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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002636 
 
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 
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2007 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Turkish, International Reactions to PKK Attacks 
All papers report that on Monday, several demonstrations were 
organized in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and several other provinces 
across Turkey to denounce PKK attacks.  Government Spokesman Cemil 
Cicek told reporters following Monday's cabinet meeting that the 
fight against terrorism was a national cause, warning against acts 
that would harm Turkey's unity.  Cicek said that the meetings of 
Erdogan in Britain, Interior Minister Besir Atalay in Kuwait and 
Foreign Minister Ali Babacan in Iraq's neighboring countries are 
aimed at explaining the parliamentary motion's intention.  In 
Britain, Erdogan is expected to meet the British and Israeli prime 
ministers.  Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said Monday during a visit 
to Kuwait that Turkey would try all diplomatic means before carrying 
out any military operation. 
 
Turkish televisions quoted President Talabani saying yesterday PKK 
militants near the Iraqi border will cease all their actions as of 
yesterday evening.  On Monday evening, the PKK announced its 
conditions for a cease-fire, saying the Turkish army should cease 
operations in southeast Turkey and that Turkish plans for incursions 
into northern Iraq should be dropped. 
 
Papers report State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack said, "We do 
not believe unilateral cross-border operations are the best way to 
address this issue," adding the US had opened a "full-court press" 
to keep the situation from deteriorating.  White House Spokesman 
Tony Fratto reported President Bush was closely following the 
developments.  "We do not want to see wider military action on the 
northern border," Fratto said.  Gordon Johndroe, Spokesman for the 
National Security Council, said "The US is committed to working with 
Turks and Iraqis to deal with the PKK terrorist problem." 
 
Mainstream Sabah criticizes the US for applying a "double standard," 
recalling that Secretary Rice of the July 2006 Israeli invasion of 
Lebanon that she "would not judge the measures taken by Israel," and 
that she would "respect the process in which Israel defends itself." 
 Rice today calls on Turkey for restraint, says Sabah. 
 
President Gul Meets Party Leaders 
All papers report President Abdullah Gul held talks with political 
party leaders to discuss the recent terror actions.  Opposition CHP 
leader Deniz Baykal said after meeting Gul that a "national 
platform" should be set up to combat terrorism, adding this platform 
should be comprised of the ruling and opposition parties as well as 
military and civilians.  "A covert war is being conducted against 
Turkey through the PKK.  The cost of failing to act will be heavier 
than taking action," Baykal emphasized.  Far-right MHP leader Devlet 
Bahceli said Massoud Barzani and his Peshmerge were responsible for 
terrorist attacks against Turkey, asking that "all Turkish 
connections to Barzani who are supporting the PKK should be 
revealed, including those in the parliament."  Bahceli said Turkey 
should not wait for Prime Minister Erdogan's return from meeting 
President Bush in the US to launch a cross-border operation.  The 
pro-Kurdish DTP chairman Ahmet Turk opposed a cross-border military 
operation into north of Iraq, saying Turkey should overcome this 
period "with common sense." 
 
Erdogan on Possible Turkish Iraq Incursion 
All papers report that in a phone talk with Secretary Rice before 
Sunday's terror summit at Presidential Palace, Prime Minister 
Erdogan urged the US to hand over PKK leaders or launch a joint 
operation with Turkey to combat the terror organization.  Rice 
warned that a Turkish cross-border operation would harm joint 
interests and would hurt efforts to block the approval of the 
controversial Armenian resolution, and asked Turkey to wait for a 
few days for a joint action against the PKK.  Erdogan, visiting 
Britain as the guest of Prime Minister Gordon Brown, addressed 
students in Oxford University yesterday, saying Turkey would take 
 
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care of itself if no development is seen in a couple days. 
 
Mainstream Sabah reports while Secretary Rice has asked Turkey to 
wait for a few days so that the US can convince the Kurdish 
administration of northern Iraq to move, yesterday Turkish Foreign 
Ministry (MFA) Undersecretary Ertugrul Apakan told Ambassador Ross 
Wilson that Turkey cannot wait for a long time without doing 
anything, stressing the US administration should "supply Turkey with 
urgent intelligence information in line with the requirements of 
strategic cooperation." 
 
Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak reports Erdogan said the Turkish 
government would consider the political, military and diplomatic 
aspects of an operation.  "We cannot act emotionally, influenced by 
street protests.  We will act consistently.  Turkey will pay any 
price needed to defeat terrorism and will make those responsible for 
terror pay a price," the PM emphasized. 
 
Editorial Commentary on Possible Turkish Operations into Iraq 
From a mainstream daily Milliyet op-ed:  "Turkey eventually might 
find itself using the military option even though it is not the 
desirable one.  The only way of preventing this is to ensure 
northern Iraq does not become a safe heaven for the PKK. Currently, 
all PKK command and communication activities function under the 
sponsorship of Barzani and Talabani.  Moreover, PKK terrorist 
activities are occurring in this area with the US military as an 
eyewitness.  It seems absurd that American intelligence is not 
capable of discovering the whereabouts of PKK leadership while 
American journalists are going to Kandil Mountain and interview 
terrorists.  It is also an obvious contradiction that American 
soldiers sit and watch PKK terrorists in the northern Iraqi 
mountains while at the same time the US, in cooperation with Turkey, 
follows and catches terrorists in the Afghan mountains.  This is 
nothing but a clear double standard of 'I can only exert effort to 
catch my terrorists' mentality.   Such an approach does not match US 
obligations within the NATO Convention.  The US stays inactive on 
the PKK issue in order not to lose northern Iraqi Kurds, i.e. its 
sole ally in Iraq.  However, current events are pushing the US 
toward a crossroads between Turkey and northern Iraqi Kurds.  From 
now on, it is up to the US to make a choice where to stand." 
 
Murat Yetkin wrote in the liberal-intellectual daily Radikal: 
"Secretary Rice asked PM Erdogan to wait for a couple of days.  It 
was learned that she was suggesting a change in the methods to fight 
against PKK.  The new method, if it is implemented, will be a joint 
operation.  Turkey, through its intelligence, will provide target 
information and the Iraqi army, under US direction, will hit the 
targeted spots.  Turkey decided to use this option to see if it 
works.  If it does not work, Turkey will believe all diplomatic 
means have been exerted and focus on a military option.  Ankara is 
worried about implementation of such a plan for two reasons:  First 
of all, this will not be a direct US army operation.  The US army 
will provide support for the Iraqi army.  The question is that 
whether Barzani will let the Iraqi army to conduct an operation 
against the PKK.  Washington's decision makers are also worried 
about this and they are intensively working to eliminate this 
potential problem.  The most recent Rice-Barzani talk was for this 
purpose.  The AKP government, despite growing pressure for action 
from the man on the street, will likely wait to take any concrete 
steps until after seeing the results of the November 5 Bush-Erdogan 
meeting in Washington." 
 
Turks Consider Economic Pressure on Northern Iraq 
Sabah, Vatan, Milliyet, Cumhuriyet and Zaman report the Turkish 
government is considering moves for stepping up economic pressure on 
the Kurdish administration of northern Iraq by cutting electricity 
supplies to the region, slowing down procedures at Habur border 
crossing, and seizing the assets of the Barzani family in Turkey. 
Nationalist Vatan says around 400 Turkish construction companies 
operating in northern Iraq were ready to return to Turkey if a call 
 
ANKARA 00002636  003 OF 003 
 
 
comes from the Turkish government. 
 
Turkish General Staff: "No Contact has been established with 8 
Soldiers" 
All papers:  The Turkish General Staff announced on Monday that 
despite all search activities, no contact has been established with 
8 military personnel who are still unaccounted for since Sunday's 
attack in Hakkari.  Pro- PKK web sites claimed the soldiers were 
taken hostage by PKK. 
 
Constitutional Court President Elected 
All papers report that Hasim Kilic was elected as the President of 
the Constitutional Court yesterday.  Kilic is a conservative person 
and known for his objections in court decisions regarding turban 
bans and the closure of the Welfare Party (RP) and the Virtue Party 
(FP). He was elected with the votes of 6 members out of 11.  In a 
press conference yesterday Kilic said "The Court will not compromise 
on secularism." 
 
TV News: 
NTV 
 
Domestic News 
 
- The funerals of 12 Turkish soldiers killed in a PKK raid over the 
weekend in the border province of Hakkari will be held today. 
 
- The EU ambassadors in Ankara are expected to urge the pro-Kurdish 
DTP to distance itself from the PKK in a working lunch with the 
party leader Ahmet Turk today. 
 
- Police have found 45 kg of plastic explosives near a primary 
school in Silvan township in the mainly Kurdish southeastern city of 
Diyarbakir. 
 
- Turkey's stocks and currency fell sharply on Monday after a deadly 
attack by the PKK over the weekend heightened the likelihood that 
Turkey will launch a cross-border incursion into northern Iraq. 
 
International News 
 
- Italian Foreign Minister Massimo d'Alema has urged Turkey to 
abstain from extensive operations on Iraqi soil. 
 
- The Kurdish regional administration spokesman Jamal Abdullah said 
his government in northern Iraq was against the PKK attacks. 
 
- Muhammad al-Baradei, director general of the IAEA, said Iran will 
not be a nuclear threat for at least three years since the country 
is three to eight years away from producing a nuclear bomb. 
 
- Five Orthodox Jews assaulted a woman and an Israeli soldier Sunday 
for sitting next to each other on a bus bound for Beit Shemesh, near 
Jerusalem. 
 
WILSON