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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 002401 
 
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, SEPTEMBER 24, 2007 
 
 
ANKARA 00002401  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Controversy Regarding the New Constitution 
Sabah, Turkiye, Cumhuriyet, Radikal, Hurriyet and others:  Today's 
papers highlighted the comments of Guler Sabanci, chairperson of the 
Sabanci Group Board of Executives, at an interview with Bloomberg 
TV, broadcasting from London. Giving information about Turkey and 
the Turkish business environment Sabanci said "Women in business 
life are the product of the 83-year-old Republic.  I have confidence 
in our republic.  Secularism and democracy are coded in our DNA. 
Mainstream Sabah reported that AKP Vice Chairman Dengir Mir Firat 
said that "if AKP wanted the headscarf to be worn freely, then they 
would have done it with a simple amendment rather than writing a 
whole constitution.  The rectors are acting with disrespect.  We 
want a constitution which does not limit freedoms." 
 
Meanwhile, leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet says that the ruling AKP 
plans to use the constitutional amendments to change the structure 
of Turkey.  The provision listing the tasks of the state does not 
contain references to the independence of Turkish nation, the 
integrity of the Turkish state, and to the democratic republic 
structure of the country. 
 
Blackwater Accused of Selling Arms to PKK 
Sabah, Cumhuriyet, Hurriyet, Vatan, Yeni Safak and others:  Today's 
and weekend papers draw attention to allegations that US security 
company Blackwater was supplying the PKK with arms.  US Federal 
prosecutors are investigating claims that employees of Blackwater 
illegally brought in weapons into Iraq and sold them in the black 
market to terrorists. 
 
Calling Blackwater 'a secret army with deep roots,' columnist Ferai 
Tinc writes in the mainstream Hurriyet: "We cannot be very hopeful 
about results of the ongoing investigation by the Maliki 
administration into Blackwater's misconduct. This is simply because 
Paul Bremer gave Blackwater and other American security firms in 
Iraq immunity in 2004, and he made this a provision of Iraqi law. 
One of the points in the investigation into Blackwater is related to 
the missing American weapons falling into the hands of the PKK. 
Even though a denial came from the firm, the prosecutor has said 
there is enough evidence to open a case.  This is an example of how 
the Iraq war differs from conventional wars.  There are mercenaries 
in Iraq and nobody can question their whereabouts or the nature of 
their operations.  They are accountable to the firm not to the 
state.  Therefore their primary concern is to get the job done 
regardless of who dies and who gets wounded.  In this atmosphere, 
there is no way to talk about war crimes or human rights violations. 
 There can be any kind of irregularity or misconduct as long as 
money is paid.  Blackwater is VP Cheney's project. He and Rumsfeld 
made their approach very clear even in 2001 by saying that the 
Pentagon should be managed like a private company.  Blackwater in 
particular has deep roots within the Bush administration. 
Blackwater's former lawyer is now a private lawyer for President 
Bush and leads an Evangelist organization in addition to his 
fund-raising efforts for the Bush campaign.  Cofer Black, the chief 
of the counter-terror department at the CIA during 9/11 is the name 
behind the Blackwater operations. John Warner, former Chairman of 
Armed Services Committee used to call Blackwater 'the silent partner 
in America's war against global terrorism.'  Creepy but true, the 
idea is that you need terror to continue to wage war so that the 
economy keeps functioning." 
 
Iraqi Interior Minister Bolani Comes to Turkey 
Sabah reports that Iraqi Interior Minister Jawad Al-Bolani will 
arrive in Ankara tomorrow to complete unfinished tasks.  If the 
memorandum of understanding signed during Iraqi PM Maliki's visit 
could be converted into an agreement, then Iraq will extradite 150 
PKK members, including Riza Altun, to Turkey. 
 
One Million American Tourists to Visit Turkey 
 
ANKARA 00002401  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
Milliyet reports that the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism 
intensified its promotion work in the US.  As a result of this 
campaign, it is expected that one million American tourists will be 
coming to Turkey in 2008. 
 
Editorial Comment: US View on Turkey-EU Relations: 
Semih Idiz observes from Washington in the mainstream daily 
Milliyet: "US official policy continues to support Turkey's EU 
membership and sees it as an important element to counter the thesis 
that there is a conflict of civilizations.  However, there are 
significant numbers of American experts who are pessimistic about 
Turkey's EU prospects.  Some even believe that potential 
developments in the near future might block the entire process. 
Steven Cook from the Council on Foreign Relations belongs to this 
group.  He claims that a cross-border operation into Northern Iraq 
would bring Turkey-EU relations to an end.  Washington-based CSIS 
sees serious challenges before the Erdogan government especially due 
to internal debates in Turkey, the popular opposition against 
membership in the EU and the no-settlement status for Cyprus.  I 
don't necessarily agree with this pessimism.  The EU perspective in 
Turkey acts like an engine for political, economic and social 
standards.  Once Turkey fully meets those standards, if the EU 
continues to leave the door closed to Turkey, then the 
responsibility will be entirely the EU's." 
 
TV News: 
NTV 
 
Domestic News 
 
Protests were staged in Istanbul yesterday to denounce the 
suspicious killing of Nigerian refugee Festus Okey at the Beyoglu 
police station 
 
Security forces detained 46 people in Sirnak on suspicion of 
assisting and sheltering PKK terrorists 
 
PM Erdogan's wife Emine Erdogan will attend a lunch hosted  by first 
lady Laura Bush 
 
 
International News 
 
Spanish police have found 15 immigrants inside a Turkish cargo ship 
in the northeastern port of Barcelona 
 
EU Commission accepted on Friday the Green Line Regulation annual 
report 
 
Iranian President Ahmedinejad demands a visit to 'Ground Zero' in 
New York. 
 
WILSON