VZCZCXRO7093
OO RUEHDA
DE RUEHAK #0794/01 0961104
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 061104Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1601
RUEKJCS/CJCS WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC//PA
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU
INFO RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 7952
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 2467
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 1826
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 5843
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 5598
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2216
RUEUITH/DET 1 39LG ANKARA TU
RHMFIUU/USDOCO 6ATAF IZMIR TU
RHMFIUU/39OS INCIRLIK AB TU
RHMFIUU/AFOSI DET 523 IZMIR TU
RHMFIUU/39ABG INCIRLIK AB TU
RHMFIUU/AFOSI DET 522 INCIRLIK AB TU
RUEUITH/AFLO ANKARA TU

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000794 
 
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 
FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2007 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Debate over Presidential Elections Continues in Turkey 
All papers report that Thursday Turkish university rectors released 
a declaration saying Turkey needed an "impartial, modern and secular 
president with a clean past."  Rectors' spokesman, Higher Education 
Board (YOK) president Professor Erdogan Tezic stressed that at least 
two-thirds of lawmakers should participate in the first two rounds 
of the presidential elections in the parliament, warning that 
otherwise the election will not be valid.  AKP deputy group chief 
Salih Kapusuz shrugged of the declaration, accusing YOK of acting 
"like an ally of CHP." 
 
Prime Minister Erdogan met with the representatives of labor union 
Turk-Is who reportedly reminded him of constitutional principles, 
advising the PM to seek compromise in naming the new president. 
Erdogan stressed three presidents had been chosen under the existing 
constitution so far, and it was unfair to ask the AKP to compromise. 
 
 
Erdogan kicked off rounds of talks on Thursday evening with his 
ruling AK Party lawmakers in an effort to learn their opinions with 
regard to the presidency. 
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, in Berlin on a state 
visit, told Financial Times Deutschland that Erdogan was a 
"suitable" candidate for the presidency. 
 
DTP Investigations Continue; Erdogan Cleared of Ocalan Remarks 
Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman and others report the 
pro-Kurdish party DTP's Diyarbakir provincial head Hilmi Aydogdu, 
arrested in March for saying a military attack on Kirkuk was no 
different than one made on Diyarbakir, has been released.  Aydogdu's 
trial procedure continues.  In Ankara, four DTP leaders including 
the party provincial chief, Salih Karaaslan, have been arrested for 
"making PKK propaganda" in press conferences in February and March. 
 
 
Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry has launched three separate 
investigations against the Mayor of mainly Kurdish Diyarbakir, Osman 
Baydemir, for sending out invitations, greeting cards, and posters 
in the Kurdish language. 
 
On the other hand, Ankara prosecutor decided not to file a case 
against Prime Minister Erdogan for allegations that he praised the 
imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan by calling him "Mr." in a 
radio interview Erdogan gave in Australia in 2000.  The prosecutor 
ruled there was "no element of criminal offence" in the interview 
and also it "exceeded the statute of limitations." 
 
 
 
Nokta Weekly Investigated for "Coup" Stories 
Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman and others report Nokta, 
a controversial weekly political magazine, complained that a legal 
investigation was launched against the publication after it claimed 
that Turkey has escaped from two military coups in 2004, thanks to 
then chief of Turkish General Staff (TGS) chief Hilmi Ozkok's 
prevention.  The weekly had published the alleged diaries of former 
Naval Forces Commander General Ozden Ornek which included plans for 
military takeover against the ruling AKP government.  Nokta said 
prosecutors launched a probe not after a call by Prime Minister 
Erdogan but after former commander Ornek petitioned the prosecutor's 
office for legal action.  Radikal and Zaman criticize that the 
weekly was investigated but not the allegation of military takeover 
plans. 
 
Iraq's Neighbors Meeting Put Off to May 
Milliyet, Cumhuriyet and Zaman report Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar 
Zebari said an expanded Iraq's neighbors' meeting would be held 
"outside Iraq, and in the first week in May."  Zaman says Ankara 
 
ANKARA 00000794  002 OF 003 
 
 
wants the talks held in Istanbul with the participation of G-8 
members as well as the permanent members of UN Security Council, but 
will not object to Cairo as a new venue outside Baghdad.  Cumhuriyet 
says Ankara had asked for participation of President Talabani or 
Prime Minister al-Maliki in the prospective Istanbul meeting.  The 
Iraqi PM, however, has objected to Istanbul, and wants the meeting 
to be held at foreign ministerial or a lower level, says the paper. 
 
 
Editorial Commentary on Pelosi Visit to Syria, Turkey-US Ties 
Hasan Mesut Hazar writes from Washington in the 
conservative-nationalist Turkiye:  "Nancy Pelosi's visit to Syria is 
a very interesting development.  Not because the visit upset 
President Bush immensely but, also, as an open message to the world 
that US foreign policies no longer have the approval of the American 
people.  Pelosi's visit to Syria is an open message from the US 
Congress that there is a different America than Bush's.  All the 
surveys in the US shows that 84 percent of Americans are deeply 
concerned about the Bush Administration's foreign policies and 70 
percent of them are against the war in Iraq.   Pelosi's visit to 
Syria has another important aspect from the angle of Turkey -- in 
the past the American hawks criticized PM Erdogan harshly for his 
visit to Syria, accusing Turkey of starting a dialog with terrorism 
supporters Damascus and Tehran.  I hope, the real face of the US 
which defends justice, peace and human values will always be in the 
front, and adventurers, hawks and cruel people will not be allowed 
to direct the country down the wrong path.  Only then, will we have 
some hope for more peaceful world." 
 
Kamuran Ozbir comments in the nationalist Ortadogu:  "Because of its 
strategic location Turkey was always very important for the US -- 
until the last few years.  US-Turkey relations were damaged after 
Turkey refused to allow US troops to enter Iraq through Turkey. 
And, then the US arrested eleven Turkish military officers in 
Northern Iraq.  Turkey considered this issue a matter of honor. 
Turkey always needs the US's partnership, and Turkey is very 
important for the US.  In short, both countries are aware of each 
other's importance and have been taking important steps lately to 
improve bilateral relations again.  However, it is noticed that the 
US is in a deep relationship with one other ally, the Kurds. 
Nevertheless, Washington will realize soon that, as an important 
NATO ally and a supporter of the western world, no other country can 
take Turkey's place." 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV (6 a.m.) 
 
Domestic News 
 
- The European Court of Human Rights said Turkey had violated the 
right to free elections of three former MPs (Merve Kavakci, Mehmet 
Silay and Nazli Ilicak) of the Islamist Virtue Party (FP).  The 
court ordered Turkey to pay a total of 12,000 Euro to the three 
politicians for legal costs and expenses.  Turkey had banned the FP 
in 2001 on the grounds that it became center of anti-secular 
activities. 
 
- Turkish Cyprus leader Mehmet Ali Talat said there are tensions 
between the military and the civilian administration in north 
Cyprus. 
 
- Turkish gendarmerie found 59 illegal Pakistani immigrants hiding 
in the LPG tank of a truck in the eastern province of Van.  They 
were trying to get across Turkey and into western Europe. 
 
- Over the weekend, Prime Minister Erdogan will join a ceremony for 
the opening of the Black Sea coastal motorway. 
 
International News 
 
 
ANKARA 00000794  003 OF 003 
 
 
- On Friday, Turkish troops under the command of General Kasim Erdem 
will assume the regional command of Kabul for 8 months. 
 
- Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh met with British Consul 
General Richard Makepeace to discuss the release of a kidnapped BBC 
reporter. 
 
- Kosovo's parliament overwhelmingly endorsed a UN plan that 
proposes internationally supervised independence from Serbia. 
 
- Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko warned those who fail to 
carry out his order to hold early parliamentary elections would face 
criminal charges. 
WILSON