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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001727 
 
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 
FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2007 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Constitutional Court Rules Referendum on Election of President by 
Popular Vote 
All papers report the Constitutional Court rejected appeals from 
both the main opposition party CHP and President Sezer to annul the 
constitutional reforms on a legal technicality, paving the way for a 
referendum probably on October 21.  Analysts say the Constitutional 
Court unexpectedly backed the AKP government's plans to hold a 
referendum on constitutional reforms.  The constitutional changes 
include election of the president for two five-year consecutive 
terms by popular vote, reduction of the parliamentary election 
period from five years to four, and stipulation that a quorum of 184 
lawmakers would be enough to elect a president. 
 
If Turkish voters do back the reforms in the referendum, they will 
have a chance to elect their president directly in 2014, after 
Sezer's successor, due to be chosen by parliament this summer, has 
served a seven-year term.  If the parliament fails to elect a new 
president after July 22 this year, general elections will be held 
again.  In that case, constitutional changes will apply to the 
presidential election to be held seven years later. 
 
Prime Minister Erdogan hailed yesterday's court ruling but said he 
would not comment before seeing a detailed justification from the 
court. 
 
Russian-Kazakh Partnership Buys Turkish Oil Refiner 
All papers report a 51 percent stake in the state-owned 
petrochemicals company Petkim was sold for USD 2.05 billion to the 
Russian-Kazakh partnership Trans-Central Asia Petrochemical Holding 
joint venture.  Mainstream papers question who is behind the 
consortium, with several of them reporting that Trans-Central Asia 
was a consortium of a Russian bank owned by an Armenian businessman 
and of a Kazakh oil company controlled by the US Transmeridian 
company, and that the leading partners of the consortium were a 
Jewish and an Armenian businessmen.  Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet 
says there are Arab and Russian companies and an Armenian 
businessman behind the consortium.  The Islamist-oriented papers 
Yeni Safak and Zaman note that according to the stock values as of 
Wednesday evening, Petkim's total shares were worth USD 1.42 billon, 
and that the level of the bid showed confidence in Turkey's economy 
despite the upcoming elections. 
 
In June 2003, an 88.86 percent share in the company had been 
auctioned off to the Uzan family for USD 605 million in a deal which 
was cancelled two months later after the Uzans failed to meet the 
requirements.  A second tender was held in August 2003 for the block 
sale of Petkim. That sale failed due to lack of investor interest. 
 
 
Terrorists Killed in Turkey; Germany Detains PKK Members 
Papers report Turkish soldiers killed five PKK terrorists, including 
two women, as they tried to plant a roadside bomb in the eastern 
province of Tunceli on Wednesday evening.  A village guard was also 
killed in the fighting. 
 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman and others 
report German police have detained 22 PKK members and an 
unidentified leader of the organization in security operations in 
five states for alleged arson attacks against Turkish businesses 
across the country. 
 
Poll on Presidential Election, Voters' Preferences 
Islamist-oriented Zaman carries an opinion survey which shows that 
60.7 percent of Turkish voters think the AKP government's stance on 
presidential elections was correct while only 21.7 percent think the 
main opposition party CHP was sincere in its desire for a 
compromise.  With regard to voters' preferences, 83.1 percent of 
respondents said political party leaders' traits matter for them 
 
ANKARA 00001727  002 OF 003 
 
 
when casting votes.  The survey shows expectations of the new 
government include increased economic welfare, elimination of 
terrorism, lowering of unemployment, and improvement of human rights 
and freedoms.  The number of undecided voters has decreased to 16.4 
percent, down from a recent percentage of 20.6.  About 10 percent of 
those surveyed say they will not vote in the July 22 elections. 
 
Editorial Commentary on Hamas, Turkish Incursion into Iraq 
Ferai Tinc observes in the mainstream Hurriyet:  "While the 
international community is exerting efforts to support Fatah, Hamas 
is giving the message that the stability of Palestine is in their 
hands. Hamas is giving the message that they are the owner of the 
region, through the released journalist who was shown on TV a few 
days ago with explosives tied on his body.  The British government 
conveying their appreciation to Hamas, and the UN and the EU 
applauding Hamas for the Johnston release, indicate that there will 
be interesting developments in the near future." 
 
Mehmet Tezkan writes in the mainstream Vatan:  "Prime Minister 
Erdogan is on one TV channel; Foreign Minister Gul is on another 
channel, shouting and saying that 'if the military say that we need 
to enter Iraq tomorrow, we will enter tomorrow.'  Listening to these 
statements one could easily think that the Turkish military will 
launch a cross-border operation tomorrow or the day after into 
Northern Iraq.  But, the fact is, there is no such plan.  Both, 
Erdogan and Gul are giving messages aimed at domestic politics. 
They are trying to get [nationalist party] MHP supporters' votes, 
and trying to block the strengthening MHP's path.  AKP government 
knows very well that it is almost impossible to launch an operation 
into Northern Iraq if the US doesn't give a green light.  Never mind 
an extended operation but, even a limited operation is difficult to 
launch without the green-light from the US.  So, every single remark 
on a cross-border operation by the leaders is aimed to get more 
votes in the July 22 elections and these remarks do not reflect the 
facts." 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV, 7.00 A.M. 
 
Domestic News 
 
- Yasemin Kinik, a 19-year old woman who was 1.5 month pregnant, 
was killed by her father for "staining the family honor" when she 
divorced her husband and returned home to the southeastern city of 
Sanliurfa. 
 
- The annual ministerial conference of the "Least Developed 
Countries" will be held in Istanbul on July 9-10. 
 
- Environmentalist organizations claim 500,000 trees have been cut 
down in the Mediterranean town of Belek near Antalya to construct 
golf resorts. 
 
- The Istanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB) reached a record high on 
Thursday with the benchmark index hitting 49,777 points by the end 
of the initial trading session. 
 
International News 
 
- Russian First Deputy Minister Sergei Ivanov said Moscow could 
deploy missile units in the Kaliningrad exclave near Poland if 
Washington goes ahead with its missile defense plans in Central 
Europe. 
 
- Iraqi Parliament has failed to start debate on a key oil despite 
Prime Minister al-Maliki's efforts to bridge divides among his 
Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish coalition members and push the 
long-delayed bill. 
 
- Amnesty International said in a statement, "Torture, ill-treatment 
 
ANKARA 00001727  003 OF 003 
 
 
and killings continue to be met with persistent impunity for the 
security forces in Turkey." 
 
- Australia's Defense Minister Brendan Nelson admitted oil is one of 
the reasons for its presence in Iraq. 
 
WILSON