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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000858 
 
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 12, 2007 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Turkey Awaits Baghdad's Response to Protest Note 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman, Yeni Safak 
and others report Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said Turkey will not 
remain indifferent to moves threatening its peace, saying necessary 
measures will be taken if Iraq fails to respond to Turkey's note of 
protest. Gul was speaking in reference to recent remarks made by 
Iraqi Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani about consequences of possible 
Turkish interference in Kirkuk.  "Our neighbors are responsible for 
blocking harmful activities against Turkey on their territory," Gul 
said, adding if Iraq lacks the power to eliminate the PKK, 
international law provided the necessary means for that.  Gul said 
Turkey has no secret agenda on Iraq other than unity and peace. 
Papers speculate Gul's words signaled a possible cross-border 
military incursion into Iraq. 
 
Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) spokesman Levent Bilman told the 
press yesterday Turkey deals with the Iraqi administration in 
Baghdad, not with Barzani.  Bilman stressed Turkey expected 
"decisive and urgent" Iraqi steps for ensuring border security, 
capturing the PKK terrorists, and abiding by UN resolutions. 
Radikal says Ankara has urged Baghdad to "declare the PKK a terror 
organization, cut the military support given to the PKK, and silence 
Barzani."  Milliyet reports the US Administration told Ankara that 
Barzani's interview with al-Arabiyah television was made six weeks 
ago, and warned Barzani as well to refrain from making controversial 
statements. 
 
Editorial Commentary on Barzani Remarks, Iraq 
Semih Idiz, commenting in the mainstream daily Milliyet, urges a 
"gentle approach" to dealing with Iraqi Kurdish leader Barzani: 
"Turkey's foreign policy position could be described as 'foreign 
policy in a minefield.'  Geographically, Turkey is surrounded with 
minefield-like neighbors.  If tensions ease in the Balkans, new 
problems start in the Caucasus or in the Middle East.  That is why 
Turkish diplomacy is appreciated all over the world.  Ankara has to 
develop 'stability tactics' each time, which is not easy and not 
possible for every country to manage.  Turks are very emotional 
people and just for their own political interests, the opposition in 
Turkey, always encourages harsh reactions from the public.  The 
latest example is the response to Barzani's remarks.  Turkey is a 
serious country and should not fall into Barzani's trap.  By talking 
to Washington and some other capitals on the issue, Ankara is not 
making a mistake -- on the contrary, they are advancing down the 
correct path.  There is no hostility in the history between Turks 
and the Kurds -- they fought together against mutual enemies.  That 
is why, Barzani, who is squeezed between being a tribal leader and a 
political leader, should be approached gently.  For some, this could 
be rather degrading, but, this is the correct path for a serious 
state to follow." 
 
Cengiz Candar, writing in the economic-political daily Referans, 
argues that it is in Ankara's interest to develop good relations 
with Iraqi Kurds:  "If Ankara is concerned about a divided Iraq 
created by Kurdish independence - and it seems like it is - then 
Ankara should support the presence of a Kurdish President in Iraq, 
Kurds getting a good share in the government, and an autonomous 
Kurdish administration in the North.  It is very much in Turkey's 
interest that the Kurds manage to integrate into a federal Iraq.  It 
is not possible for any country to have influence in the Middle East 
without taking a role in Iraq.  Neither Sunni nor Shiite Arabs of 
Iraq could help Turkey have influence in the Middle East, but the 
Kurds could." 
 
Early Elections Debate 
Milliyet reports State Minister Ali Babacan said Turkey should go to 
early elections in order "not to waste time."  Babacan believes 
elections should be held two months prior to the scheduled date of 
November, to allow the Turkish parliament to begin its new 
 
ANKARA 00000858  002 OF 002 
 
 
legislative year on October 1.  Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul 
reportedly said the date for the elections has been fixed and that 
changes would be made only on technicalities.  Milliyet says the 
ruling AKP wants to hold snap polls right after the presidential 
elections in an effort to prevent a loss of votes if Erdogan is 
elected president. 
 
EU Draft New Pretext for Delaying Changes to Article 301 
Liberal Radikal reports Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said yesterday 
changes to the controversial Article 301 of the Turkish penal code, 
the law making it a crime to "insult Turkishness," will be discussed 
after seeing the fate of the "framework draft for the struggle 
against racism and xenophobia," brought to the agenda of the EU by 
term president Germany.  The draft recognizes as an offense denial 
of any genocide in EU member countries, bringing prison sentences 
from one to three years for denial.  Radikal says Turkey believes 
the draft will name as a crime denial of Armenian genocide.  Cicek 
criticized those whom advise Turkey to scrap Article 301, saying 
"they should first look at themselves." 
 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV, 6.00 A.M. 
 
Domestic News 
 
- Debate over procedures for the presidential election: Prime 
Minister Erdogan said talks with the opposition parties on the 
presidential elections would be "a waste of time."  Parliament 
Speaker Bulent Arinc said participation of over 184 lawmakers in the 
first round of voting would be enough to hold the presidential 
elections.  The main opposition CHP insists that the presidential 
elections will be invalid if less than 367 deputies participate in 
the first round of voting. 
 
- Turkish General Staff (TGS) Chief General Yasar Buyukanit is to 
hold a press conference on Thursday.  Buyukanit is expected to talk 
about the controversial remarks of Massoud Barzani and a "leaked" 
diary belonging to a retired admiral alleging military takeover 
attempts in 2004, but avoid any mention of presidential elections. 
 
 
- Turkey's Constitutional Court cancelled part of a law allowing 
real estate sales to foreigners.  The scrapped part allowed the 
cabinet to increase the amount of land owned by individual 
foreigners in Turkey by up to 30 hectares. 
 
International News 
 
- Russia and Greek Cyprus have reached an agreement to cooperate on 
oil exploration. 
 
- The Independent says the new US counter-insurgency strategy in 
Baghdad is to carve up the city into sealed areas, a tactic that 
failed in Vietnam. 
 
- The Oxford Research Group said the US-led war on terror has 
fuelled more violence, increasing more terrorist attacks across the 
world. 
 
- North Korea has offered to allow UN nuclear inspectors to enter 
the country for the first time in over four years. 
 
 
WILSON