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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001569 
 
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 
TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2007 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Sezer Vetoes Constitutional Reforms, will Call Referendum 
All papers report President Sezer on Monday vetoed a plan that would 
cut the time needed to hold a constitutional referendum to 45 days 
from 120 days.  Sezer submitted the proposal on direct election of 
the president to referendum after the parliament overrode an earlier 
presidential veto.  The ruling AKP government wants to hold a 
referendum on constitutional reforms on July 22, the same day as the 
parliamentary election.  Turkish Parliament, now in recess ahead of 
the election, can override the veto by approving the bill a second 
time unchanged.  However, Prime Minister Erdogan has left off the 
election list at least half of his ruling AKP MPs, making it 
difficult to rally enough votes to pass the law.  If the 
Constitutional Court rejects the annulment request, the referendum 
will be held on October 15, after a new parliament elects a new 
president. 
 
Hudson Institute's 'Doomsday Scenarios' Cause Unease in Turkey 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman, Yeni Safak 
and others report the continuing reaction of Turkish officials to a 
weekend brain-storming at the Hudson Institute in Washington that 
discussed 'disaster scenarios' for Turkey, including the 
assassination of former Constitutional Court chairwoman Tulay Tugcu, 
a PKK suicide attack in downtown Istanbul, and a major Turkish 
military incursion into northern Iraq.  Tugcu expressed sadness over 
the inclusion of her name in such scenarios, stressing she expects 
the Turkish officials who were reportedly there to make a statement. 
 Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul rejected reports that he said Turkish 
generals should have walked out of the controversial meeting.  Prime 
Minister Erdogan said the Hudson Institute gathering was 'utter 
nonsense.'  Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc said Turkish 
participants in the meeting should have notified their supervisors 
about the proceeding of the meeting, and asked the Turkish General 
Staff (TGS) for a statement. 
 
Zeyno Baran, Turkey expert at the Hudson Institute, told Turkish 
televisions Monday that scenarios regarding Turkish politics 'were 
not discussed' at the meeting, stressing the session aimed to avoid 
a rising of tensions between Turkey and the US because of the 
terrorist PKK.  Baran also apologized to Tulay Tugcu for the 
misunderstanding caused because of warped press reports. 
 
Editorial Commentary on Hudson Institute Turkey Session 
Hasan Cemal commented in the mainstream Milliyet (6/19):  "What was 
discussed at the Hudson Institute meeting was not a plan, but a 
scenario.  Knowing that these think-tank organizations' main 
responsibility is brain-storming to produce scenarios, I wasn't 
concerned about it at all.  And I just can't understand why 
everybody got so upset about the scenario while there are so many 
terrorist incidents, political murders, assassinations taking place 
in Turkey.  During the last year or more, as the presidential 
election process began, there have been countless terrorist 
incidents and violent actions.  Moreover, haven't scenarios about 
cross-border operations into Northern Iraq became routine 
discussions in Turkey?  What disturbed me more than the Hudson 
Institute scenarios was the hand grenade found in a house in 
Istanbul, in which some retired military personnel who are members 
of the Kuvayi Milliye association were involved.  The government 
should deal with these hand grenades for the sake of the future of 
the democratic state of law, rather than hypothetical scenarios." 
 
Maliki to Visit Turkey in June 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman, Yeni Safak 
and others report 
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has accepted an invitation from 
his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan to visit Ankara to discuss 
the security situation in northern Iraq.  Leftist-nationalist 
Cumhuriyet claims during a Sunday meeting with Derya Kanbay, 
Turkey's ambassador to Baghdad, Maliki did not raise the issue of 
 
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the PKK and rather covertly criticized the AKP for extending backing 
to the radical Sunni groups in Iraq.  The Iraqi PM did not give a 
clear response to the invitation, and is watching the reaction of 
the Kurds, according to Cumhuriyet.  The Islamist-oriented Yeni 
Safak says Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) sources believe Maliki may 
visit Turkey on June 30. 
 
Turkish Prosecutor Launches Investigation against Barzani 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman, Yeni Safak 
and others report a prosecutor in Diyarbakir launched an 
investigation into Masoud Barzani, the president of the regional 
Kurdish administration in northern Iraq, for violating Turkish Penal 
Code Article 77 by promoting crimes against humanity, providing 
logistic support to a terrorist organization, and attempting to 
disrupt the unity of the state and nation.  The 'Ataturk Thought 
Association' (ADD,) a Turkish nationalist organization, has applied 
to the prosecutors in Diyarbakir, calling for the seizure of assets, 
including property and bank accounts, that Barzani and his family 
may own in Turkey. 
 
Poll: AKP, CHP-DSP, MHP to Enter Parliament 
Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak carries a public opinion survey 
commissioned by Raymond James, a brokerage firm in Istanbul, which 
predicts that in general elections, the AKP will receive 45.3 
percent of votes with CHP-DSP alliance 20.2 and MHP 16.1, after 
distribution of 17.5 percent of indecisive voters.  The poll expects 
40 independent candidates to win seats in the parliament.  The 
survey was conducted by Konda Co. on June 9-10 in 32 provinces with 
3,605 people. 
 
Editorial Commentary on the Middle East Situation 
Ilter Turkmen observed in the mainstream Hurriyet (6/19): 
"Nightmare scenarios are being realized speedily in the Middle East. 
 The latest drama in the Middle East is the division of Palestine. 
The developments in Gaza hold danger for the whole region.  Egypt 
and Jordan are concerned about the HAMAS presence at their border. 
There are the clashes between the Lebanese army and a terrorist 
organization settled in a Palestinian immigrant camp. 
Unfortunately, the innocent Palestinians in the camp are suffering 
from these clashes.  The situation in Iraq is worse than ever.  The 
US troop increases did not improve the situation.  On the contrary, 
sectarian clashes increased, with more lives lost and the danger for 
a divided Iraq increased.  During a problematic period in the Middle 
East, Turkey's stable democracy has a vital importance for the US 
and the EU.  That is why the US and the EU should realize the 
serious danger PKK terrorism poses for Turkish democracy. " 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV 
 
Domestic News 
 
-  Turkish security forces killed four PKK terrorists in separate 
operations in eastern provinces of Siirt and Sirnak on Monday. 
 
- Energy Minister Hilmi Guler has failed to make a deal with 
Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan for transport of natural gas to European 
markets via Turkey. 
 
- A Turkish Cypriot parliamentary delegation visits London for 
meetings in the British Parliament. 
 
- Volume of trade between Turkey and China is expected to amount to 
USD 50 billion. 
 
International News 
 
- Tens of thousands of Iraqis flee to Jordan and Syria every month. 
 
 
 
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- The Turkish Foreign Ministry has condemned the Taliban suicide 
bomb attack on a police bus which killed at least 35 in Kabul. 
 
- Despite the efforts of the Cypriot government, the number of 
applications to the Turkish Cypriot commission for property disputes 
increased. 
 
- Tony Blair has strongly defended intervening in Iraq for the final 
time as British Prime Minister before parliament. 
WILSON