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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001440 
 
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, JUNE 7, 2007 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Thousands Attend Funerals of Troops Slain by the PKK 
All papers give extensive front page coverage to the funerals of the 
gendarmes killed by the PKK militants in an attack on a military 
outpost in the eastern province of Tunceli earlier this week.  Tens 
of thousands in the cities of Istanbul, Balikesir, Amasya, Kayseri, 
Sirnak and Izmir, waving Turkish flags, attended the funerals. 
Those in the funeral procession in the southeastern province of 
Sirnak chanted slogans in both Turkish and Kurdish condemning the 
terrorist PKK.  Funeral participants in Izmir protested Prime 
Minister Erdogan and his ruling AKP.  "Terror condemned at seven 
funerals in Turkey," "Turkey sees off its martyrs with tears and 
anger," and "In Sirnak, hundreds protest against terror in Kurdish 
at the funeral of slain soldier," were some of the headlines. 
 
Reports Claiming Turkish Incursion into Northern Iraq Denied 
All papers report Ankara denied an Associated Press (AP) report that 
several thousand Turkish troops crossed into northern Iraq early 
Wednesday in pursuit of the PKK militants based there.  AP quoted 
two senior Turkish security officials as saying the raid was limited 
in scope.  Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul rejected the reports, 
saying "There is no incursion into any country at the moment." 
Prime Minister Erdogan said that parliament's approval was needed 
for an incursion into northern Iraq, but adding any operation 
couldn't be announced publicly.  Turkey's parliament, now in recess 
ahead of a July general election, would have to reconvene to 
authorize any military operation against Iraq.  Washington and 
Baghdad also said there was no new activity in northern Iraq. 
Papers quote White House spokesman (sic) Gordon Johndroe as saying 
at the G8 summit in Germany, "Both the Turkish government and US 
officials on the ground say it's not occurring.  There's been no new 
activity to lead to these press reports." 
 
 
The Turkish General Staff (TGS) announced on its webpage that  the 
southeastern provinces of Hakkari, Siirt and Sirnak would be 
considered "high security regions" until September 9.  The ban will 
restrict land and air access to the region.  Hurriyet says the ban 
on entry to and exit from Sirnak and Hakkari, which are on the 
border with Iraq, amounts to "emergency rule" along the border. 
Prime Minister Erdogan said the enforcement was "normal," and that 
it did not mean "emergency rule."  Responding to a question, the PM 
said he would not meet on the issue with the "tribal leaders" in 
northern Iraq, but with Iraq's central government in Baghdad if 
necessary. 
 
Zaman reports 50,000 troops now occupy a region around the Gabar, 
Cudi and Bakok mountains in a sweeping operation underway across 11 
eastern and southeastern provinces, with helicopters and jetfighters 
supporting the troops.  Meanwhile, six soldiers were wounded when a 
remote control PKK landmine exploded in Diyarbakir's Lice township. 
Two villagers in the border province of Sirnak were killed when they 
stepped on a landmine believed to have been planted by the PKK. 
 
Editorial Commentary on Iraq 
Zafer Atay wrote in the business and political daily Dunya (6/7): 
"Secretary Rice was advising Turkey not to carry out a cross-border 
operation and emphasizing that the US and Turkey are very close.  If 
that is a sincere statement, how come the US just sits and watches 
as the PKK terrorists in Northern Iraq carry out their acts against 
Turkey?  The American military lost about 4,000 lives in Iraq in the 
fight against terror, while at the same time the US let terrorists 
use Iraq as a base against Turkey, which is supposed to be a 
strategic ally of the US.  Meanwhile the terrorists by intensifying 
their acts are aiming force Turkey into a cross-border operation. 
By achieving that goal, they hope to draw Turkey into a 
confrontation with both the US and Talabani, so that PKK terrorists 
in Iraq will be able to get away with murder.  Our so-called 
strategic ally and so-called friends should read Turkish people's 
 
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fury and agony as well as the fed-up sentiment very carefully.  If 
they do not take this feeling into account, anything unexpected can 
happen." 
 
Fikret Ertan wrote in the Islamist-leaning daily Zaman (6/7):  "The 
US believes it is necessary to maintain a military presence in Iraq 
for a long time.  Otherwise, it is feared that an early withdrawal 
from Iraq will turn the country into a Taliban-Al Qaeda controlled 
country like Afghanistan.  And those groups will directly target the 
US. A long-term stay in Iraq requires permanent military bases -- 
something the US has been working on with the Iraqi administration. 
The administration's approach is also shared by most of the 
Democratic Party members.  The Korea model has been mentioned as one 
of the proposed formulas for the Americans in Iraq.  However the 
Korea model was designed to protect that country from outside 
threats.  In the case of Iraq the primary focus should be Iraq 
itself since the threats against stability and security come from 
inside.  Regardless of the decision on the model, the US seems very 
committed to maintaining a military presence in Iraq as a long term 
strategy." 
 
DP Offers Alliance to Anavatan 
Radikal, Hurriyet, Zaman, Milliyet and others:  Failing to merge 
earlier into a center right coalition, DP and ANAP were in contact 
again to try to establish an election alliance.  Mainstream Milliyet 
reports that President of Ankara Chamber of Commerce Sinan Aygun met 
with DP chairman Agar and Vice Chairman Mumtaz Yavuz and drew their 
attention to the fact that neither party could cross the 10% 
election threshold individually.  Following this meeting DP leader 
Agar and ANAP leader Mumcu had a telephone conversation last night 
and decided to meet today. Reportedly, they are planning to form a 
CHP-DSP type election cooperation.  If they reach an agreement, ANAP 
candidates will be nominated from 24 provinces where DP had not put 
forward any candidates names to the Supreme Election Board. 
 
Turkey-US Economic Action Plan 
Hurriyet, Radikal, Milliyet:  A US Trade delegation led by US Deputy 
Secretary of Commerce David Sampson yesterday met with the Turkish 
 
SIPDIS 
State Minister for Foreign Trade Kursad Tuzmen and Union of Chambers 
and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) President Rifat Hisarciklioglu. 
Mainstream Milliyet says that prior to the meeting, State Minister 
Tuzmen stated that Turkey plans to expand trade volume with the 
United States and urged the US to invest more in Turkey.  Mainstream 
Hurriyet reports that US Deputy Secretary of Commerce David Sampson, 
during his meeting with TOBB president Hisarciklioglu, said that 
'there aren't many countries as successful as Turkey on the issue of 
economic reforms.'   Highlighting the importance of the trade and 
industrial chambers in the economy, Sampson stressed that the 
economic and trade relations between Turkey and the US should be 
expanded. 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV 
 
Domestic News 
 
- June 8 is the last day for political parties to submit the final 
changes in their lists of parliamentary candidates to the Supreme 
Election Board. 
 
- Turkey's Alevi associations, infuriated by the efforts of AKP and 
MHP to lure Alevi voters, next month will hold a meeting to make a 
decision regarding their own positions. 
 
- The Pakistani drug baron Khan Mohammed Khan has been captured by 
Turkish police at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul while trying to travel 
to the Netherlands.  The suspect is said to be the last member of a 
ring trafficking narcotics to raise funds for al-Qaeda. 
 
- Moody's said a Turkish military incursion into northern Iraq would 
 
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cause instability in the country. 
 
- The Eurasia Transportation Forum, a global platform designed to 
help improve the oil and gas transportation environment in the 
region, is to be held June 24-25 in Istanbul. 
 
International News 
 
- Greek Cypriot papers have published a "list of shame" of Greek 
Cypriots who have applied to Turkish Cypriot authorities for the 
settlement of property disputes. 
 
- UN war crimes prosecutor Carla del Ponte praised Serbia for 
"serious commitment" to the handover of war crimes fugitives, saying 
"other positive results" might be seen before her June 18 formal 
report. 
 
- Basque separatists have urged the European Union to step in and 
help reestablish the peace process with the Spanish government. 
 
- Finland's foreign ministry said three Finnish nationals have been 
arrested by Iran for allegedly entering Iranian territorial waters 
during a fishing trip in the Gulf. 
 
WILSON