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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002051 
 
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, AUGUST 10, 2007 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Koksal Toptan Elected Parliament Speaker 
All papers report Koksal Toptan has been elected Parliament Speaker 
in the first round of voting with the backing of 450 MPs. 
Nationalist MHP's candidate Tunca Toskay received 74 votes.  Toptan, 
a moderate conservative, does not have an Islamist past and his wife 
does not wear the Muslim headscarf.  President Sezer and all party 
leaders praised Toptan, welcoming his election as speaker. 
Following his election, Toptan said, "I am a deputy of the AKP, but 
now I consider all parties and all deputies as my own.  My goal is 
not to disappoint those who have faith in me." 
 
Debate over the Presidency Continues 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Vatan, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman and 
others continue speculation on the uncertainty surrounding who 
Turkey's next president will be.  CHP leader Deniz Baykal said 
Thursday he hoped the compromise displayed in the parliament speaker 
election would also be seen in the presidential election.  Baykal 
said if the presidency is given to a "suitable" candidate, it would 
"ease pressure on the economy, lead to softening in domestic 
politics and strengthen Turkey in foreign policy issues."  Following 
the election of the new parliament speaker, Prime Minister Erdogan 
held a meeting with former parliament speaker Bulent Arinc and 
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul.  Erdogan said after the meeting, 
"Democracy does not allow us to ignore the will of the nation.  We 
are expected to move in line with the preferences of voters." 
Mainstream Vatan says Erdogan's remarks are interpreted by some as 
support for Gul's candidacy and by others as an indication that he 
wants a compromise candidate.  Islamist-oriented Zaman thinks 
moderate politician Koksal Toptan's election as parliament speaker 
is another factor strengthening Gul's chances for becoming 
president.  Papers expect Erdogan to meet with opposition leaders to 
seek consensus in the presidential election.  Papers speculate the 
presidential voting will take place in the end of August, with the 
first round on August 23 and the second and the third rounds on 
August 26 and 29. 
 
Iraqi Kurdish MP Opposes Turkey-Iraq MOU on Terror 
Sabah, Milliyet, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman and others report 
Mahmoud Osman, a Kurdish member of the Iraqi parliament, told Voice 
of Iraq Radio the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between 
Iraq and Turkey did not represent the views of the regional Kurdish 
administration.  Osman also said the PKK was not a terrorist 
organization, but was actually fighting against the "terrorism of 
the Turkish government." 
 
Meanwhile, Cumhuriyet reports the Turkish General Staff (TGS) has 
rejected a regional Kurdish administration request, conveyed by the 
Maliki delegation in talks in Ankara earlier this week, to open a 
new border crossing between Turkey and Iraq near the Habur Gate. The 
TGS reportedly rejected the request because of concerns that it 
would provide another source of money for Massoud Barzani. 
 
Editorial Commentary on Maliki's Turkey Visit 
Ferai Tinc writes in the mainstream daily Hurriyet: "It is almost a 
given that Maliki will not be able keep the promises he made in 
Ankara.  Moreover it is not even certain that he will be able to 
keep his Prime Minister seat once the Iraqi parliament reconvenes. 
Given the fact that the same Iraqi Kurds support both Maliki and PKK 
activities in the area, we cannot expect anything concrete on the 
PKK.   Energy cooperation between Iraq and Turkey, part of the 
discussions in Ankara, becomes the most important tool for future 
bilateral relations.  The Regional Parliament of Iraqi Kurdistan has 
approved the oil law which paves the way for the Kurdistan 
administration to gain control over energy resources.  Turkey is the 
easiest route for foreign firms regarding exploration and 
distribution of Iraqi oil.  Turkey should use this fact as 
efficiently as possible to push Iraqi Kurds to take steps toward 
regional stability and security.  Otherwise, we will have to fool 
 
ANKARA 00002051  002 OF 003 
 
 
ourselves with never-ending promises or unrealized memoranda of 
understanding." 
 
Haluk Ulman writes in the business and political daily Dunya: 
"Turkey tried to create a mechanism against the PKK with Maliki 
although he desperately is in need of Barzani.  Despite all the 
efforts prior to the Maliki visit with regard to creating a joint 
action plan against the PKK, the meeting ended with no results as 
the MOU is just a cosmetic document.  The wording of the MOU is not 
strong enough to placate Ankara because there is nothing concrete 
besides the ambiguous rhetoric that 'every effort will be exerted on 
the PKK.'  That details are to be worked out by commissions means 
nothing.  In short, Maliki cannot make a promise to fight jointly 
against the PKK.  Barzani, as his sole supporter, would not let him 
go ahead with an action plan against PKK.  Washington does not want 
a cross-border operation either -- the recent Washington Post 
article [by Novak] was obviously a creative story to prevent a 
possible Turkish military action in the north of Iraq.  Now the real 
question is why the Turkish government is putting all the effort 
into such meetings with no obvious results, if this is not only a 
public relations effort." 
 
Kurdish DTP Continues Peace Messages 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman and others 
report Turkey's main Kurdish party DTP leader Ahmet Turk reiterated 
the party's commitment to peace, by saying "We have extended a hand 
in peace, and we don't have a gun in the other hand.  We have always 
advocated dialogue, and we are honest in our calls that we are ready 
for sacrifices for peace and democracy."  Nationalist MHP leader 
Devlet Bahceli had said earlier this week the MHP would not turn 
down any hand reaching out, but would never allow "the other hand to 
be shooting at Turkish soldiers." 
 
Turkey-Greek Cyprus Oil Exploration Dispute 
All papers report Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) Spokesman Levent 
Bilman told a press briefing yesterday Turkey's views on the Greek 
Cypriot administration's efforts to license offshore oil and natural 
gas exploration on the seabed around Cyprus is a contravention of 
the international law, had been conveyed to all international 
organizations, including the UN.  Bilman stressed it was imperative 
that a lasting solution be reached which would let the Turkish and 
Greek Cypriots jointly utilize resources of the island. 
 
Water Crisis in Ankara 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman, Yeni Safak 
and others. Ankara, the Turkish capital city of four million, is 
enduring severe water shortages because of a drought.  Papers say 
people are helpless over the water crisis -- operations are being 
delayed in hospitals and doctors are warning of epidemic outbreaks. 
Foreign embassies are struggling to cope with the water crisis, 
reports Cumhuriyet, and quote foreign diplomats' amazement that 
water is scarce in cities in a country surrounded by seas on three 
sides.  Radikal says Ankara Mayor Melih Gokcek has ignored countless 
proposals from authorities to secure the capital city's water 
supplies over the years.  Papers also report Turkey's religious 
affairs directorate Diyanet will arrange prayers for rain in Ankara 
mosques on Friday. 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV, 7.00 A.M. 
 
Domestic News 
 
- About 11,500 Turkish Airlines' (THY) staff voted Thursday in favor 
of striking for more pay.  Now the union can declare a strike, but 
must do so six days in advance of the strike beginning.  In 
addition, the government can postpone strikes at strategic 
companies, including THY, for 60 days.  The government had earlier 
warned of the negative consequences of a strike at the peak of the 
tourist season; and workers could face the danger of being laid off. 
 
ANKARA 00002051  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
 
- Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) Spokesman Levent Bilman said two 
draft resolutions introduced in the US Congress were "routine" Greek 
lobbying efforts, and that they are not expected to pass.  The 
resolutions call for Turkish troops' to withdraw from the divided 
island.  Bilman said Turkey keeps troops in Cyprus according to its 
legitimate rights stemming from international treaties. 
 
- Turkey's banking board, BDDK, has vetoed the bid of Greek 
Alphabank to acquire a 50 percent stake of Turkish Abank. 
Reportedly, it has been discovered that the PKK has accounts in 
Alphabank's southern Cyprus branches. 
 
- On August 15, collective bargaining talks on civil service pay 
hikes will be kicked off between the government and labor unions. 
 
International News 
 
- Iran yesterday announced full support of visiting Prime Minister 
Nuri al-Maliki and said US troops must leave Iraq immediately. 
 
- Georgia has called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security 
Council to condemn a missile attack by Russian jetfighters on 
Georgian territory. 
 
- Christian Democrats in the Netherlands are searching for ways to 
close down mosques in which they believe radical imams preach hate. 
 
 
- A group of Muslim protesters in India attacked Teslime Nesrin, the 
exiled Bangladeshi author and feminist, at a book launch in 
Haydarabad. 
 
 
MCELDOWNEY