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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 002761 
 
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, NOVEMBER 13, 2007 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Peres, Abbas to Address Turkish Parliament 
All papers report that on Monday, President Abdullah Gul held a 
joint news conference with visiting Israeli President Shimon Peres 
after the two leaders met at Cankaya Presidential Palace in Ankara. 
In response to a question about Iran's nuclear program, Gul stressed 
Turkey opposed any country in the region building weapons of mass 
destruction, although he said every country had the right to develop 
peaceful nuclear energy.  Gul also said the remarks of Iranian 
President Ahmadinejad calling for the eradication of Israel were 
"mere rhetoric," and should not be taken seriously.  Peres disagreed 
with Gul, stressing Iran sponsors terror in the region.  Gul 
promised Peres it would work for the release of two Israeli soldiers 
held by Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas since last year, describing 
the issue as "humanitarian."  Papers also report that in his meeting 
with the Israeli President, Gul asked Israel to open a 
representative office in Turkish Cyprus and launch ferry services 
between the Turkish north and the Israeli port city of Haifa. 
However, reports indicate that Peres declined to make commitments 
but promised to discuss the issue with the Israeli government. 
 
On Tuesday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will join Gul and 
Peres at trilateral talks in Ankara.  Peres and Abbas will then both 
address the Turkish Parliament.  In his meeting with Prime Minister 
Erdogan later in the day, Peres said the meeting of the leaders of 
Israel and Palestine would only be possible in Turkey, the only 
country which has good relations with both sides.  Peres, Abbas and 
Gul will also attend the signing of a framework accord on Tuesday 
for the establishment of an industrial zone in the West Bank in 
which Turkish firms will make investments under the "Ankara Forum" 
project initiated by Turkey in April 2005.  Businessmen of the three 
countries will sign the accord which is expected to create jobs for 
5,000 Palestinians. 
 
Papers also note that the Ankara visits came just before a round of 
Israeli-Palestinian peace talks to be hosted by the US in Annapolis, 
Maryland.  On Monday, Peres said both sides must show pragmatism and 
determination at that meeting.  According to papers, Peres rejected 
an appeal by Gul that Syria, too, should be invited to Annapolis, 
saying it was "not realistic." 
 
Turkish Soldiers Released by the PKK Arrested 
All papers report yesterday and today that the eight Turkish 
soldiers who had been abducted and later released by the PKK have 
been arrested by the military court in the eastern city of Van.  The 
soldiers have been charged with disobeying orders.  The soldiers 
were released with a written protocol two weeks ago to a delegation 
that included three DTP MPs.  The soldiers have faced criticism 
since their return and have been accused of aiding the PKK 
propaganda.  The soldiers' lawyer will reportedly file objections 
against the arrest decision.  A media ban has been placed on the 
court proceedings.  In addition, three parliamentarians are under 
investigation.  They are members of the pro-Kurdish DTP who traveled 
to northern Iraq to join the representatives of the northern Iraqi 
government in the handover of the soldiers. 
 
DTP under Pressure from Legal Action 
All papers report Ankara Chief Prosecutor's Office launched an 
investigation into Fatma Kurtulan, an MP from the pro-Kurdish DTP, 
after the press published the photograph of a woman it claimed to be 
her at a PKK camp.  The prosecutor claims Kurtulan received training 
at PKK camps.  At the same time, a case has been opened against the 
party's new leader Nurettin Demirtas who is accused of avoiding 
military service with forged medical reports.  Demirtas, if found 
guilty, would face two to five years in prison before doing his 
military service.  Demirtas rejected claims that the report was 
fake, saying he was ready to undergo medical controls once again. 
 
Editorial Commentary on Pakistan, Saudi King Abdullah's Visit 
 
ANKARA 00002761  002 OF 002 
 
 
Akif Emre commented in the Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak (11/13): 
"If we try to name the crisis in Pakistan, we can easily name it as 
a "nuclear-political crisis."  The most important factor in the 
struggle for power in Pakistan is who will control their nuclear 
weapons and how.  The US, in the Middle East, while controlling all 
the energy resources in order to be more powerful in the military 
field, is, at the same time, clearing its path of any rivals.  The 
US is declaring the problematic powers first as a 'threat' and then 
eradicating them fully.  As an example, Saddam was announced as a 
threat first and then Iraq became ineffective in the system.  In 
short, the US has high desires to take nuclear weapons away from 
Pakistan.  The US needs Pakistan and an administration which won't 
hesitate to stand against its people on the path to countering 
terrorism.  But the US needs a Pakistan without any nuclear powers. 
It won't be surprising if Pakistan, in the following days, is 
offered to be rescued from the chaotic situation if it hands its 
nuclear weapons to the US." 
 
Mehmet Yilmaz commented in the mainstream Hurriyet (11/12): 
"President of Turkish Republic Gul went to visit King Abdullah's 
hotel room in Ankara with an excuse that it was showing respect to 
the King's age and the friendship between the two countries.  The 
Turkish Republic has certain protocol rules which were established 
years ago.  Similar rules applied then and will continue to be 
applied in many places in the world.  These rules are a must for the 
State to be called a State and cannot be changed due to the level of 
the relationship between the leaders.  Someone should remind 
President Gul that the Turkish state was not established in a 
Bedouin tent and that the protocol rules of this state are highly 
important and cannot be left to some peoples' pro-Arab sentiments." 
 
 
TV News: 
NTV 
 
Domestic News 
 
- The outlawed PKK militants have kidnapped seven people including 
two state-sponsored village guards in Baskale in the eastern 
province of Van near the border with Iran. 
 
- The Turkish General Staff (TGS) said Monday nine PKK militants 
surrendered to security forces in the southeastern province of 
Sirnak and northeastern province of Artvin. 
 
- Istanbul Mayor Kadir Topbas said he plans to invest USD 15 billion 
in transport by 2012. 
 
- The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) chief Kemal Dervis 
said Turkey needs to grow at least 7 percent a year. 
 
International News 
 
- Nine Palestinians were killed and more than 100 were wounded in 
Gaza Monday when a mass rally marking the third anniversary of the 
death of Yasser Arafat ended in fighting between Hamas and Fatah. 
 
- A huge blaze has broken out in a disused warehouse in Waterden 
Road in east London, where extensive rebuilding is taking place for 
the 2012 Olympics. 
 
- German Chancellor Merkel and French President Sarkozy have 
discussed the integration of immigrants at their meeting Monday. 
 
 
- Around 20,000 people including radical civic groups clashed with 
police and paralyzed traffic across the nation against the Korea-US 
free trade agreement over the weekend. 
 
WILSON