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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000783 
 
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 
THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2007 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Investigation against Coup Allegations 
Sabah, Aksam, Zaman, Hurriyet and others:  Today's papers report 
that the Bakirkoy and Sisli district prosecutors in Istanbul have 
initiated investigation into military coup allegations made in 
former Naval Forces Commander Ozden Ornek's diaries, published by 
Nokta magazine.  In the crime complaint the prosecutors received it 
was alleged that retired commanders Sener Eruygur (Gendarme), 
Ibrahim Firtina (Air Force), Aytac Yalman (Land Forces) and Ozden 
Ornek (Naval Forces) violated the Constitution by making 
preparations against the Constitutional order of the country. 
 
Pro-Ocalan Protests in Sanliurfa, Protests against the Prosecutor in 
Cizre 
Sabah reports that on the occasion of the birthday of jailed PKK 
leader Abdullah Ocalan, a group of his supporters wanted to go to 
his hometown Omerli village in the Halfeti district of Sanliurfa 
Province.  When security forces obstructed the group's entry into 
the village, protestors, chanting pro-Ocalan slogans, began to stone 
the police who fired shots into the air.  One policeman and some of 
the protestors were slightly injured during the clashes. 
 
Meanwhile, Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir, together with DTP and 
former DEP members (Kurdish political parties) went to Cizre to 
support Cizre Mayor Aydin Budak who was arrested for a "praising 
terrorism and terrorists" in a speech he made during Nevruz 
celebrations last month.  Around 3,000 people met Baydemir on his 
arrival and extra security measures were taken around the 
municipality building in Cizre. 
 
April 14 Republican Rally Tension 
Sabah, Hurriyet, Milliyet, Cumhuriyet, Radikal and others:  PM 
Erdogan reacted harshly to claims that exams were postponed at some 
universities in Ankara to allow students to attend a "Republican 
Rally" to be held two days before official presidential election 
process starts.  Organized by the Ataturk Thought Association, the 
rally is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of marchers.  The 
Republican Rally Organization head Ali Ercan said yesterday, "We 
want to have a President who will adopt the fundamental principles 
of the Republic.  Our stance is a warning and if there isn't 
compromise over the names of the candidates, we'll continue to 
react.  I don't understand why the PM reacted so harshly to the 
rally. We have not demanded anything special." 
 
Meanwhile, AKP deputy group leader Kapusuz claimed that major 
opposition party CHP is behind the rally.  However, CHP leader 
Baykal denied the allegations. 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION:   Iraq, US-Turkey Relationship 
Commenting in the mainstream daily Milliyet, Semih Idiz urges Turkey 
to accept the new reality in Iraq: "Turkey has some trust problems 
with two of Iraq's major groups, the Shiites and the Kurds.  The new 
facts of life in Iraq are not clearly understood in Turkey.  The 
fact is that the Shiites and the Kurds are re-shaping the new Iraq. 
Unfortunately, Ankara has not been able to establish a positive 
dialog with these two elements and that is why Ankara remains a 
spectator to the developments in Iraq.  Meanwhile, not only in Iraq 
but also in the rest of the world, there is this spreading belief 
that Turkey is ready to interfere with Iraq's potential stability to 
fulfill its own interests.  In order to increase its effectiveness 
in Iraq, Turkey should eliminate this impression and convince 
everyone that Turkey is not a threat to Iraq.  The resolution of the 
Kirkuk and PKK issues depends on this." 
 
Cengiz Candar, writing in the economic-political daily Referans, 
maintains when it comes to US-Turkey relations, "no news is good 
news":  "Former US Ambassador to Turkey Morton Abramowitz claims 
that there is no place for Turkey recently on Washington's agenda. 
This situation might disturb many people in Turkey.  However, at 
 
ANKARA 00000783  002 OF 002 
 
 
this very critical election period, Washington's attitude could be 
considered beneficial for Turkey.  This situation reminds me the 
phrase 'no news is good news'.  If anyone asks me what the most 
characteristic angle of the US-Turkey relations is lately, my answer 
would be 'no news is good news'.  What happens if the draft Armenian 
Resolution passes Congress?  Well, then, Turkey will definitely take 
a place in Washington's agenda." 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV, 6.00 A.M. 
 
Domestic News 
 
- The government has launched work to pass a regulation which will 
permit Turks living abroad to vote in Turkish general elections. 
 
- Visiting Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser al-Muhammad al-Sabah 
has promised to open a Kuwaiti commercial office in Turkish Cyprus. 
 
 
- Turkey has refused to allow the transit through Turkey of six 
trucks carrying water tanks dispatched by the government of South 
Korea for the "Interior Ministry of Kurdistan Regional Government." 
 
 
- The Turkish Foreign Ministry has dispatched humanitarian aid to 
Afghanistan after heavy floods and avalanches killed dozens in the 
country. 
 
International News 
 
- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has announced 15 British 
sailors will be released as an Easter gift to the British people. 
 
- Iran's official news agency IRNA said an Iranian representative 
has been authorized to meet the five Iranian diplomats who have been 
held in Iraq by the American forces since January. 
 
- US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met with Bashar Assad in Damascus 
despite White House objections, saying she pressed the Syrian leader 
over his country's support for militant groups. 
 
- Gunmen opened fire on a minibus carrying workers in a Sunni area 
west of Kirkuk, killing eleven people. 
 
- On the International Day dedicated to curbing landmines, a top UN 
peacekeeping official called for more efforts to curtail landmines 
which kill some 20,000 every year. 
WILSON