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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002018 
 
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 
MONDAY, AUGUST 6, 2007 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Friendly Atmosphere at Turkish Parliament Swearing-in 
All papers see it as an "encouraging sign" that a friendly 
atmosphere, especially between the extreme right MHP and Kurdish DTP 
members, prevailed at the Saturday parliamentary swearing-in 
ceremony.  DTP leader Ahmet Turk and some other leading party 
members shook hands with MHP leader Devlet Bahceli and congratulated 
him on his election to the parliament.  "We may have different ideas 
from the MHP but we will work under the same roof of the parliament. 
 Being civilized human beings, we will have civil relations," said 
Turk.  Front-page headlines "It Should Always Be Like This" and 
"Parliament's Encouraging Start" in Yeni Safak and Zaman 
respectively are echoed by several papers, as they convey hope that 
the atmosphere of compromise and respect will be preserved. 
 
Sukru Elekdag, CHP lawmaker and the oldest Member of Parliament, 
chaired the ceremony of 548 deputies. 
 
Weekend papers noted that President Sezer and the military top brass 
did not attend the ceremony in parliament, saying they had to 
participate in High Military Council meetings.  Papers speculate the 
military leaders were not willing to come together with the Kurdish 
DTP MPs and also wanted to display their reaction to Abdullah Gul's 
possible presidency. 
 
Editorial Commentary on Kurdish MPs in Parliament 
Gungor Mengi writes in the mainstream daily Vatan: "To decide 
whether or not we should be hopeful for the future, given the new 
formation of the parliament, we should look at the stances of the 
pro-Kurdish DTP deputies.  They seemed happy and showed a positive 
attitude during the swearing-in ceremony, but their statements were 
not encouraging enough to make us hopeful about the future.  First 
of all, they are all making evasive statements regarding the PKK and 
intentionally refraining from denouncing PKK terrorism.  If they 
continue to take this approach in the upcoming parliament sessions, 
we can only expect more tension.  While they were in the parliament 
for the swearing-in ceremony, PKK terrorists killed three soldiers 
and one civilian who refused to help them.  This was at least a 
chance for DTP to denounce such a brutal act, yet they did not take 
it.  It is absolutely against the very fundamental notion of 
parliamentary democracy to even think there would be a member of the 
parliament who does not denounce terrorism.  Then DTP members will 
have to be asked eventually: 'What are you doing there?'" 
 
Sezer Designates Erdogan to Form New Government 
All papers report President Sezer designated Prime Minister Erdogan 
on Monday to form the new government.  According to the 
constitution, Erdogan has to submit his cabinet list to Sezer 
without delay.  If the list is approved by Sezer, the government's 
program will be read in the parliament, two days after which a vote 
of confidence will be held.  Erdogan will most likely announce his 
new cabinet by the end of the next week and receive a vote of 
confidence in parliament over the days ahead.  The parliament will 
convene on August 9 for the first round of the parliamentary speaker 
election.  Papers say it will be a difficult week for Erdogan who 
has to decide whom to nominate for president and for speaker of 
parliament and also to form a new cabinet. 
 
Maliki to Visit Turkey 
All papers report Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, accompanied 
by five of his cabinet ministers, including the Iraqi special 
anti-PKK envoy, Security Minister Shirwan al-Waili, will visit 
Ankara on August 7.  Papers report the Turkish side expects Maliki 
to take concrete forward steps to meet Turkish demands to combat the 
PKK.  Milliyet expects Maliki to denounce the PKK as "a terror 
organization."  On the eve of the Maliki visit, the Iraqi government 
made a surprising good-will gesture and began discussion of the 
provisions of an anti-terror agreement drafted by Turkey.  Turkish 
sources say that compromise was reached on a considerable part of 
 
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the deal, and if the Iraqi side agrees on the remaining part, the 
agreement will be signed by the Prime Ministers of Turkey and Iraq 
during the visit of Maliki.  If Iraq signs the anti-terror deal, 
Turkey will raise two other agreements for economic and energy 
cooperation. 
 
Hurriyet and Sabah say Maliki will be handed a file on PKK 
activities in northern Iraq.  Cumhuriyet says that the issue of 
Kirkuk will not be raised during the visit of Maliki.  All papers 
underline that the visit will take place when the Iraqi PM is going 
through a difficult political period at home, with his predecessor 
Jafari leading efforts to see Maliki step down. 
 
Editorial Commentary on Maliki Visit 
Murat Yetkin writes in the liberal daily Radikal: "The bottom line 
is that we should not expect any developments [from the Maliki 
visit] regarding the fight against the PKK in Iraq.  The upcoming 
visit of Iraqi PM to Ankara, given the nature of his and the 
accompanying delegation's program, does not even fit into the 
category of a 'cosmetic effort.'  Keeping the dialogue channels open 
with Iraq is certainly an important thing for Turkey.  Enhancement 
of the Baghdad central authority remains a high priority for Ankara. 
 Yet the fact of the matter is that the central government of Iraq 
is currently worse than a lame duck.  Maliki's authority in the 
Iraqi parliament has significantly declined.  Not only Sunni groups 
but also Shiites have given up their support for Maliki.  Nowadays 
Iraqi Kurds are his only supporters.  Despite all these facts, there 
is no alternate to Maliki for discussions.  The US continues to 
negotiate with Iraqi groups to persuade them of the need for a new 
and stronger Iraqi government.  In other words, Maliki will be 
visiting Ankara with all those sensitive balance issues attached to 
him.  We have to realize that any promises from Iraq at this stage 
regarding the fight against the PKK in Iraq will not have a real 
impact except as a show designed to make the public think something 
is being done." 
 
EU Report Sees 'Alarming' Rise of Islam in Turkey 
Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman and others report the 
EU-controlled Institute for Security Studies in a report released in 
June draws attention to the alarming rise of Islam in Turkey, adding 
that not the AKP but the 1980 military takeover is to blame for this 
rise.  The report notes the Turkish military did not want a 
president with an Islamist past.  The report also says that it was 
an "open secret" that Turkey's main Kurdish party DTP was "linked to 
the PKK."  Both AKP and DTP are seen as "anti-Kemalist," says the 
report.  It also says the 10-percent election threshold in Turkey 
was anti-democratic.  The report predicts instability in Turkey to 
continue until autumn this year. 
 
TV News: 
(NTV, 6 A.M.) 
Domestic News 
 
- Over the weekend, three soldiers were killed and another was 
wounded when a land mine exploded in Dicle Township of the 
southeastern city of Diyarbakir, and one PKK terrorist was killed in 
Sirnak in clashes with security forces.  One villager was murdered 
by three PKK terrorists for refusing to give them food in the 
eastern province of Van. 
 
- Prime Minister Erdogan plans to give the post of Parliament 
Speaker to Koksal Toptan or former Justice Minister Cemil Cicek. 
 
- Kurdish party DTP's former chairman Ahmet Turk said he would not 
be able to play any reconciliatory role if he condemns the PKK as a 
terror organization. 
 
- Turkey has earned USD 29.3 billion from privatization projects 
since 1986. 
 
 
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International News 
 
- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki did not accept the 
resignations of six Sunni Arab cabinet ministers who quit last week. 
 
 
- US forces said they had killed Haitham al-Badri, the top al-Qaeda 
leader in the Salahuddin province, whom they blamed for the 2006 
attack on Samarra's al-Askari Mosque. 
 
- The Bush administration has withdrawn its nominee for US 
ambassador to Armenia, Richard Hoagland. 
 
- Iranian police detained more than 200 people, including some 
foreigners, and seized alcohol and drugs in a raid on a "satanic" 
underground rock concert. 
 
MCELDOWNEY