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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001507 
 
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, JUNE 13, 2007 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Erdogan on the PKK, Turkish Incursion into Northern Iraq 
All papers report on a statement released Tuesday following the 
security "summit" held under Prime Minister Erdogan with the 
participation of Turkish General Staff (TGS) chief Yasar Buyukanit, 
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, Interior Minister Osman Gunes, Land 
Forces Commander General Ilker Basbug and Gendarme Commander General 
Isik Kosaner.  The statement said "Turkish people have displayed a 
firm unity against terrorist actions.  It is important to maintain 
this spirit of solidarity and determination."  It also underlined 
there was a "harmonious cooperation" among the government, military, 
and police forces in fighting against terrorism. 
 
Papers report Prime Minister Erdogan later also said a military 
incursion into northern Iraq is the final measure to be applied in 
the fight against the PKK terrorists, stressing Turkey was focused 
on fighting the terrorists domestically rather than in Iraq.  "There 
are 500 terrorists in northern Iraq, and 5,000 in the mountains of 
Turkey.  Has the fight with those in Turkey finished, that we should 
now be talking about Iraq?" Erdogan told the press.  Responding to a 
question on the Nationalist Movement Party's (MHP) proposal to close 
down the Habur Gate border crossing and cut the Turkish supply of 
electricity to northern Iraq, Erdogan said there are Turkish 
contractors in the region, and that the MHP should consider their 
interests. 
 
On protests at Monday's funerals of three soldiers killed by the 
PKK, Erdogan said such protests were "inappropriate" during funerals 
of martyrs.  "No one should be allowed to benefit from funerals of 
martyrs for their own political purposes.  The Interior Ministry has 
launched an investigation into protests," Erdogan noted. 
 
Papers also report Secretary Rice warned against a Turkish military 
operation, saying an incursion into northern Iraq will "not give 
good results" for Turkey. 
 
Editorial Commentary on Possible Turkish Incursion into Northern 
Iraq 
Ismet Berkan wrote in the liberal-intellectual daily Radikal: 
"Turkey, even with some drawbacks and room for improvement, is a 
democracy and ruled by the supremacy of law.  Like any country with 
a democratic regime, every state institution functions under defined 
roles and responsibilities.  In the past, the Turkish military 
sustained its fight against PKK terrorism through manpower as well 
as technology.  However, the circumstances are different now, 
especially when it comes to technology.  PKK terrorist have started 
using improvised explosive device technology similar to what the US 
army is struggling to cope with in Iraq.  The Turkish army has not 
yet developed a tactical supremacy to handle this new technology and 
situation.  Therefore, the military should focus on this aspect.  As 
for the cross border operation issue, there are so many voices 
around, including some very irrational ones.  Let's face it: A 
strong call for a cross border operation (CBO) means a declaration 
of war.  The fact that the call for a CBO is even being made by 
Turkish General Staff increases the problem because it is not the 
duty of TGS to formulate foreign policy.  Don't we have a government 
and a parliament in charge of foreign policy, including the 
declaration of war?  Everybody should focus on his or her own 
responsibilities and remain within those defined boundaries.  That's 
what we need." 
 
Sami Kohen wrote in the mainstream daily Milliyet:  "There has been 
too much talk about the possibility of a cross border operation in 
northern Iraq.  Given the border activities, terrorist attacks and 
military build-up, it seems an operation is inevitable sooner or 
later.  Turkey could have carried out a fast and limited operation 
in northern Iraq just as in the 1990s.  If that were the case, there 
would not be too much opposition from the international public. 
Yet, the question we have to think over is whether such a 
 
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limited-scale operation would end the PKK presence in Iraq.  Another 
question is about defining the targets in northern Iraq.  If and 
when the Turkish army enters northern Iraq, will it be dealing with 
sweeping out the PKK or will it have to deal with regional Kurdish 
leaders at the same time?  There are circles in Turkey who feel very 
disturbed over the Kurdish entity in northern Iraq and stance of 
Kurdish leaders there.  According to them, Turkey should include 
regional Kurdish figures in the targets category.  Of course, it is 
debatable to what extent such an approach would serve Turkish 
foreign policy interests.  In any case, signs related to a cross 
border operation indicate that even if Turkey carries one out, it 
will be limited only to the PKK presence in northern Iraq." 
 
Paper: US Wants to 'Part Ways' with Maliki 
Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak claims the US, having changed two prime 
ministers in Iraq over the last three years, is now "trying to part 
ways" with Nouri al-Maliki.  The paper cites The New York Times as 
reporting that US Middle East forces commander Admiral William 
Fallon warned Maliki to make "concrete political developments" in a 
month, warning the Iraqi PM that otherwise, he could "anger" the US 
Congress.  The long-awaited hydrocarbon law envisages division of 
oil revenues among regions in the country, says Yeni Safak. 
 
NATO's Scheffer Meets Gul 
Cumhuriyet, Star, Zaman, Radikal, Milliyet:  In a press conference 
after a meeting with NATO Secretary General de Hoop Scheffer, Gul 
said issues like Afghanistan, Europe, Kosovo, and Turkish-NATO 
relations were discussed at the meeting.  "Turkey attaches great 
importance to cooperation with NATO.  Turkey is a 50-year member and 
one of the essential allies of NATO", added Gul.  De Hoop Scheffer 
reiterated support for the Turkish fight against terrorism.  De Hoop 
Scheffer also met with PM Erdogan, Parliament Speaker Arinc, Defense 
Minister Gonul and Chief of General Staff Buyukanit.  During the 
visit, Turkish officials expressed Turkey's uneasiness over its 
exclusion from decision-making and command mechanisms in the 
European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) operations, as well as 
the Greek-Cypriot participation in the ESDP. 
 
Al Gore in Istanbul for a Conference on Global Warming 
Milliyet, Yeni Safak, Star, Zaman, Radikal, Milliyet:  Former US 
Vice President Al Gore was in Istanbul yesterday to support Live 
Earth concerts to raise awareness of global climate change. 
Istanbul is among nine cities around the world holding concerts on 
July 7.  Mainstream Milliyet reports that Gore visited the 
Greek-Orthodox Patriarchate yesterday for twenty minutes and said 
'It is an honor and very important for me to pay a visit to the 
Ecumenical Patriarchate.  Because he includes in his prayers the 
importance of protecting everything God created, Patriarchate 
Bartholomew is addressed as 'Green Patriarch''.  The Patriarchate is 
part of the heritage of the world metropolis of Istanbul.' 
 
US 2006 Human Trafficking Report 
Milliyet, Sabah and Cumhuriyet report the US 2006 Report on Human 
Trafficking praised Turkey's efforts to prevent trafficking in 
persons, but also underlined shortcomings in areas such as 
collecting data and penalizing state officials involved in such 
activities.  The report says Turkey has become a transit route for 
women from the former Soviet republics and central Europe who are 
taken to Turkish Cyprus as "sexual workers". 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV (6 A.M.) 
 
Domestic News 
 
- Visiting Italian Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema 
will meet President Sezer, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, Parliament 
Speaker Bulent Arinc and CHP chairman Deniz Baykal on Wednesday. 
Gul and D'Alema will hold a joint news conference following their 
meeting. 
 
ANKARA 00001507  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
- Based on reports of a Belgium-based Kurdish news agency, 
Associated Press said the PKK declared Tuesday it would halt 
attacks, but added that its fighters would defend themselves if 
attacked by Turkish forces. 
 
- The Turkish military will use air transportation to dispatch 
troops to the Iraqi border in a move to avoid PKK landmines. 
 
- A Turkish F-5 military plane has crashed near the Kuyubasi village 
in Konya province.  The pilot escaped the crash unhurt. 
 
International News 
 
- French police have detained eight suspected members of the PKK in 
and around Paris under a probe into attacks against Turkish owned 
bars and cultural associations.  The detainees, aged between 17 and 
29, are suspected of being members of the PKK's youth organizations. 
 
 
- Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Iran will make the US 
"regret" its detention of five Iranians in Iraq since January this 
year. 
 
- Hamas declared northern and central Gaza a "closed military zone" 
on Tuesday after bloody clashes that killed at least 20 Palestinians 
over the weekend. 
 
- President Ahmadinejad has appointed a 15-member advisory council 
to create a compilation of his "works and opinions" to be issued as 
books, CDs and pamphlets. 
 
WILSON