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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 002709 
 
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, NOVEMBER 2, 2007 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Secretary Rice in Turkey 
 
SIPDIS 
All papers and TV news reports focus on Secretary Rice's visit to 
Ankara today, the Iraq Neighbors Meeting beginning this evening in 
Istanbul and Prime Minister Erdogan's upcoming meeting with 
President Bush in Washington on Monday.   Papers report Ankara's 
strong hope for action against the PKK from the US while some papers 
consider the upcoming Bush-Erdogan meeting as the final chance for 
US to show its tangible action plan.   Otherwise, Ankara will get 
tough toward the US as many headlines read 'Ankara does not want to 
take any advice any more.'  According to reports, Rice will try to 
soften the Turkish attitudes with regard to a possible cross border 
military incursion against the PKK terrorists in northern Iraq, 
adding that proposals to be made by the Secretary could not be 
sufficient to defuse strains.  Papers see a Turkish incursion 
inevitable, and expect Erdogan to search ways with Rice for Turkey's 
cooperation with the US to that end. 
 
Mainstream Milliyet , under the headlines "Difficult Test for Rice", 
reports that the Secretary is expected to deliver the message that 
the solution is not military but diplomatic, taking the fact that no 
military members will be accompanying her to Ankara as a sign that 
the US is still not favorable to the idea of a cross-border 
operation. 
 
Liberal Radikal reports PM Erdogan will tell the Secretary that 
Turkey does not want advice but wants action. 
 
PM Erdogan-President Bush Meeting on November 5 
 
Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet says that Turkey does not want more 
advice from the US, noting that President Bush's and PM Erdogan's 
agendas are very different. The paper adds PM Erdogan wants urgent 
precautions against the PKK, but President Bush advises to follow 
diplomatic ways. Also says that as a sign of determination, by 
accompanying PM Erdogan in his trip to the US., army commanders will 
give a message to Washington. 
 
Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak in a banner headline calls the 
Bush-Erdogan meeting "the most critical summit in 81 years," since 
Turkey and the UK signed the Ankara agreement on Iraq in 1926, 
adding that "all cards will be on the table" during the meeting. 
 
Islamist-oriented Zaman reports based on comments by Foreign 
Minister Ali Babacan at a press conference, Turkey will give "three 
important messages at the Iraqi neighbors conference: some economic 
sanctions have been put into effect against northern Iraq; the US 
administration is the interlocutor when it comes to Iraq; and it is 
a mistake to rely on mechanisms that don't work." 
 
A common theme among commentators is that the US must make a choice 
between Iraqi Kurds, in the person on Iraqi leader Mesut Barzani and 
Turkey. Yasin Dogan writes in Yeni Safak: "The Iraq central 
government is dependent on the Iraqi Kurds in order to remain 
standing.  Unless there is serious pressure from the US the Kurdish 
administration won't take steps to meet Turkey's expectations. The 
leading actor is the US so the ball is in the US court.  Will the US 
able to eliminate PKK? It should and it can.  Unless the US has some 
other calculations, then it should be able to put the reins on and 
eliminate the PKK.  The stance of the US toward the PKK is so 
important that it will determine not only the fate of the 
Turkish-American relations, but also the fate of the region as 
well." 
 
Writing in Hurriyet Ertugrul Ozkok says "Nobody believes the claim 
that the US cannot make Barzani listen to it.  Everybody knows that 
without strong US backing, Barzani wouldn't be able to stay on his 
feet for three days in this region.  So rather than making 
recommendations to Turkey, Barzani should listen to recommendations 
 
ANKARA 00002709  002 OF 002 
 
 
from Washington." 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV 
 
Domestic News 
 
- Iranian Foreign Minister Mottaki mediated for solving problems 
between Turkey and Iraq. Before the meeting of Iraq's neighbors in 
Istanbul, Mottaki came to Ankara to meet Turkish counterpart Ali 
Babacan. 
 
- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini said PKK 
and PJAK were threat for Turkey and Iran, and adds that there were 
other powers behind the terrorists. 
 
- Thousands of people joined a rally in Hakkari to denounce the 
killing of 12 soldiers in Daglica and a raid targeting a wedding 
convoy in the region. 
 
International News 
 
- US President Bush said his meeting with Turkish Prime Minister 
Erdogan on November 5 will focus on the fight against terror. 
 
-  Secretary Rice is arriving Ankara before the Istanbul summit. 
Ankara will bring its strong expectation to see action against PKK. 
 
- A senior Iranian official said on Thursday that delegates from 
both Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) were 
satisfied with the results of their new round of talks on Tehran's 
nuclear program. 
 
- Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani said Turkey banned flights to 
Northern Iraq. 
 
- The former commander of US forces in the Middle East, retired 
general John Abizaid, said oil could have American troops tied down 
there for the next 50 years. 
 
WILSON