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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000762 
 
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 
TUESDAY, APRIL 3, 2007 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
High Court Scraps Effort to Isolate Alcohol-Serving Restaurants 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Cumhuriyet and others report the 
Turkish Council of State (Danistay) has annulled a directive issued 
by the Interior Ministry with an aim to relocate restaurants serving 
alcohol to "red zones" in suburbs.  Prime Minister Erdogan had 
defended the effort saying "protection of young people from bad 
habits" was "stipulated by the constitution" whereas mainstream 
media criticized the attempt, calling it an attempt to create "red 
light districts."  A debate was kicked off in Turkey in July 2005 
when the ruling AKP government changed the law on municipalities to 
allow local administrations to regulate locations of restaurants 
serving alcohol to certain zones to be determined by city councils. 
 
 
Anavatan Loses Party Group Status in Parliament 
All papers report that after the death yesterday in a traffic 
accident of Omer Abusoglu, a Gaziantep province lawmaker from the 
opposition Motherland Party (Anavatan), the number of Anavatan MPs 
in the Parliament dropped to 19, breaking up their party group.  The 
current distribution of seats in Turkish Parliament is, AKP 354, CHP 
153, ANAVATAN 19, DYP 4, SHP 1, HYP 1, GP 1, Independent 10, and 
Vacant 7.  In order to form a party group, Turkish law requires that 
a party hold at least 20 seats in Parliament. 
 
Kurdish Mayor Arrested for Praising Ocalan 
All papers report Aydin Budak, Kurdish party DTP mayor of Cizre 
township in the southeastern Turkish province of Sirnak, has been 
arrested for saluting Abdullah Ocalan in a speech during Nevruz 
celebrations by saying, "Happy Nevruz, Imrali." Imrali is the 
prison-island where the PKK leader is imprisoned.  Budak's lawyers 
said they would appeal the verdict while a group of DTP supporters 
and Cizre Municipality employees protested the arrest. 
 
YOK to Discuss New Universities, Erdogan Presidential Candidacy 
Milliyet, Sabah and Cumhuriyet report the Turkish High Education 
Council (YOK) is to convene university rectors in an extraordinary 
meeting April 5 to discuss the ruling AKP government decision to 
open 17 new universities and the election of Turkey's new president. 
 Papers expect YOK to respond to Prime Minister Erdogan and 
Education Minister Huseyin Celik's criticisms with regard to the new 
universities as well as evaluate Erdogan's possible candidacy for 
president. 
 
Turkey to Take over ISAF Command Again 
All papers report Turkey will assume its second term leadership of 
the Kabul Regional Command in Afghanistan.  Brigadier General Kasim 
Erdem will assume the second term Kabul Regional Command.  With the 
handover of the command on April 6, the number of Turkish troops 
deployed in the region will be increased to 1,150 from 750. 
 
Editorial Commentary on Iran, Kirkuk 
Haluk Ulman comments in the economic-political daily Dunya:  "Iran 
continues to defy the US and the UK in the latest crisis over 
captured British sailors.  Where does Iran get this courage from? 
There are many rumors but the most important reason is the belief 
that the US, in trouble in Iraq, will not be able to attack Iran. 
Of course, Iran will be harmed in many ways in case of an armed 
conflict with the US.  Iran's badly administrated economy will 
worsen and its infrastructure will be damaged beyond repair.  The 
example of two clashing pitchers should always be remembered: if one 
pitcher is broken, the other one will get cracked.  So Iran should 
change its attitude soon.  If the aim is to protect the peace, then, 
just like people, countries also should learn to control their 
desires." 
 
Sami Kohen observes in the mainstream daily Milliyet:  "The Kurds' 
target in Kirkuk is very obvious; they are trying to change the 
demographic structure of the city to their advantage and claim 
 
ANKARA 00000762  002 OF 002 
 
 
Kirkuk as the capital of the Iraqi Federation of Kurdistan. Kirkuk 
has been moving in this direction for a while.  Since the end of the 
Saddam regime, around 650,000 Kurds migrated to Kirkuk.  Meanwhile, 
because of pressure and threats, around 90,000 Arabs have left 
Kirkuk.  The Kurds, on their arrival in Kirkuk, quickly settle down 
and illegally take possession of property.  The Kurdish majority 
will increase in Kirkuk after more Arabs leave the place using the 
government's incentives.  This causes a serious concern among the 
Turkmen population.  Turkmen businessmen have already started 
leaving Kirkuk for good and migrating to Turkey or to some Arab 
countries.  Turkmen officials in Kirkuk say that the phase of 
threats and pressure will be followed by the phase of terror.  Many 
Turkmen lost their lives in the latest bombings and the rest are 
living in fear.  Is this the way to return Kirkuk to normal?" 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV, 7.00 A.M. 
 
Domestic News 
 
- Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is to travel to Germany Tuesday on a 
two-day official visit to meet with his counterpart Frank-Walter 
Steinmeier and launch a project on providing consular services on 
the internet. 
 
- CHP MP Kemal Anadol accused Prime Minister Erdogan of trying to 
manipulate the nation with regard to the presidential elections. 
 
- Turkey's economic growth exceeds government and market 
expectations of 5 percent, reaching 6 percent in 2006, said Deputy 
Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener, adding national income has grown 
about 7.3 percent in the last four years. 
 
- Three "purse snatchers" have been sentenced to life in prison for 
killing a woman while trying to steal her bag in Istanbul. 
 
International News 
 
- US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met with Lebanese officials in 
Beirut in a fact-finding trip to the Middle East that has drawn 
criticism from the White House because it includes a visit to Syria. 
 
 
- Iraqi prosecutors seek the death penalty for Saddam Hussein's 
cousin "Chemical Ali" for his use of poison gas against the regime's 
opponents including the Kurds. 
 
- Iraq's most senior Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, 
has opposed a new draft that would allow thousands of former members 
of Saddam Hussein's Baath party to return to public life. 
 
- An explosives-laden truck blew up outside a police station in the 
northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk on Monday, killing 13 people including 
9 children. 
 
- The Independent columnist Robert Fisk describes the strains 
between Iran and Britain as a "war of humiliation." 
WILSON