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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002388 
 
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, SEPTEMBER 21, 2007 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Erdogan Turns Down US Suggestion to Cut Energy Ties with Iran 
All papers report Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns called on 
Turkey and other countries during a visit to Ankara on Wednesday to 
"sacrifice" their business ties with Iran to help prevent Tehran 
from advancing its nuclear program.  Burns also said the US was 
working for a peaceful solution with Iran.  Leftist-nationalist 
Cumhuriyet says the US promised to extend support to Turkey in 
energy matters in Iraq and Central Asia if Turkey agrees to scrap 
its natural gas deal with Iran.  Ankara has met the offer with 
reservations and asked the US to put the offer in writing. 
 
Turkey cannot end its natural gas cooperation with Iran, Prime 
Minister Erdogan said on Thursday.  "Turkey is generating 52 percent 
of its electricity from natural gas and it is out of the question 
for us to cut our ties with these countries," Erdogan told a news 
conference.  "No country can make such a demand of us.  And the US 
did not make such a demand." 
 
When reminded that Burns "warned" Turkey against a cross border 
incursion into northern Iraq and urged Turkey to tackle the terror 
issue through "political dialogue with Iraqi leaders," Erdogan said 
"There's no such thing as 'Iraqi leaders.' Iraq has a central 
government with a president and prime minister.  We do not accept 
any other leader or authority.  We held talks with both President 
Talabani and Prime Minister al-Maliki, who told us they share the 
same views with us regarding terrorism."  Erdogan noted the Iraqi 
interior minister would be visiting Turkey next week regarding the 
trilateral mechanism against terror. 
 
Papers also report that following the statements of Erdogan, State 
Department Spokesman Tom Casey said, "One of the things we're 
looking to is our partners around the world, including Turkey, to 
help convince Iran to comply with the UN Security Council 
requirements, including that they suspend their nuclear activities. 
We certainly think it would be helpful to have the support of all 
countries in that effort and Turkey's no exception to that," Casey 
was quoted as saying. 
 
Erdogan Briefs Press on His Upcoming Contacts in US 
All papers report on Thursday, Prime Minister Erdogan told a news 
conference at Ankara's Esenboga Airport before flying to the US for 
the annual gathering of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) that he would 
address UNGA September 28 and hold a series of bilateral talks with 
his counterparts from 25 countries.  "I will participate in a 
meeting at the Council on Foreign Relations and a panel discussion 
to be held under the Clinton Global Initiative on 'Building a 
Multi-ethnic Global Society.'  I will meet executives of the leading 
US companies over a dinner to be hosted by Coca-Cola.  Our talks 
with business circles will continue at the New York Stock Exchange. 
I will also meet representatives of Turkish associations and Turkish 
citizens in New York," Erdogan said.  In his contacts in the US, 
Erdogan will be accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Nazim Ekren, 
Foreign Minister Ali Babacan and State Minister Mehmet Simsek as 
well as AKP deputy chairwoman Edibe Sozen.  Erdogan is expected to 
return to Turkey on September 29. 
 
Mainstream Vatan says Erdogan will lobby other leaders on behalf of 
Turkey's bid to become a temporary member of the UN Security Council 
when he attends the UNGA.  He is due to meet 10 presidents, 30 prime 
ministers and 50 foreign ministers in New York.  A commentary in 
Radikal says Erdogan's office and Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) 
have pressed hard to see a meeting between Bush and Erdogan in 
Washington, but it did not happen due to the tight schedule of the 
President. 
 
Editorial Commentary on Erdogan's Visit to the US 
Murat Yetkin observes from Washington in the liberal-intellectual 
daily Radikal: "PM Minister started his US trip in Washington 
 
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although he has no scheduled official meetings.  It seems the 
Washington trip will be reduced to showing tenderness and affection 
to his new grandson.  In fact PM Erdogan really wanted to have a 
meeting with President Bush.  The Turkish side, both in the Prime 
Ministry and the Foreign Ministry, expressed willingness to arrange 
a meeting at the White House.  They even offered an alternate: if a 
meeting in Washington is not possible, there should at least be a 
short meeting at the UN.  Yet no meeting has been set.  Nowadays, 
Turkish officials are trying to console themselves by saying there 
will eventually be an official trip to Washington sometime in the 
next months.  American sources say this [not scheduling an 
appointment with Erdogan] is due to the heavy agenda of President 
Bush.   In this respect one wonders how he could have made some 
exceptions for Talabani last year.  The fact of the matter is that 
President Bush probably does not have anything new to say vis-`-vis 
Turkey's expectations on the PKK.  Regarding the other expectation, 
the Armenian Resolution issue, President Bush probably thinks that 
it can be prevented even at the last minute through a White House 
letter.  In any case, the US capital is examining the new political 
process in Ankara in the post-Sezer period.  As everyone knows, 
former president Sezer was not an outgoing leader, thus the 
bilateral relations between US and Turkey were handled through PM 
Erdogan.  The picture has changed with Gul's presidency as he comes 
with a deep knowledge of foreign and domestic policy issues.   The 
US administration, especially at the decision-making level, wonders 
who Bush's counterpart will " -- PM Erdogan or President Gul?  This 
is not about whether Bush will see Erdogan or not.  They will have a 
bilateral meeting and most likely PM Erdogan will be the first 
official guest to the White House after the elections.  The issue is 
somehow broader.  Americans wonder who the boss of Turkish foreign 
policy is.  My answer to this question is PM Erdogan.  But Americans 
are still searching for the answer.  And they really want to be sure 
of the right answer especially in light of the upcoming Iran issue." 
 
 
Trial of DTP Deputy Aysel Tugluk to Continue 
Sabah, Radikal, Milliyet and others:  Istanbul 13th heavy penal 
court decided to continue the case against DTP Diyarbakir deputy 
Aysel Tugluk, although as a member of parliament she has immunity. 
Tugluk is charged with spreading PKK propaganda, in line with 
article 14 of the constitution. 
 
Intensified Military Operation in the Southeast against the PKK 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Cumhuriyet, Sabah, Vatan and others:  Papers 
report that the Turkish military intensified the security operations 
in the rural areas of Sirnak, Hakkari and Siirt.  Mainstream 
Milliyet reports that 40 terrorists were surrounded in Kato 
Mountains and, according to reports heard on the terrorists' 
wireless communication devices, it is believed that 10 terrorists 
were killed during the clashes. 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV, 7.00 A.M. 
 
Domestic News 
 
- President Abdullah Gul yesterday called on the Chief of the 
Turkish General Staff General Yasar Buyukanit to return a courtesy 
call the General had made earlier this month. 
 
- On Wednesday, the Turkish government accepted bids from 14 
companies for the construction of a 76-km stretch of the 
Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railway which will connect Turkey to Georgia and 
Azerbaijan.  The railway is due for completion in 2009. 
 
- Turkey's Energy Ministry is to present to the cabinet a 15 percent 
power price hike for residences and a 7.5 percent for industry next 
week.  Analysts say a price hike would have a gradual negative 
impact on inflation. 
 
 
ANKARA 00002388  003 OF 003 
 
 
International News 
 
- Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis said Turkey and Greece 
should use the new atmosphere after the elections in the two 
countries to handle bilateral problems. 
 
- A UNDP survey shows 86 percent of the Greek Cypriots and 72 
percent of the Turkish Cypriots have no contacts with people from 
the other side of the divided island. 
 
- Kemal Kerkuki, deputy speaker of the regional Kurdish parliament 
in northern Iraq, said that according to the constitution only 
residents registered in Kirkuk before 1957 would be allowed to 
participate in the referendum on the future of Kirkuk. 
 
- Israeli dozers killed a 17-year old Palestinian boy in Gaza, one 
day after Israel declared the Hamas-controlled territory an "enemy 
entity." 
 
WILSON