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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001470 
 
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 
MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2007 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Turkish Leaders Condemn PKK Terrorism 
All papers report that thousands of mourners, including the chief of 
the Turkish General Staff (TGS) Yasar Buyukanit, Foreign Minister 
Abdullah Gul, the opposition CHP leader Deniz Baykal, and high 
ranking bureaucrats attended the funeral of gendarme Private Kadir 
Yalcin, held at Kocatepe Mosque in Ankara.  Private Yalcin was 
killed last week in a PKK landmine attack. 
 
In a strongly-worded statement released after the killing of three 
soldiers in Sirnak, President Sezer vowed to take all necessary 
steps to eradicate terror, stressing that Turkey's rightful struggle 
will continue until the last terrorist is eliminated.  Prime 
Minister Erdogan called on opposition parties, warning against 
politicizing funerals of slain soldiers. 
 
On Saturday, three Turkish soldiers were killed when PKK terrorists 
remotely detonated a landmine in the province of Sirnak near the 
Iraqi border.  A major, a lieutenant colonel and a private were 
killed when the landmine went off as their military vehicle was 
returning from an operation. 
 
In the past month, Turkey has lost 42 of its people to the PKK 
terrorism, 16 of whom were civilians. 
 
Gul on the PKK, Northern Iraq 
In an interview on the front page of mainstream Hurriyet, Foreign 
Minister Abdullah Gul says Turkey will take all risks in its fight 
against the outlawed PKK, and denies that there is a lack of 
communication between the military and the government.  Gul claims 
he has discussed Turkey's plans regarding all scenarios, including a 
partition of Iraq, in a recent meeting with the chief of the Turkish 
General Staff (TGS), Yasar Buyukanit.  Gul adds the newly 
established "Iraq Working Group" under his leadership, has been 
facilitating regular meetings between the TGS and Turkish Foreign 
Ministry (MFA.)  The FM also notes a recent warning by Buyukanit to 
the Iraqi authorities that another act of harassment against the 
Turkish forces in northern Iraq would be "retaliated in kind" was 
authorized by the Turkish government.  "I hope that the message is 
taken," says Gul. 
 
Turkey-Greece Joint Survey Measures Threat Perception in the Two 
Countries 
Sabah, Radikal, Bugun Posta:  According to a joint survey by 
Turkey's Bilgi University and Greece's Political Research Institute 
(KPEE), when asked who is the biggest threat to Turkey, 35% of Turks 
answered the US, and 25.8% said a Kurdish state in Northern Iraq. 
On the other hand, seventy-seven percent of Greeks consider Turkey 
as the biggest threat and while only 5.6 worry about Albania.  The 
same survey shows that 63.1% of Turks support EU membership while at 
the same time 50% believe that the EU's main goal is to divide 
Turkey. 
 
Iraqi FM Zabari Calls on Turkey for Dialog, Al-Sadr Threatens 
Turkey 
Hurriyet, Sabah, Milliyet, Zaman and others:  Following the 
diplomatic note given to Turkey by Iraq, Iraqi Foreign Minister 
Hosyar Zabari, in an interview with the BBC Arabic service, said 
that his country is ready to hold talks with Turkey to discuss 
Turkish concerns about PKK activities.  Meanwhile, on a PUK internet 
site, Iraqi Shiite leader Muqtada Al-Sadr said that he was against a 
possible cross-border operation by Turkey, and that in case of an 
operation launched by Turkey, he would defend the Kurdish people 
against Turks. 
 
Editorial Commentary on US-Russia 
Semih Idiz wrote in the mainstream daily Milliyet (6/11):  "Putin 
said to the US that American missile defense systems against an 
Iranian threat should be deployed in Turkey instead of Central 
 
ANKARA 00001470  002 OF 002 
 
 
Europe.  This suggestion can only be considered an effort to 
provoke.  Even though the 'threat from Iran' is justification for 
the need for a missile system, the former Soviet controlled 
countries want them deployed as a security building measure against 
Russia.  Being aware of this, Moscow is trying to handle the issue 
with a Cold War-era perspective and Putin's suggestion regarding 
Turkey is a clear example of this.  Moscow wants to slow down 
Washington's missile shield plans and to damage Turkish-American 
relations.  Putin is counting on the growing anti-Americanism in 
Turkey as well as the differences in Iran policy between Ankara and 
Washington.  He is also aware of the fact that the Turkish military, 
behind closed doors, is talking about a possibility of establishing 
a strategic relationship with Moscow and giving up on Washington. 
Turkey's strategic location was an advantage for Ankara during the 
Cold War era.  There are signs, however, that nowadays this 
advantage may be becoming a curse for Turkey." 
 
TV News: 
(NTV, 8 A.M.) 
Domestic News 
 
- A blast caused by a percussion bomb outside a store in the 
Bakirkoy neighborhood of Istanbul wounded 14 people on Sunday, 
police said, amid increased worries about PKK violence. 
 
- NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer will pay a visit to 
Ankara June 11 to discuss the situation in Kosovo with Turkish 
leaders.  De Hoop Scheffer will meet Prime Minister Erdogan, Foreign 
Minister Abdullah Gul, Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul and TGS chief 
General Yasar Buyukanit on Tuesday. 
 
- More than 165 candidates, including seven supported by the Kurdish 
DTP to run independently in July 22 parliamentary elections, have 
been vetoed by the High Election Board. 
 
- A former prostitute who wanted to run for a seat in parliament but 
was thrown off the election rolls by the High Election Board said 
she will fight the Board's decision. 
 
International News 
 
- The convoy of Iraqi Turkmen Front leader Saadettin Ergec was 
attacked on the Baghdad-Kirkuk road.  Ergec was unharmed in the 
attack, the third in the last 10 days. 
 
- Turkish Cyprus leader Mehmet Ali Talat has accused Nicosia of 
blocking the applications of Greek Cypriots to the commission 
established to settle property disputes in the north part of the 
divided island. 
 
- Greek daily Elefterotipia reports Athens is to open a consulate in 
the northern Iraqi city of Erbil. 
 
- President Bush said in Albania that Kosovo would become 
independent even if diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving its status 
in the United Nations fail. 
WILSON