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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001817 
 
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, JULY 17, 2007 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Parliamentary Election Campaign 
All papers:  Campaigning intensifies as the July 22 election 
approaches, with party leaders holding rallies across the country 
and trading verbal shots.  Addressing people in the Black Sea city 
of Ordu, DP leader Agar accused the ruling AKP of corruption and 
said when AKP complains it is playing the victim role.  Attending 
his party's rally in the eastern city of Igdir, CHP leader Baykal 
criticized the government's counterterrorism policies.  Speaking at 
MHP rally in the central-southern city of Gaziantep, Devlet Bahceli 
said that when he comes to power he will have the AKP government 
tried for all the irregularities.  AKP leader PM Erdogan said 
yesterday that his party will emerge from the elections on top. 
 
In an election snapshot from the southeastern city of Van, tabloid 
Aksam reports that the mainly Kurdish DTP is carrying out its 
election campaign through independent candidates and that the voters 
there have made their minds up. As for the result, the paper 
predicts two possibilities for the seven seats from Van:  three 
independents and two each from AKP and CHP; or three independents, 
three for AKP and one for CHP. In the last election AKP won six 
seats in Van. 
 
Turkey-Iran Gas Deal; US Reaction 
All papers report that the United States has voiced a clear 
objection to a deal signed between Turkey and Iran on energy 
cooperation while reiterating that Washington is ready to continue 
joint efforts which will eventually make Turkey an energy hub for 
European countries.  Mainstream Sabah, Milliyet and Vatan, Islamist 
oriented Zaman and others quote the US Embassy spokesperson as 
saying "we are against any kind of cooperation with Iran.  Relying 
on Iran as a source and transit country for natural gas seems 
unwise."  Sabah reports that, with regard to the US reaction over 
the gas deal, FM Gul said 'Turkey will not listen to anyone.  The 
import thing is our interests."  Morning TV broadcasts quoted State 
Department spokesman Sean McCormack as saying "It is up to the 
Turkish Government, Turkish entities to decide whether or not they 
want to do business with Iran at this point in time.  If you ask our 
opinion, if we think it is the right moment to be making investments 
in the Iranian oil and gas sector, no, we don't think so." 
 
US Denies Giving Weapons to PKK 
Sabah, Milliyet, Zaman and others:  Responding to the questions from 
journalists aboard AKP's election bus, FM Gul said that he received 
an answer from the US that "it is not possible that the US gave 
weapons to a terrorist organization; however, the weapons we 
provided to the Iraqi army might be acquired by the PKK due to 
financial, ethnic or ideological reasons."  Gul added that "the US 
administration said that they would closely follow the issue from 
now on and this incident shows that the Iraqi army is not reliable." 
 Gul also noted that the terrorist organization might have been 
doing this in order to damage relations between Turkey and the US. 
 
Talabani Threatens to Cut Business Relations with Turkey 
Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak reported that Iraqi leader Talabani's 
party Kurdistan Patriotic Union Ankara Representative Behroz Gelali 
said that in case of Turkish intervention in Northern Iraq, they 
will cut business relations with the 1200 Turkish companies in Iraq 
and send them back to Turkey. 
 
Editorial Opinion: Iraq, US-Turkey Relations 
Fikret Bila comments in the mainstream Milliyet:  "If the allegation 
about the US providing weapons to the PKK is verified, it will 
undoubtedly cause Turkish-US relations to deteriorate to a 
non-repairable point.  But even if this allegation is proven wrong, 
the main question is whether we will be able to close the case. 
Simply disproving the allegation will not do any good toward 
resolving the essence of the problem.  A terrorist organization like 
 
ANKARA 00001817  002 OF 002 
 
 
the PKK is capable of acquiring weapons and arms through traffickers 
and through the Iraqi peshmerge.  This is in fact the initial 
information coming from the US.  Therefore Turkey should not focus 
on the US-weapons-to-PKK allegation.  The main issue that we should 
focus on is forcing the US to change its political stance on support 
[for Kurds]." 
 
Kubilay Celik comments in the nationalist Tercuman: "The US is now 
looking for ways to make its position [in Iraq] permanent and Iraq's 
north seems to be the best option.  Barzani has already been issuing 
'invitations' for an American army presence.  A military base in 
Northern Iraq will not only serve American regional interests but 
also it will be like an insurance policy for Barzani against a 
possible cross-border operation by Turkey." 
 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV, 7.00 A.M. 
 
Domestic News 
 
Nine people have been taken into custody after staging protests and 
throwing eggs at CHP leader Deniz Baykal in Erzurum. 
 
In response to accusation of CHP with regard to his sons' assets, 
Environment and Forestry Minister Osman Pepe said that his three 
sons only have 5 apartment flats, not 600. 
 
Istanbul 2nd district independent candidate Tuncay Seyranlioglu died 
in an armed attack when he came out of the wedding hall that he 
owned. 
 
 
International News 
 
The UK decided to expel four Russian diplomats over Moscow's refusal 
to extradite the main suspect in the murder of Alexander 
Litvinenko. 
 
Bombs killed at least 85 in Kirkuk 
 
A 6.8 magnitude earthquake rocked Japan's northwest coast on Monday 
killing at least 8 people, injuring hundreds and damaging a nuclear 
reactor. 
 
 
WILSON