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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000844 
 
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 
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2007 
 
 
A QUICK LOOK AT THE TURKISH PRESS 
                 April 11, 2007 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Turkish National Security Council Discusses Iraq, Barzani 
All papers report that a declaration released at the end of the 
Turkish National Security Council (MGK) meeting was seen as a 
diplomatic warning to Iraq.  The declaration said "political, 
economic, and other approaches" were to be applied in dealings with 
Iraq, without making a direct reference to Iraqi Kurdish leader 
Massoud Barzani or cross-border military measures.  It also said 
security operations against terrorism will continue with 
determination.  Developments in Kirkuk, Iran, and Cyprus as well as 
the fundamentalist threat in Turkey were also discussed at the 
meeting.  Radikal says Ankara, after presenting a note of protest to 
Iraq demanding concrete measures against the PKK, now will watch 
developments in Iraq over the next two weeks.  If Baghdad fails to 
move against the PKK, Turkey will implement "sanctions" such as 
closing Turkish airspace to civilian flights to and from northern 
Iraq, and closing the Habur border crossing.  Turkey, in the 
meantime, will tell the US and UN Security Council that anti-PKK 
cross-border military incursions into northern Iraq were inevitable. 
 Intellectual Islamist-oriented Zaman and mainstream Milliyet quote 
US Ambassador to Turkey Ross Wilson as saying in reference to the 
Barzani remarks about a possible Turkish intervention in Kirkuk, 
"this kind of rhetoric is unhelpful."  Ambassador Wilson said 
Turkey, like all countries, had "a right to defend itself." 
 
Editorial Commentary: Turkey's Iraq Policy 
Abdulhamit Bilici writes in the intellectual Islamist-oriented 
Zaman:  "Barzani's remarks provide some clues to Ankara as to how to 
shape a strategy regarding Barzani as well as the region.  First of 
all, the situation indicates the strong need for Turkey to engage in 
dialogue with the leaders in the region.  For instance Talabani, a 
Kurdish leader, for the first time criticized Barzani -- thanks to 
the dialogue initiated with him by Turkey during the Riyadh summit. 
The second important point is that Barzani received open criticism 
from Washington about his remarks.  In a statement by the State 
Department, Barzani was referred as 'Mr.' as opposed to 'president' 
which symbolizes the tone of Washington's reaction.  The third 
important point for Turkey is to keep its cool regarding Barzani and 
try not to fall into the trap set by his statements. Both Turks and 
Kurds must realize that the long lasting and realistic way to handle 
the issue goes through transparent borders not through border 
wars." 
 
Oktay Eksi comments in the mainstream daily Hurriyet:  "Barzani 
should not be underestimated because he knows what he is doing.  He 
is capable of making threatening remarks against Turkey's crucial 
national interests and he should be taken seriously.  We should be 
able to come up with a better policy to handle the issue rather than 
give the usual, empty response such as 'we will do whatever is 
needed.'  This is not about Barzani only, nor is it about the PKK. 
The US, which supports them on one hand, and tries to divert 
Turkey's attention on the other hand, is also a part of the picture. 
 Thus a national policy is needed to evaluate every aspect of 
foreign policy and it certainly requires a national consensus. 
Turkey should seriously consider its options for handling this 
problem.  Every option, including the military operation needs to be 
discussed thoroughly before a policy line is established.  Sadly 
enough Turkey is now fully busy with something else.  Whether the PM 
is going to announce his candidacy for the presidency seems to be 
occupying every part of the national agenda." 
 
Turkish Commercial Airliner Hijacked 
All papers report Mehmet Goksingol, an unemployed man from 
Diyarbakir with a drug-related criminal record, hijacked a Pegasus 
Airline passenger plane on Tuesday after take off from Diyarbakir, 
 
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but then gave himself up to the police after the plane landed in 
Ankara.  Papers quote authorities as saying the hijacker acted from 
personal, not political motives, and may be mentally ill. 
 
Presidential Election Process 
Milliyet, Cumhuriyet, Radikal, Sabah and others:  Today's papers 
report that Parliament speaker Arinc will start the Presidential 
election process today.  Arinc is going to announce that the 
Presidential candidacy submission period will start on April 16 and 
end on April 25.  At an interview with NTV Arinc said that PM 
Erdogan, who had said that he would not meet with the opposition due 
to their recent rhetoric, should meet with other political parties 
about the Presidential election.  Arinc reiterated his view that 184 
is the quorum number for the general assembly to convene and that to 
start the Presidential election process 184 will be enough rather 
than 367, as opposition leaders claim.  Meanwhile, responding to a 
question, the Head of the Constitutional Court, Tulay Tugcu, said 
that in case of application to the court regarding the number of 
deputies required to be present during first round of the 
presidential election vote, the court would quickly issue a decision 
on the problem -- before the second round of voting. 
 
Turkish Army Shells a Village near Zakho in Iraq 
Sabah, Milliyet and Zaman:   Reports on the Peyamner web site of 
northern Iraq claimed on Monday that Turkish forces on Sunday 
shelled the Zakho area of northern Iraq with artillery. 
 
Nobel Laureates Call for Turkey-Armenia Reconciliation 
Sabah and Zaman report the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity (EWF) 
released an appeal signed by 53 Nobel Laureates, calling on the 
Turkish government to end discrimination against ethnic and 
religious minorities and abolish Article 301 of the Turkish penal 
code.  Laureates also urged Turkey and Armenia to open the 
Turkish-Armenian border as well as establish full diplomatic 
relations. 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV (6 A.M.) 
 
Domestic News 
 
- Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul will travel to Turkish Cyprus on 
April 12 to meet with "president" Mehmet Ali Talat.  Gul will 
inaugurate a hotel in Girne on April 13. 
 
- Independent MP Mahmut Kocak, formerly of the AKP, has announced he 
will join ANAVATAN, reportedly on Monday, raising the number of 
ANAVATAN members to 20 and enabling the party to form a party group 
in the parliament again. 
 
- Turkish security operations against the PKK continue in Tunceli 
and Bingol provinces. 
 
- World Bank plans to extend to Turkey special loans for curbing 
unemployment and creating new jobs. 
 
International News 
 
- The Iraqi parliament will reportedly review article 140 of Iraq's 
Constitution related to the status of Kirkuk despite objections 
coming from Kurdish groups. 
 
- A UN photo and text exhibit on the 13th anniversary of the Rwanda 
genocide has been delayed after Turkish objections to a mention of 
the killing of Armenians in Turkey in 1915. 
 
- 20 Turkish workers have been abducted by Iraqi colleagues in 
Samarra in reaction to delays in the payment of Iraqi workers. 
 
- On Tuesday, four Serbian paramilitary members seen in a video 
 
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gunning down Bosnian Muslims near Srebrenica in 1995 were convicted 
of war crimes against civilians by Serbia's War Crimes Court. 
 
WILSON