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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002416 
 
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 
WEDNSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2007 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
NGOs, Universities Warn AKP on Draft New Constitution 
All papers report on the process of drafting a new constitution and 
the contents of the draft written by the ruling AKP.  Far right MHP 
said in a letter to Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan that work for 
drafting a new constitution should be carried out in the parliament, 
and called for setting up a special commission.  Eight leading NGOs 
with 13 million members warned the government that the new 
constitution currently being drafted should not divide the Turkish 
people into rival camps and should not erase the importance of the 
country's founder, Ataturk.  "Ataturk's principles and the 
fundamental characteristics of the republic cannot be amended," said 
in a statement Turkish Union of Chambers (TOBB) President Rifat 
Hisarciklioglu on behalf of the NGOs. 
 
Meanwhile, Ankara's Hacettepe University rector Tuncalp Ozgen told 
an academic year opening ceremony held Tuesday that views of 
universities should be taken into account with regard to the draft 
new constitution.  President Abdullah Gul, present at the ceremony, 
said universities cannot remain silent on what is happening in 
society.  Mainstream papers comment that President Gul struck a 
contrasting tone from Prime Minister Erdogan who had said university 
chancellors should mind their own business when it comes to the 
issue of the constitution and whether the headscarf ban in 
universities should be lifted. 
 
Turkish Leaders Continue Talks in US 
All papers report Prime Minister Erdogan held Tuesday "fruitful and 
comprehensive" talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy on the 
sidelines of the UNGA meetings in New York.  Sarkozy reportedly told 
Erdogan that he plans to send his Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner 
to Turkey in October.  Erdogan's meeting with his Italian 
counterpart Romano Prodi focused on cooperation and joint projects 
in energy and defense. 
Erdogan also met German Chancellor Angela Merkel and discussed 
Turkey's EU negotiation process and integration of Turkish citizens 
living in Germany.  Merkel reportedly invited Erdogan to Germany. 
Erdogan also held talks with Henry Kissinger and Richard Holbrooke, 
papers report. 
 
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Ali Babacan met with yesterday Iraqi 
Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari on the margins of the summit. 
Zebari reportedly told Babacan that the Iraqi administration deems 
highly important the upcoming expanded Iraq's neighbors' meeting in 
Istanbul in October.  Babacan had a meeting with EU's foreign policy 
chief Javier Solana, and also came together with foreign ministers 
of Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Iraq, Niger, Jordan and Slovakia. 
Together with Erdogan, Babacan also attended a round-table meeting 
on democracy held under the auspices of President Bush. 
 
Editorial Commentary on UNGA 
Sami Kohen writes in the mainstream daily Milliyet: "It was nice to 
see that the global warming problem has finally become an 
internationally recognized issue.  The world leaders, although 
belatedly, talked at the UN about problems related to climate change 
and global warming.  Turkey is one of the countries suffering from 
the impact of global warming.  As UNSG Ban Ki-Moon noted, this is 
the time for action and cooperation.  It remains to be seen whether 
countries with excessive carbon dioxide gas emissions, like the US, 
China and India will be able to fulfill their obligations.  The 
Kyoto Protocol which will terminate by 2012 needs to be replaced 
with a new international environmental agreement -- the purpose of 
the upcoming meeting in Bali in December.  Turkey also demonstrated 
willingness to develop a new strategy on global warming as stated by 
PM Erdogan during the UN Climate Change meeting.  Turkey is ready to 
sign the Kyoto Protocol as long as it is listed in the developing 
countries category within OECD.  According to a leading Turkish 
environmentalist NGO, this is a fair condition considering Turkey's 
economy but it is very important that for the first time Turkey 
 
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declared its intention to be a part of Kyoto." 
 
Iraq's Bolani in Turkey to Discuss Anti-Terror Agreement 
All papers report that visiting Iraqi Interior Minister Jawad 
al-Bolani is expected to sign an anti-terror agreement with Turkey 
today.  Papers say Turkey is mainly demanding the "right of hot 
pursuit" into Iraq, but are not optimistic that the agreement would 
create a solid legal basis for cross-border military operations. 
Mainstream Hurriyet says Iraq was cold to the idea.  Hurriyet also 
reports that "Blackwater and US-originated weapons falling into the 
hands of the PKK" were also discussed.  Mainstream Sabah expects the 
sides to agree on opening "coordination offices" in Baghdad and 
Ankara, increasing the number of Iraqi security forces deployed 
between Mount Kandil and Bamerin region, and restricting the 
operations of the PKK. 
 
PKK Kills 2 Soldiers in Tunceli and Sirnak 
All papers report that on Tuesday, a Turkish gendarme private was 
killed and four others were injured when a car bomb exploded at an 
outpost in the eastern province of Tunceli. A bread delivery truck 
was driven up to the gendarme post in a village in Tunceli and 
detonated by remote control, military sources said.  In separate 
fighting between security forces and the PKK terrorists, a 
non-commissioned officer and four militants were killed in the 
southeastern province of Sirnak. 
 
Editorial Commentary on Syria, Iran 
Cengiz Candar observes in the business daily Referans: "Northern 
Iraq or Iraqi Kurdistan is not Turkey's only southern neighbor. 
Turkey has to consider Syria as well as Israel regarding its 
political strategy assessments.  This is simply because these two 
are, from international security perspectives, more important than 
Northern Iraq.  There is not much official information from the 
Syrian government but there is also credible information about the 
undeclared nuclear activities of Syria.  Turkey, as a member of 
NATO, will have to live with Iran and Syria as next door neighbors 
engaged in nuclear activity.  Can we pretend that all is well right 
next door?  How will Turkey be able to cope with the fact that these 
two countries are on the verge of becoming a target of the western 
system?  Turkey faces an enormous challenge in making its foreign 
policy priorities very clear.  Even though we continue to bring up 
Northern Iraq and the PKK issue at every possible venue vis-`-vis 
the US, the genuine international issue is becoming Iran and Syria 
and we should realize that sooner or later.  All of this calls for 
rational foreign policy making which does not seem likely in Turkey 
at least for the time being because of ongoing internal debates." 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV 
 
Domestic News 
 
- Government officials and labor unions have failed to agree on wage 
hikes in 2008.  The final decision will be made by the Council of 
Ministers. 
 
- Turkey plans a roadshow in London on Wednesday for the 
long-delayed privatization of Tekel Cigarette.  The Privatization 
Administration (OIB) plans to launch a tender for the former 
monopoly in October.  British American Tobacco, South Korea's KT&G 
and Imperial Tobacco are interested in the sale. 
 
- Ten people are injured as more than 10,000 people rushed at the 
opening of the first branch of a German chain store of electronic 
goods in Istanbul. 
 
International News 
 
- The European Union has wiped Turkey off the map on its new Euro 
coin.  "The EU Council is not embarrassed that the new European map 
 
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should include some dictatorships such as Belarus or authoritarian 
ones like Russia, but it refuses to feature a democratic country 
like Turkey with which accession negotiations are underway," 
European Parliament MPs Marco Cappato and Marco Pannella said in a 
statement. 
 
- Iran has confirmed that it shelled suspected PJAK positions inside 
Iraq. 
 
- A suicide bomber blew himself up in a Ramadan dinner inside a 
Shiite mosque in central Baquba killing 26 people. 
 
- President Bush announced new US sanctions against Myanmar's 
military rulers on Tuesday amid Myanmar's biggest anti-government 
protests in 20 years. 
 
WILSON