VZCZCXRO7141
OO RUEHDA
DE RUEHAK #1175/01 1361430
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 161430Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2125
RUEKJCS/CJCS WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC//PA
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU
INFO RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 8068
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 2704
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 1945
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 5913
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 5686
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2297
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 001175 
 
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, MAY 16, 2007 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
PM Erdogan on Turkish Developments, Iraq 
All papers report that on Tuesday, Prime Minister Erdogan answered 
questions coming from international press members following his 
speech at the 2007 World Congress of the International Press 
Institute (IPI) in Istanbul.  "I believe that under the scope of 
international diplomacy, French president-elect Nicholas Sarkozy's 
attitude against Turkey's EU membership is wrong.  Sarkozy should 
overcome such prejudices," Erdogan emphasized.  On a controversial 
Turkish military statement defending secularism released April 27, 
Erdogan stressed that the military in Turkey is a state institution, 
and that the Turkish General Staff (TGS) reports to the Prime 
Minister.  Erdogan maintained his ruling AK Party does not want to 
manipulate religion for political goals, adding secularism, too, 
should not be exploited for political purposes.  "We have to exert 
joint efforts to develop a culture of freedom and compromise that 
can end the confrontation among countries or nations," Erdogan said. 
 He also voiced opposition to the ten percent electoral threshold, 
adding, however, that it was "necessary for Turkey at this moment." 
Erdogan noted he believed a pullout of coalition forces according to 
a schedule would stop the civil strife in Iraq, underlining a sudden 
withdrawal "would be wrong."  The PM also said Turkey has suggested 
to the coalition forces, particularly the US, that Kirkuk should 
belong to the people of Iraq under a special status, which should be 
guaranteed in the constitution. 
 
Sezer Signals Veto of Constitutional Reforms 
Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman and others report 
President Sezer has until May 26 to sign or veto a constitutional 
reform package including the direct election of the president for a 
renewable five year term.  Sezer reportedly said the election of a 
president through direct popular vote required "a comprehensive 
legal arrangement," adding such a  system if enforced would create 
two sources of power in Turkish politics -- remarks interpreted by 
papers as an indication that the President will veto the bill. 
 
State Department Deputy Spokesman Casey on Turkey 
Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman and others report the US 
State Department deputy Spokesman Tom Casey told a daily press 
briefing "the United States continues to strongly support Turkey's 
candidacy for membership in the EU."  "That's certainly a position 
that we've conveyed to Chancellor Merkel.  I'm sure it's a position 
that we will have the opportunity to convey to President-elect 
Sarkozy," Casey said in response to a question on a planned visit by 
the French President-elect.  On another question regarding the 
Turkish presidential election process, Casey said the US supports 
Turkish democracy and has full confidence in the democratic 
institutions in Turkey, stressing, "We expect that the Turkish 
people through elections will be the ones to decide who runs that 
country." 
 
Turkey-Greece Natural Gas Pipeline to Open 
Mainstream Milliyet reports that on July 14 the Prime Ministers of 
Turkey and Greece will open a natural gas pipeline between Turkey 
and Greece, which will carry Caspian as well as Middle Eastern gas 
to Europe through the two countries.  The pipeline covers a 300-km 
from Karacabey near Istanbul in Turkey to Gumulcine (Komotini) in 
Greece, with 17-km of it passing underneath the Marmara Sea. 
Turkish energy Minister Hilmi Guler said he has discussed with the 
US Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman the Nabucco pipeline project which 
is to carry Azerbaijani natural gas to Europe through Turkey. 
 
Turkey to Host 'Energy Giants' 
Mainstream Milliyet reports Istanbul will host the "Energy 
Regulators' Regional Association" (ERRA) on May 21-22 with the 
participation of USAID and energy market regulators from Russia, 
Ukraine, and Armenia as well as giant energy companies Germany's RWE 
and Italy's ENEL and AES. 
 
 
ANKARA 00001175  002 OF 003 
 
 
Editorial Commentary: Secretary Rice in Moscow; Conflict in 
Palestine 
Erdal Safak writes in the mainstream daily Sabah: "With her current 
trip to Moscow, Secretary Rice is using up the last chance to save 
the 'near future' of the world.  Even though she emphasized that the 
difficulty in Moscow-Washington relations does not indicate a new 
cold war, recent developments make it seem otherwise.  There are 
serious policy differences between the US and Russia, from the 
missile shield systems in Europe to Kosovo's independence, to 
Russian energy policy.  Foreign experts interpret the current 
situation as either the worst days since the cold war or as a 
situation that could easily get out of control. It looks like 
freezing winds between the US and Russia are about blow from the 
Urals, through Europe and across the Atlantic." 
 
Mete Cubukcu writes in the leftist daily Birgun: "The Palestinian 
people used their democratic right and voted for Hamas.  The 
Palestinians are being punished for that choice with an embargo. 
Due to the US and Israel's insistence on a policy of punishment, 
Palestine was pushed into closing itself up, which eventually 
brought out the radical Islamic tendencies.  Gaza is now a place of 
kidnapping and hostility toward foreigners just like Afghanistan and 
Iraq.  Al-Qaeda used the chaotic situation in Palestine very much to 
its benefit and managed to infiltrate Palestinian groups 
effectively.  Currently there are significant defenders of 
al-Qaeda's backward ideology in Palestine.  All of this gives Israel 
the chance to use the situation like a trump card against Palestine. 
 Israel has been using radical Islamic infiltration as a pretext for 
its aggression.  This is a very critical time especially for the 
people of Palestine.  There is no way to get rid of radicalism as 
long as isolation, outside pressure and occupation continue." 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV (6 A.M.) 
 
Domestic News 
 
- Turkish search teams have found the bodies of a Briton and a 
Pakistani in the wreckage of a missing Iran-bound private plane 
which crashed in the mountainous region of the Trabzon province in 
northeast Turkey. 
 
- Two Turkish soldiers have been killed by landmines believed to 
have been planted by the PKK in Dicle in Diyarbakir province. 
 
- Kurdish activist Leyla Zana was interrogated by the prosecutor in 
Diyarbakir for calling Talabani, Barzani and the PKK's imprisoned 
leader Ocalan the "three leaders of the Kurdish people" in a speech 
she delivered during Nevruz celebrations. 
 
- CHP leader Deniz Baykal is to meet Wednesday DSP leader Zeki Sezer 
to discuss unification before July 22 elections. 
 
International News 
 
- In a meeting with the representatives of three religions in 
Brussels, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said destruction of 
Christian sites in Turkish Cyprus won't be tolerated. 
 
- Turkish Cypriots staged protests in Brussels calling for lifting 
the isolation of Turkish Cyprus. 
 
- Iraq's President Talabani told The Daily Telegraph British 
military officers have held secret talks with the leaders of the 
Sunni insurgency in Iraq. 
 
- The Turkish General Staff reported in its website that despite 
positive developments in Turkish-Greek relations, interceptions of 
Turkish jets by Greek aircrafts in the Aegean and Mediterranean 
continue. 
 
ANKARA 00001175  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
WILSON