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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001763 
 
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, JULY 11, 2007 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Kurdish Mayors Investigated for Praising the PKK 
All papers report the Interior Ministry has assigned two inspectors 
to probe allegations that Kurdish DTP mayors Osman Baydemir of 
Diyarbakir and Ahmet Ertak of Sirnak were engaging in PKK 
propaganda.  In a recent interview with the Brussels-based Roj TV, 
Baydemir reportedly referred to the PKK as "the armed Kurdish 
opposition," whereas Ertak told French Channel 24 television station 
"the PKK supports Kurdish people, and we support the PKK." 
 
PKK Attacks Cargo Train 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Yeni Safak and 
others report a freight train going from Sivas to Erzurum was 
attacked by PKK terrorists using remote control bombs, which 
derailed seven cars.  No injuries were reported.  Papers speculate 
the actual target of the bomb was the Erzurum Express train, which 
was due to pass through the same spot two hours later with some 200 
passengers. 
 
Number of Guns Smuggled into Turkey Soars after US Iraq Invasion 
Islamist-oriented Zaman cites an article in a police periodical 
which reports that weapons and munitions smuggled into Turkey from 
Iraq have increased by 235 percent following the US military 
intervention in Iraq in 2003.  Several armed assassination attempts 
including the deadly attack on Council of State (Danistay) and the 
killing of Italian Priest Santoro in Trabzon have been carried out 
with unlicensed arms smuggled from northern Iraq.  In 2006, more 
than 50 percent of illegal weapons seized were taken in the Turkish 
provinces on the border with Iraq and Syria, according to the 
report. 
 
Editorial Commentary on Palestine 
Kamuran Ozbir comments on Iraq and Palestine in the nationalist 
Ortadogu:  "The Gaza strip is a stage for demonstrating the US 
Administration's double- standard in the name of democracy.  If the 
US really were after democracy, it would not blockade Palestine and 
cause hunger, but would accept dialog with the Palestinian 
representatives.  Palestinian leaders should understand that 
Palestinians will never forgive the sale of the political system to 
foreigners in return for money or power.  Even though it sounds 
unbelievable, the fact is freedom is much more valuable for the 
Palestinians than food.  I hope the parties involved in this game 
come to understand this fact soon." 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV (6 A.M.) 
 
Domestic News 
 
- CHP leader Deniz Baykal challenged Prime Minister Erdogan to 
discuss the presidential issue in a televised debate. 
 
- MHP leader Devlet Bahceli has urged voters to give his party 
enough backing to that they can change the constitution and revive 
capital punishment when they come to power. 
 
- The European Union is to build 17 elementary schools in the 
southeastern city of Diyarbakir within the scope of a project to 
support basic education in Turkey. 
 
International News 
 
- General Petraeus, the commander of US forces in Iraq, told the BBC 
that fighting the insurgency in Iraq is a "long term endeavor" which 
could take decades. 
 
- Palestinian President Abbas told Italy's RAI TV al-Qaeda is moving 
into Gaza thanks to the support of Hamas.  Hamas strongly denied 
Abbas' charges. 
 
ANKARA 00001763  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
- Cyprus' largest political party, AKEL, left the center-left 
governing coalition Tuesday after its two coalition partners, 
centrist DIKO and socialist EDEK, rejected AKEL leader Demetris 
Christofias as the joint candidate for the presidential election in 
February 2008. 
 
- Afghanistan's Interior Ministry said 17 people, including 12 
schoolchildren, have been killed in a Taliban suicide bombing in 
southern Afghanistan. 
 
WILSON