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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002741 
 
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 
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2007 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Erdogan on His Meeting with Bush, Turkish Iraq Incursion 
 
All papers report that Prime Minister Erdogan, visiting Rome as the 
guest of Prime Minister Romano Prodi, told a joint news conference 
with his Italian counterpart that Turkey might launch a military 
operation against the PKK "at any time," reiterating Turkey's 
determination to "eliminate" the terrorists operating in northern 
Iraq.  Erdogan suggested timely intelligence from the United States 
could be key to future military operations in Iraq.  "Turkey's 
patience has run out.  We will work to destroy the PKK camps.  The 
Turkish nation and Turks in Europe expect action on this issue.  We 
will take the necessary steps, but we will not target civilians," 
Erdogan emphasized.  Speaking about his Monday meeting with 
President Bush, Erdogan said he was pleased that both Ankara and 
Washington see the PKK militants as "a common enemy."  "Now, what is 
an enemy?  An enemy is an element to be eliminated," Erdogan said. 
Erdogan added he could not give details regarding military action 
against the PKK, because "that would only give information to the 
enemy."  Turkish papers report expectations in Iraq of a major 
Turkish offensive have diminished following Monday's meeting between 
Bush and Erdogan, quoting the Kurdish regional administration Prime 
Minister Nechirvan Barzani calling on the PKK to lay down arms or 
"bear the responsibility of future developments."  Addressing a news 
conference yesterday, Barzani welcomed what he said were "positive" 
messages Erdogan issued after the meeting with President Bush in 
Washington earlier this week. 
 
Meanwhile, mainstream Milliyet reports that on Wednesday, Erdogan 
met with the heads of Italy's defense and electronics giant 
"Finmecanica," helicopter firm "Agusta Westland," and automotive 
company "Fiat."  Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul said Italians 
displayed interest in Turkish tenders for 60 cargo helicopters and 
the "Gokturk-1" satellite.  The Turkish Defense Industry Executive 
Committee is to decide on the helicopter bids November 23, reports 
Milliyet. 
 
Editorial Commentary on US-Turkey Cooperation against Terror 
 
Huseyin Gulerce writes in the Islamist leaning daily Zaman:  "The 
Bush-Erdogan summit provided a very good opportunity to keep Turkey 
away from falling into preset traps and wandering into adventures. 
Oddly enough, right before the summit, the overall atmosphere was: 
Turkey was talking about the urgent need for a cross border 
operation while PKK was working very hard to make it a reality. 
Following the positive outcome of the Bush-Erdogan summit, Turkey 
will carry out cross border operation in a limited scope with timely 
intelligence provided by the US, and this action will not be a 
comprehensive military operation.  On the other hand, Turkey has to 
deal with both PKK terror and the Kurdish problem on its own, not 
with the help of the US or the others.  This is our problem and we 
should be able to handle terrorism and its political side.  With its 
recent election victory, AKP has an enormous chance to move forward 
in this regard.  The government should speed up the democratization 
and the EU process without any delay." 
 
Ali Bayramoglu comments in the Islamist leaning daily Yeni Safak: 
"At the current stage, the possibility of cooperation between Turkey 
and the US against PKK camps and activities in Northern Iraq is 
stronger than ever before.  We have to watch and see if this 
cooperation produces any tangible results.  However, circumstances 
also demonstrate the need for thinking about the second aspect of 
the problem, that is, how to end the Kurdish problem in a political 
context in Turkey.  First of all, Turkey has to normalize relations 
with Iraqi Kurds and Barzani.  Second, Turkey has to take steps 
toward paving the way for the PKK to lay down arms.  This does not 
mean avoiding military steps, but other steps should go along with 
it, including an amnesty.  When the political authority shows that 
kind of political will, undoubtedly it will be the end of the 
 
ANKARA 00002741  002 OF 003 
 
 
terrorism problem.   Spain, Britain and France are good examples on 
how to end terrorism and transfer the issue to political arena." 
 
Gul on PKK Terror, BTC, Armenia in Azerbaijan Visit 
 
All papers report President Abdullah Gul, visiting Azerbaijan on an 
official trip, told a press conference in Baku on Wednesday that 
Turkey is planning to continue combating the PKK but does not plan 
to occupy Iraq.  Responding to a question whether Turkey will drop 
plans to cross into northern Iraq after the US promised to provide 
intelligence in the fight against the PKK, Gul said: "Turkey has its 
own capacity in the region, which it is going to use if necessary." 
On another question, 
Gul said Turkey's ongoing fight against terrorism will not affect 
the security of Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline.  Gul noted 
Kazakhstan's involvement in BTC would increase the project's value. 
Gul said the ground for the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway would be laid 
soon, which, together with the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline, 
will boost development in the region.  Gul also said article 301 of 
the penal code damages the image of Turkey and stressed that it 
should be amended. 
 
Earlier in the day, President Gul addressed the Azerbaijani 
Parliament. Gul said as long as Armenia continues its efforts to 
promote the recognition of the 1915 events in the parliaments of 
other countries, normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations should 
not be expected.  Gul said Turkey will not open its border with 
Armenia until occupied Azerbaijani lands are liberated. 
 
Barzani to PKK: "Lay Down Arms Immediately" 
Mainstream Milliyet reports that at a press conference in Erbil, the 
Prime Minister of Regional Kurdish Administration in Northern Iraq, 
Nechirvan Barzani, said the "PKK should immediately lay down arms 
and get involved in the political process otherwise it will suffer 
great damage". Barzani added that "Erbil should be included in the 
Washington-Ankara-Baghdad tri-partite mechanism. We are closely 
following PM Erdogan and backing his very positive statement in 
Washington saying 'instability in the region will not be in 
anybody's interest.'  Barzani added that they started controlling 
the routes through which the PKK may get logistical support and also 
started keeping the airport under tight control. 
 
Osman Ocalan: "PKK is becoming Iranian" 
In an interview with mainstream Sabah, PKK's former leader Osman 
Ocalan said that "with the establishment of PJAK, the PKK has 
received many recruits from Iran.  Already, 30 percent of the 
organization is Iranian.  Israel is afraid of improved 
Kurdish-Shiite cooperation and is supporting PJAK under cover of the 
US.  Israel's aim is an Iran-PKK war."  Ocalan claimed that Turkey's 
declaration of a general amnesty will end the PKK. 
 
Survey: One-Third of Married Turkish Women Beaten by their Husbands 
 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Aksam Radikal and Cumhuriyet report that 
a survey conducted by Istanbul's Bosphorus University and Sabanci 
University shows that one third of married Turkish women are 
battered by their husbands.  43 percent of illiterate women have 
been subjected to domestic violence while 12 percent of educated 
women, says the survey, adding that educated women mostly choose not 
to report acts of violence against them.  More than 60 percent of 
the women complained that their husbands beat them because they made 
more money.  The percentage of illiterate women in central and 
eastern parts of the country is 15,5 while this figure soars to 41,9 
in east and southeast Turkey, according to the survey which 
canvassed the views of 1,800 married women in 56 provinces from 
January 2006-June 2007. Sent by BlackBerry Internet Service from 
Turkcell 
 
 
TV Highlights 
 
ANKARA 00002741  003 OF 003 
 
 
NTV  (7 am news) 
 
Domestic News 
- The main opposition CHP filed a proposal for parliamentary inquiry 
in connection with international companies' cyanide gold exploration 
in Kaz (Ida) Mountains in northwest Turkey. 
 
- Turkey's main Kurdish party DTP is to pick Nurettin Demirtas and 
Emine Ayna as its new co-chairmen in an extraordinary congress 
Thursday. No foreign guests have been invited to the congress to be 
held in Ankara. 
 
- The Turkish Parliament will continue Thursday to discuss a bill 
for the establishment of three nuclear plants by 2010. 
 
- Mehmet Agar will run once again for the chairmanship of Democrat 
Party (DP). Agar had resigned from DP leadership after his party 
failed to enter the parliament in the latest general elections. 
 
 
International News 
- Asma Jahangir, a leading human rights lawyer, has been placed 
under house arrest in Pakistan. The police interrupted Jahangir's 
interview with Turkey's NTV television. 
 
- Terry Davis, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, has 
welcomed the messages of the Turkish government for amending article 
301 of the penal code. 
 
- European justice and interior ministers are expected to agree 
Thursday that eight ex-Communist nations plus Malta are ready to 
join Continental Europe's Schengen system. 
- Nigeria is seeking USD 44 billion in a court case against three 
international tobacco companies, British American Tobacco, Philip 
Morris and International Tobacco Limited, accused of promoting 
underage smoking. 
 
WILSON