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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002749 
 
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 9, 2007 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
New Approach from Baykal for Northern Iraq 
Sabah, Hurriyet:  In his address to CHP deputies in Parliament, CHP 
leader Deniz Baykal said that Turkey needs a new approach for 
Northern Iraq.  Baykal suggested that Turkey begin to broadcast to 
the region in both Kurdish and in Arabic.  Also, Turkey should offer 
university education to Kurdish and Arab youth in Northern Iraq. 
Baykal noted that a cross-border operation will not eliminate the 
PKK and resolve the issue and that the only solution is for the PKK 
to lay down its weapons immediately.  In addition, Turkey can apply 
a broader amnesty to those who lay down arms. 
 
EUCOM will supply Intelligence to Turkey about the PKK 
Milliyet reports that US General Staff Operations Director General 
Carter Ham said that intelligence information flow to Turkey about 
the PKK will be conducted by US European Command (EUCOM).  Following 
the Erdogan-Bush meeting in Washington, Turkish Deputy Chief of 
Staff General Ergin Saygun announced a new communication process 
between himself, his American counterpart James Cartwright and the 
commander of Coalition Force in Iraq General David Petraeus. 
General Ham added that EUCOM commandant General Bantz Craddock and 
CENTCOM commander Admiral William Fallon will be included in this 
process. 
 
Editorial Commentary on the PKK 
Gungor Mengi wrote in the mainstream daily Vatan:  "One of the basic 
principles for any country under the threat of terrorism is to 
maintain the power of deterrence.  The use of force should be the 
last option, but force should not necessarily be avoided.  If Turkey 
gets labeled as a 'constant complainer of terrorism by not taking 
action,' this will be a serious gain for the terrorists.  If Turkey 
loses its credibility as a power, we will lose military capability 
as well.  At this point, Turkey must act to prove its determination. 
 Some argue that an operation in Northern Iraq will not bring 
results and that, due to the impending winter conditions, a cross 
border operation will have to wait.  However, Mengi argues that such 
a point of view is very narrow-minded.  We have an enemy in Northern 
Iraq that deserves to be punished.  Moreover, President Bush now 
calls the PKK the enemy of the United States.  In the fight against 
terrorism, both terrorist organizations and their host communities 
should be given a lesson." 
 
No Invitation from Turkish Government to Iran 
Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet reports that Iranian Energy Minister 
Fattah was scheduled to visit Turkey on October 31 but that, prior 
to PM Erdogan's visit to the US, the visit was postponed to November 
¶8.  However, Fattah did not come to Turkey on November 8 because 
there was not a new invitation after the postponement.  Cumhuriyet 
reminds that Turkey and Iran had signed a memorandum of 
understanding on natural gas cooperation on July 13.  On August 19, 
a Turkish delegation under the leadership of Energy Minister Hilmi 
Guler went to Iran to discuss the details of the deal.  And, during 
the visit, Iranian officials had agreed to come to Turkey at the end 
of October to sign the relevant agreement. 
 
DTP Picks New Chairman, Calls for 'Democratic Autonomy' 
All papers report Turkey's leading pro-Kurdish party DTP called on 
the government to grant "democratic autonomy" to the mainly Kurdish 
Southeast at a party convention held in Ankara on Thursday. 
Nurettin Demirtas, who was elected the new DTP chairman at the 
meeting to replace former party chief Ahmet Turk, said the state 
structure in Turkey was based on "Turkish ethnicity," stressing the 
powers of local administrations should be increased.  Demirtas 
advised Turkey to follow the example of Bulgaria, who now recognizes 
the political rights of the Turkish population there.  Papers say 
Demirtas has served a ten-year prison sentence for membership to the 
PKK, and that last year, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) 
ordered Turkey to pay Demirtas a 2,000 Euro compensation for an 
unfair trial.  Demirtas will run the party together with 
 
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Co-chairperson Emine Ayna, who argues for the use of the Kurdish 
language in the public field, even though she herself does not speak 
Kurdish.  Ayna had alleged earlier this year that the PKK's 
imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan was poisoned by Turks. 
 
Meanwhile, television newscasts report Friday morning that the 
Ankara prosecutor's office has launched an investigation into the 
DTP congress. 
 
Saudi King, Israeli-Palestinian Leaders Due in Turkey 
All papers report Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud 
will visit Turkey on November 9-10 as the official guest of 
President Abdullah Gul.  On Friday, Gul and Abdullah will hold a 
joint news conference and Gul will host a dinner in honor of the 
Saudi king the same evening.  King Abdullah will be given a Turkish 
state medal of honor for his outstanding contribution to the 
improvement of friendly ties between the two countries.  Reports 
indicate that King Abdullah and his accompanying 400-member 
delegation will travel on six planes. 
 
Israeli President Shimon Peres will visit Turkey on November 11-13, 
while Palestinian Head of State Mahmoud Abbas visits on November 
12-13.  On November 12, Peres and Abbas will address the Turkish 
Parliament and attend a dinner hosted by President Gul.  Both 
leaders will participate in the meeting of "Ankara Forum," which 
brings together Turkish, Israeli and Palestinian businessmen and 
continues work to implement an industrial zone project in the West 
Bank.  On November 11, Peres will attend a conference at Ankara's 
Bilkent University and on November 12, Peres will meet President 
Gul, Parliament Speaker Toptan, PM Erdogan and FM Babacan.  Peres 
will move on to Istanbul on November 13 and depart from Turkey after 
wrapping up his contacts later the same day. 
 
Austria, Germany Put 'Glock Embargo' on the US 
Islamist-oriented Zaman reports Austria and Germany, acting on a 
report by Turkish police, have suspended the sale of Glock and 
Walter pistols to the United States.  The report by the Turkish 
security organization's smuggling and organized crime desk says that 
since 2005, 1,224 Austrian-made Glock and 146 German-made Walter 
handguns were seized in Turkey, and that the guns which were 
supposedly donated to the Iraqi army were used in the killing of a 
Roman Catholic priest in Trabzon and the attack on the high court 
Danistay which resulted in the killing of a high justice last year 
in Ankara.  The Austrian Interior Ministry has turned down a new 
order of 100,000 Glock guns placed by the Americans for the Iraqi 
army, saying the Glocks were seized in security operations against 
terrorist organizations in Turkey.  The German Interior Ministry, 
citing similar concerns, also suspended Walter sales to the US which 
were made through Poland, says Zaman. 
 
Editorial Commentary on US-Pakistan 
Kubilay Celik commented in the nationalist daily Tercuman:  "Given 
the situation between Iran and the US, Washington is in need of 
Pakistan's cooperation.   Among the countries surrounding Iran, 
Pakistan remains the most significant for US interests.  If and when 
the US launches a military action against Iran, the Bush 
administration will seek Pakistan's friendly helping hand. 
Therefore, President Bush avoids making comments that may damage 
Pakistani leader Musharraf.  On the other hand, the military coup in 
1999 was not enough for Musharraf, so he committed another one in 
order to maintain his power.  Bush, in return, advised him to 
proceed with elections as scheduled, urging him not to act president 
and chief of the army at the same time.  While the US Congress is 
asking for a comprehensive embargo against Pakistan, the Bush 
administration is unwilling to implement it because of the Iran 
issue.  John Negroponte, assigned to calm down Congress, testified 
at the House that Musharraf is an indispensable ally of the US in 
the global fight against terrorism.  According to the Bush 
administration, while Musharaff's actions are not ideal for 
democracy, he is not a disposable international partner for the US. 
 
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The upcoming developments will be very interesting to watch." 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV, 7.00 A.M. 
 
Domestic News 
 
- A T-38 Turkish military training plane crashed Thursday night 
while trying to land in Cigli, near the Aegean city of Izmir, 
killing two pilots. 
 
- Yesterday, Turkish gypsies visited the European Parliament to 
campaign against a municipality project to demolish their houses in 
Istanbul's Sulukule district, saying reconstruction of the district 
would destroy their identity. 
 
- A boat carrying illegal migrants has capsized in the Dardanelles. 
15 migrants are missing. 
 
- The Turkish Parliament's Justice Commission has approved a bill 
introducing new smoking bans in public buildings and cultural, 
social and commercial places.  The bill brings prison terms up to 
one year for selling cigarettes to people under the age of 18. 
 
International News 
 
- Kurdish regional administration president Massoud Barzani told 
reporters in the city of Selahaddin that they were taking measures 
against the PKK, but did not elaborate further. 
 
- A day after the imposition of a state of emergency in Georgia, 
President Saakashvili proposed presidential elections as a way to 
resolve the country's political crisis. 
 
- French President Sarkozy addressed Thursday a joint session of the 
US Congress, hailing the friendship between the two countries. 
 
- A survey published Wednesday shows only one in five Germans would 
like to see the Berlin Wall back. 
 
WILSON