people's sensitivities.  However, 
international politics cannot be sacrificed to populism.  Let's not 
forget that the very same American people once supported the Iraq 
war.  Democrats are asking the Bush administration to announce a 
calendar for pull-out, which is against the interests of the state. 
Is there any country in the world that can make its next military 
step known to the public?  Democrats are playing to populism and 
they should act responsibly.  Otherwise, there will be consequences 
and not only the US, but also the entire world will suffer. 
International relations should not be a tool for domestic politics. 
And Iraq should not be used to corner Bush politically." 
 
Zafer Atay wrote in the economic-political daily Dunya:  "In less 
than two months after the Iraq war, President Bush was claiming 
victory calling it a 'mission accomplished.'  After four years of 
war in Iraq, the situation is even worse than before.  In his 
anniversary speech, President tried to convince us that 'we will win 
eventually.'  Iraq is not only going through a period of war, but a 
de facto civil war.  Sectarian division and divided interests are 
making Iraq's unity impossible.  Shiites feel closer to Iran and 
work toward a Shiite-led regime.  Sunnis are backed by Al Qaeda. 
Kurds are supported by the US and they have formed an independent 
administration in the north.  Currently, the Kurds are trying to be 
the predominant controllers of oil resources.  Compared to the 
 
ANKARA 00000680  002 OF 002 
 
 
Vietnam example, Iraq presents a far worse example.  When Washington 
decided to pull out from Vietnam, it found negotiating figures such 
representatives from the Vietkong and North Vietnam.  Who will be 
the Iraqi negotiating partner for the US if and when a pull out is 
implemented: the Mehdi army of the Shiites or Al Qaeda of the 
Sunnis?   It won't be the government of Iraq.  The so-called Baghdad 
government cannot survive a US pull out.  If the US withdraws 
without establishing internal stability and peace in Iraq, it will 
be held accountable for the bloodshed afterwards." 
 
YOK Doesn't Recognize the Universities in Northern Iraq 
Hurriyet reports that the number of Turkish students from the 
southeast attending universities in the Northern Iraq Kurdish 
Administration has been increasing.  Higher Education Council (YOK) 
officials said that currently 750 Turkish students are studying in 
northern Iraq in Kurdish and Arabic languages.  However, officials 
stressed that YOK does not recognize diplomas from these 
universities. 
 
TV News: 
(NTV, 8 A.M.) 
 
Domestic News 
 
- Two Turkish soldiers killed over the weekend by PKK landmines were 
buried in Diyarbakir yesterday. 
 
- Justice Minister Cemil Cicek has rejected allegations that the 
government was blocking the appointment of new judges and 
prosecutors. 
 
- More than 60 suspects have been arrested in connection with unrest 
during Nevruz celebrations in Mersin and Van. 
 
- British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett will visit Turkey on 
March 27-28. 
 
International News 
 
- Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margarian died on Sunday of heart 
failure. 
 
- James Holmes, head of the American-Turkish Council, said the US 
Congress was likely to reject the Armenian genocide bill. 
 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON