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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000943 
 
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 20, 2007 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Malatya Murders 
All papers report ten suspects have been taken into custody in 
connection with the killing of three Christians at a Bible 
publishing firm in Malatya on Wednesday.  Cumhuriyet says police are 
investigating ties between the murderers and nationalist/Islamist 
groups, especially those in Trabzon, the scene of a Catholic 
priest's murder last year and home of several suspects in the Hrant 
Dink assassination case.  Several dailies report that before the 
killings occurred, local newspapers stoked tensions with reports 
pointing to an alarming increase in missionary activities in the 
city. 
 
President Sezer "denounced in the strongest terms" the murders in 
Malatya, saying the massacre could not be justified in any way. 
Prime Minister Erdogan said "Using violence in the name of religion 
cannot have a religious, humanitarian or legal explanation.  Any 
kind of fanaticism and intolerance is the enemy of democracy." 
Ihsan Ozbek, the head of Turkish Salvation Church organization, has 
condemned the killings, saying there was a "medieval witch hunt" for 
missionaries in Turkey. 
 
Mainstream or Islamist-oriented, most papers underline the "culture 
of intolerance" prevailing in Turkey. Quoting from the 2005 State 
Department report on Religious Freedom, the 2006 US Human Rights 
Report and the 2006 EU Progress Report on Turkey, Milliyet reports 
that "for two years, the US and EU have been warning Turkey in these 
reports about the threats against non-Muslims as well as the 
negative attitude toward missionary activities."  "Who will be the 
next target of paranoid attacks against non-Muslims?" asks 
mainstream Milliyet columnist Taha Akyol.  Liberal Radikal says both 
leftist and rightist groups are alarmed at missionary activities in 
Turkey despite the reality that over the past seven years, only 344 
people out of a total population of 74 million have converted to 
Christianity and the total number of missionaries is 50, according 
to Turkish Interior Ministry data. 
 
Commentary on the Malatya Killings 
In a page one editorial mainstream Milliyet says: "Taliban-like 
methods are repeated in a country in the process of becoming an EU 
member -- this is the very time to come face to face with our 
reality.  Before investigating the Malatya murders, we should admit 
the existence of a mentality in this country which feeds on bigotry, 
intolerance and xenophobia.  Missionary activities are still 
considered to be negative by a significant number of people and the 
issue is misused by some politicians.   Turkey's secular character, 
if that is real, requires that our Christian citizens be able to 
live and disseminate their faith as freely as others.  Let's hope 
that the terrible murder will bring awareness of intolerance and 
will pave the way for correcting it." 
 
Ali Sirmen comments in the leftist-nationalist daily Cumhuriyet: 
"The murderers of Malatya are clearly 'made in Turkey' because of 
their feelings of hate, xenophobia, and discrimination based on race 
and religion.  The Minister of Interior must feel very ashamed for 
not preventing the development of such a climate.  Those who are 
responsible for this environment, calling for hate crimes, must feel 
responsible and very ashamed.  Unfortunately, I don't believe that 
they do." 
 
Yasin Dogan comments in the Islamist-intellectual Yeni Safak: "There 
is nothing wrong with being religious or being nationalist.  But it 
is very wrong that there are tendencies and provocations leading to 
authoritarianism and fascism." 
 
Speculation on Presidential Nominations 
All papers continue speculation on various names to be nominated as 
presidential candidates, including Foreign Minister Gul, Defense 
Minister Vecdi Gonul or deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener. 
 
ANKARA 00000943  002 OF 002 
 
 
Prime Minister Erdogan told the press yesterday his candidate for 
president will "surprise everyone."  Vatan and Cumhuriyet claim 
Erdogan has in mind a woman, State Minister Nimet Cubukcu, for the 
post.  Mainstream papers also expect Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc 
to run if Erdogan and Gul do not. 
 
Ambassador Satterfield Visits Ankara 
Cumhuriyet, Radikal, and Yeni Safak report Ambassador Satterfield, 
senior Iraq Coordinator, will be in Ankara on Friday for talks with 
Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) and Turkish General Staff (TGS) on 
topics that include the upcoming Iraqi neighbors conference in 
Egypt, Iraq, and the fight against terror. 
 
France Sends 'Terror Delegation' to Turkey 
Milliyet, Cumhuriyet and Zaman report a French delegation of 
terrorism experts, judges, prosecutors and police officers held 
meetings in Ankara, Istanbul and Diyarbakir to discuss the 
activities of the PKK and leftist-terrorist groups, including 
DHKP-C, in Turkey.  Zaman comments the delegation came to ease 
Turkish reactions to the release of the PKK members detained in 
operations in France earlier this year. 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV (6 a.m.) 
 
Domestic News 
 
- General Yasar Buyukanit, chief of the Turkish General Staff, has 
dismissed speculation that he was going to issue new messages with 
regard to the developments in Turkey during a visit to Ataturk's 
house in Thessaloniki.  "I do not need to go to Greece to issue any 
messages," he said. 
 
- Turkish Union of Chambers (TOBB) President Rifat Hisarciklioglu 
said following the election of a president in May, Turkey should 
hold early parliamentary elections in July. 
 
- A court in Diyarbakir has suspended the trial procedure of Mayor 
Osman Baydemir because it was initiated without obtaining the 
necessary permission from the Interior Ministry. 
 
- The IMF said Turkey will become world's 17th biggest economy in 
¶2007. 
 
International News 
 
- EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn has welcomed the new roadmap 
for reforms made public by the Turkish government earlier this week. 
 
 
- Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said Yerevan will insist on the 
opening of the Turkey-Armenia border. 
 
- Israeli Infrastructure Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer has rejected 
charges that his country supports the independence aspirations of 
Iraqi Kurds. 
 
- President Bush has unveiled a new package of sanctions against 
Sudan for failing to cooperate with the international efforts to end 
the crisis in Darfur. 
 
WILSON