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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002291 
 
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, SEPTEMBER 5, 2007 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Baydemir Investigated 
All papers report the Diyarbakir Prosecutor's Office has initiated 
an investigation into the remarks by Osman Baydemir, the Kurdish DTP 
mayor of Diyarbakir, for accusing Prime Minister Erdogan and 
Agriculture Minister Mehdi Eker of "declaring war on Diyarbakir," 
saying he won't run away from a fight.  Baydemir said there is 
"negative discrimination" against the city, adding "Diyarbakir is a 
fortress and cannot be conquered."  Eker had said earlier the 
municipal services are not good in Diyarbakir, adding municipality 
functions should be entrusted to capable people. 
 
Addressing the ruling AKP lawmakers in the parliament yesterday, 
Erdogan categorically rejected the claims, stressing that his 
government invested Turkish Lira 5.5 billion in the southeast. 
Erdogan also warned against escalation of ethnic chauvinism and 
manipulation of Turkish people's nationalistic feelings. 
 
The nationalist MHP directed criticism against the government, 
saying its soft stance on separatist terrorism had encouraged the 
mayor to make such a statement. Diyarbakir MP Akin Birdal, a member 
of the mainly Kurdish DTP, said Baydemir, as the mayor of 
Diyarbakir, is showing his reaction to the fact that the city cannot 
get aid. 
 
Liberal Radikal reports Baydemir accuses the AKP government of 
blocking development projects in southeast Turkey.  During a visit 
to Diyarbakir in 2005, Erdogan was given a report on deadlocked 
projects according to which municipalities in the region had secured 
various international loans and donations for urbanization work. 
Germany, for example, has agreed with Diyarbakir Municipality to 
extend Euro 500,000 for a waste disposal management project, but the 
State Planning Organization rejected the deal saying similar 
projects could be carried out only with funds extended by the 
state-owned IlBank.  A Spain-sponsored project for the 
rehabilitation of the Tigris Valley was also rejected by the State 
Planning Organization because the project was not included in the 
investment program for 2005.  A Deutsche Bank-backed tram project 
for Diyarbakir was also blocked by IlBank. 
 
State Receivership to Sell Sabah, ATV 
All papers report Ahmet Erturk, head of the Savings and Deposit 
Insurance Fund (TMSF) said Tuesday an auction will be held November 
7 in Istanbul for the sale of the Ciner Group-owned mass-circulation 
newspaper Sabah and top-rated entertainment broadcaster ATV.  Erturk 
expects the sale to bring in between USD 1-1.5 billion. 
 
A total of 73 assets were seized by TMSF from Ciner Group after 
secret deals between the companies' previous owner Dinc Bilgin and 
 
SIPDIS 
Ciner came to light.  The sale is expected to shake up Turkey's 
media sector dominated by the Dogan Group, which has 40 percent of 
the advertising market in the country.  Analysts said the auction 
would bring strong interest from abroad as the advertising market in 
Turkey is growing fast.  In Turkey, a law restricts foreign 
ownership of broadcasters to 25 percent, with no limit for print 
media. 
 
Maliki Complains to Bush about Turkey 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman, Yeni Safak and 
others report that during his visit to Iraq, President Bush met with 
the Iraqi leaders President Talabani, Prime Minister al-Maliki and 
the Sunni representative al-Hashimi in al-Anbar province.  Maliki 
complained to President Bush about Iranian and Turkish shelling of 
northern Iraq, and also pointed to the Turkish military buildup 
along the border, according to papers. 
 
Ankara Forum to Open Office in Jerusalem 
Islamist-oriented Zaman reports the sixth meeting of the Ankara 
Forum, which brings together Turkish, Israeli and Palestinian 
 
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businessmen, was held in East Jerusalem on Tuesday.  Rifat 
Hisarciklioglu, chairman of Turkish Union of Chambers (TOBB) said 
joint industrial zones creating new business opportunities in the 
West Bank would be established.  The Forum businessmen agreed to 
open a permanent office in East Jerusalem.  The Turkish delegation 
paid a visit to President Shimon Peres and will meet Wednesday with 
President Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. 
 
 
American University in Northern Iraq 
Mainstream Sabah reports an American University has been created in 
the Kurdish city of Suleymaniye in northern Iraq which will begin 
classes in its temporary facilities in October.  The university will 
be fully operational in 2009.  President Talabani, in Suleymaniye 
with Ambassador Ryan Crocker, donated USD 10 million whereas US 
Congress will extend USD 40 million for the project. 
 
Editorial Commentary on Iraq 
Yilmaz Oztuna writes in the conservative-nationalist Turkiye:  Who 
would have thought that the situation in Iraq would be this bad? 
What happened to the super power US's Greater Middle East Project? 
This project will never be realized.  The US has created an Iraq 
worse than it was in Saddam's time.  Hundreds and thousands of 
people have died.  The possibility that Iraq will be divided into 
two or three is increasing .  Trillions of dollars have been wasted. 
 The Muslim world's most sacred works of art have been looted and 
destroyed.  This is the general picture of Iraq, but, we should 
evaluate the situation from the Pentagon and White House angle:  The 
US's first target was the oil reserves in the Middle East.  They 
managed to get a hold of the reserves in Iraq.  The second aim was 
to eliminate the three enemies of Israel: Iraq, Iran and Syria. 
Iraq is eliminated.  The third aim was to eliminate terrorism, but, 
just to the contrary, all the efforts increased international 
terrorism greatly.  US determination to bring democracy to the 
Middle East failed completely because it is not possible to have 
democratic regimes in the Middle East except for in Turkey and 
Israel.  It is just natural that President Bush will be criticized. 
Let us criticize but also not forget that we had many corrupt state 
officials in our history too.  Turks controlled not only Iraq but 
the whole region for a thousand years but, thanks to corrupt people, 
now we don't even have the right to talk about Iraq." 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV (7 A.M.) 
 
Domestic News 
 
- British Foreign Secretary David Miliband arrived in Turkey Tuesday 
to meet with President Gul, Prime Minister Erdogan, and Foreign 
Minister Babacan.  Following his talks in Ankara, Miliband will move 
on to Istanbul for a conference at Bahcesehir University. 
 
- Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders Talat and Papadopoulos will meet 
Wednesday at the residence of Michael Moeller, UN Special 
Representative for Cyprus. 
 
- Former Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc has been nominated for the 
post of Speaker of Black Sea Economic Cooperation Assembly. 
 
- The Kurdish DTP has formed a special commission to examine 
constitutional reforms. 
 
International News 
 
- Iraq's top court confirmed the death sentence for "Chemical Ali" 
and two other aides of Saddam Hussein convicted of genocide of the 
Kurds in 1988.  They will be executed by hanging within 30 days. 
 
- Sova, a respected Russian human rights group, says 38 people have 
been murdered and over 300 injured in racist attacks in Russia. 
 
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- The British government has privately issued a complaint with 
regard to the Chinese-made weapons allegedly being used by Taliban 
militants against the British troops in Afghanistan. 
 
- German prosecutors say about 150 tons of rotten meat was sent from 
Bavaria and used in Berlin to make Turkish-style kebabs. 
WILSON