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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000868 
 
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 13, 2007 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Turkish Army Chief on Northern Iraq, Turkish Presidential Elections 
All papers report Yasar Buyukanit, the chief of Turkish General 
Staff (TGS), told the press in the first briefing he held since he 
took office that a military incursion against the PKK in northern 
Iraq should be made, adding that a political decision from the 
government was required to authorize such a move.  Buyukanit noted 
at the gathering attended by the entire military top brass that the 
military expects increased PKK terrorist activities in May and that 
a large-scale military operation has been going on in southeastern 
Turkey.  In what press are interpreting as a covert referral to 
Iraqi Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani and the US, Buyukanit said 
those who "spoil" the northern Iraqi Kurdish leaders, encouraging 
them to make such statements, were known.  He also accused the 
Kurdish leaders of extending logistical support to the PKK. 
Buyukanit is not hopeful that Iraq's territorial unity could be 
protected.  "It's difficult for the three main groups in Iraq to 
continue to live together," he said, "I am not of the opinion that 
there would be a solution in the short or medium terms." 
 
On the upcoming election of Turkey's new president, Buyukanit said, 
"We hope the next president will be somebody genuinely bound by the 
basic values of the republic, including secularism, not only in his 
words, but in his heart as well."  "I hope such a president would be 
elected, but the decision will be up to the parliament," said 
Buyukanit.  Responding to a question on the controversial "Republic 
Rally" to be held April 14, the military chief said no one should be 
afraid of legal demonstrations held in a non-violent manner, and 
that everybody can use such a democratic right. 
 
Conservative and Islamist papers comment that Buyukanit's remarks 
were a disappointment for those expecting a crisis.  Buyukanit 
issued a message of respect for the law, Yeni Safak says.  Some 
observers in the Turkish press believe Buyukanit's words indicated 
opposition to the presidential ambitions of Prime Minister Erdogan, 
others, however, think Buyukanit approved of Erdogan becoming the 
next president, an evaluation shared by government figures. 
 
Editorial Commentary on Buyukanit Remarks; Iraq 
Semih Idiz commented in the mainstream daily Milliyet:  "The remarks 
of General Buyukanit indicated a problematic period ahead vis-`-vis 
relations with the Western world.  He gave some of his messages 
indirectly or covertly, but reading between the lines we can see 
that the Turkish military finds Barzani's statements [about 
retaliation for a possible Turkish intervention in Kirkuk] 
unacceptable and believes that, having spoiled the Kurds, the US is 
behind those words.  The possibility of a cross-border operation was 
also mentioned in the context of ending the PKK trouble and teaching 
a lesson to Barzani who was 'spoiled by the US.'  General 
Buyukanit's remarks set the tone regarding the army's view on the US 
as well as Europe.  The US is spoiling the Kurds and therefore they 
are working against Turkey.  As for Europe the General noted that 
'there are certain centers in Europe aiming at dividing Turkey.' 
All of this demonstrates one thing: Turkey is entering a challenging 
period in its relationship with the West." 
 
Kubilay Celik wrote in the ultra-nationalist daily Tercuman: 
"Whenever the PKK problem gets more serious, the US rushes to apply 
the usual formula -- it is up to the Iraqi government to handle 
because there is now an independent Baghdad government -- and we are 
supposed to take this as a fact.  If that is the reality that Ankara 
has to accept, then we deserve an explanation about the rationale 
for sending a copy of the diplomatic note for Iraq to Washington. 
This seems to be an indication of other facts, such as, Iraq is 
still under US occupation and the current Baghdad government is a US 
puppet.  The developments in the region also make us believe that 
Ankara is sending a warning signal to Washington by sending a copy 
of the diplomatic note.   If and when a cross border operation is 
carried out, Washington will not be able to claim 'we were not 
 
ANKARA 00000868  002 OF 003 
 
 
informed.'   Let's look at another fact: The US is capable of 
finishing off the PKK overnight, if it really wanted to." 
 
Arinc on Presidential Elections Process 
All papers report Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc said in a press 
briefing Thursday he will initiate the first round of voting for 
presidency if at least 184 lawmakers are present in the parliament, 
stressing the two-third majority of 367 MPs was not required for the 
process, as some opposition leaders have maintained.  Arinc said the 
elections would be completed without any crisis and that those 
expecting a disturbance would be disappointed. 
 
Arinc stated that applications for candidacy will start on the 16th 
and end on the 25th of April.  "If none of the candidates get the 
sufficient number of votes, which is 367, then we will hold a second 
round after three days.  If we attain no result, a third round will 
be held after three days.  In the third round, the simple majority 
of votes, that is 276, will be required to elect the president.  If 
none of the candidates poll 276 votes, we will hold the fourth round 
for the two leading candidates.  If no candidate receives 276 votes 
in the fourth round, the Constitution stipulates that elections must 
be renewed," Arinc emphasized.  He added the new president will be 
sworn in with a ceremony in the Turkish Parliament on May 16. 
 
Arinc also warned the public against supporting the April 14 
"Republic Rally" organized by former gendarme commander Sener 
Eruygur, who had recently been the focus of allegations for a 
military plot to oust the government in 2004. 
 
PM Erdogan Responds to Questions on Presidential Elections 
All papers:  Responding to the questions of journalists yesterday, 
PM Erdogan said that they would wait until midnight April 25 to 
reveal the name of their Presidential candidate.  The PM continued 
his rounds of talks with AKP deputies yesterday.  He told them "as a 
poor person, I have no desire for Presidency.  My goal is to bring 
the gross national income above $ 10,000 and create a respected 
country where people live comfortably." Evaluating General 
Buyukanit's remarks, PM Erdogan said that "he spoke within the 
framework of democracy and law." 
 
April 14 Rally in Ankara 
Sabah, Cumhuriyet, Vatan, Aksam and others:  Papers report that the 
security forces will take extensive measures for the "Republic 
March", arranged by the Ataturk Thought Association, which will be 
held in Ankara on April 14.  10,000 policemen will be on duty during 
the rally.  Sabah reports that because of the rally hotels in Ankara 
were fully booked. 
 
Paper: Turkey-US Agree on Closing Makhmour Camp 
The intellectual Islamist-oriented Zaman reports Turkey and the US 
have agreed on the closure of Makhmour Camp in northern Iraq.  The 
issue will be discussed at a UN meeting in Geneva on April 17-18 
among Turkey, Iraq, and the UN.  An agreement on the Makhmour 
closure will have to be approved by the Turkish Parliament, which, 
according to Turkish officials, could take time.  Expecting not all 
of around 12,000 refugees in the camp to return to Turkey, Ankara 
warned the US not to allow their relocation to Kirkuk or other areas 
near the Turkish border, according to Zaman. 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV (6 a.m.) 
 
Domestic News 
 
- Two PKK suspects plotting bomb attacks in Istanbul have been 
captured by police. 
 
- Prime Minister Erdogan is to visit Germany on April 14-16. 
Erdogan will meet with Chancellor Merkel in Hannover over the 
weekend. 
 
ANKARA 00000868  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
- Nobel laureate Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk has traveled to Paris 
to deliver a lecture at Sorbonne University on Friday. 
 
International News 
 
- The death toll from the al-Qaeda-claimed suicide bombings in 
Algeria rose to 33. 
 
- A suicide bomber killed three lawmakers and another five Iraqi 
civilians inside the Parliament building in the Green Zone in 
Baghdad. 
 
- Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reports Israel's negotiations on 
selling the joint US-Israeli Arrow anti-missile system to Turkey has 
been stalled by US objections. 
 
- Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said tribesmen have killed 
some 300 foreign militants during a weeklong offensive in South 
Waziristan. 
 
WILSON