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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 002805 
 
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 20, 2007 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
AKP insists it has no "Comprehensive Kurdish Plan" 
All papers speculate on Prime Minister Erdogan remarks from last 
week that "the government's priority is to make terrorists lay down 
arms; they can choose democracy or remain in the mountains." Media 
implies that the PM has a "comprehensive Kurdish plan" which he 
allegedly discussed with President Bush.  Opposition CHP leader 
Deniz Baykal claims Erdogan - based on these comments - plans to 
declare amnesty for the terrorists.  "It will be an extremely 
dangerous situation if we begin political negotiations with the 
PKK," Baykal said.  AKP deputy chairman Dengir Mir Mehmet Firat said 
there was no new plan and that Erdogan has made similar statements 
for the past four or five years.  Government Spokesman Cemil Cicek 
said that armed struggle is not a clever choice, especially since 
democratic struggle is within the framework of the law.  He also 
noted the government had no plans for declaring amnesty. 
 
Columnists such as Murat Yetkin of liberal Radikal and Ibrahim 
Karagul of Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak urged the government to 
disclose Turkey's comprehensive Kurdish plan.  Both columnists 
believe the plan was discussed during Secretary Rice's meetings in 
Ankara and with President Bush in Washington, D.C. and that this 
comprehensive plan includes some level of amnesty. 
 
Meanwhile, columnist Enis Berberoglu of Hurriyet speculated that, 
after northern Iraqi Kurdish leaders softened their position 
regarding a Turkish military operation, there are no more obstacles 
against a cross border operation.  Berberoglu wrote that a Turkish 
cross border operation could happen at any minute. 
 
Kurds Ban Reporters' Access to PKK Bases in Northern Iraq 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman and others report the 
Kurdish regional government (KRG) in northern Iraq has banned 
journalists from traveling to PKK bases in the Kandil Mountains. 
KRG spokesman Jamal Abdullah accused the media of aggravating the 
crisis with Turkey.  "We are trying different ways to calm the 
situation with Turkey," he said.  Abdullah denied accusations that 
Kurdish Peshmerge had detained several journalists. 
 
Turkey Gives Note to Iran for Abducted People in Van 
Hurriyet, Cumhuriyet:  Interior Minister Besir Atalay said that 
Turkey delivered a diplomatic note to Iran regarding seven people 
from Van who were kidnapped last week.  "Since the abduction 
happened in Baskale, which is near our border with Iran, we think 
that our citizens were taken there.  Therefore, we have delivered a 
diplomatic note to Iran." 
 
Axa Insurance Company Compensates Families of Armenians Killed in 
World War I 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Radikal and others:  French Insurance Company 
Axa, acting upon the verdict of a California Court in 2005, paid a 
total of 14.5 million USD to three Armenian associations who will 
distribute the money to 7000 descendants of those who died in the 
incidents of 1915.  The Armenians who opened the court case claimed 
that their relatives had insured themselves before 1915, but their 
inheritors did not receive any payment. Milliyet's headline on the 
issue reads "Genocide Compensation from Axa". 
 
Editorial Opinion on Kosovo 
Sami Kohen commented in mainstream daily Milliyet: "Taci, the winner 
of Kosovo's recent elections, speaks of a new era there.  When 
independence is declared in December, it will mark a new era for 
Kosovo, yet there are many issues to work out.  The Serbian minority 
in Kosovo does not want to be separated from Belgrade.  Moreover, 
neither the EU nor the UN, including the Troika, is united in their 
opinions concerning Kosovo independence.  Therefore, if Taci 
declares independence on December 10 as he promised, it will be a 
complex, conflict-filled and painful era for Kosovo.  It is not 
clear how the international community will react if Kosovo 
 
ANKARA 00002805  002 OF 002 
 
 
unilaterally declares its independence.  The US supports 
independence in principle while the EU members do not agree 
unanimously on this issue.  Russia sides with the opposition within 
the EU nations, such as Spain, Cyprus and Greece.  After all, each 
country shapes its policy based on its own interests and not 
according to territorial integrity and separatism." 
 
TV News: 
NTV 
 
Domestic News 
 
- Opposition far right MHP has drafted a bill for removing the 
parliamentary immunities of lawmakers who commit crimes against 
state unity.  MHP will submit the proposal to all parties in the 
parliament, except for DTP. 
 
- Two separate percussion bombs exploded simultaneously Monday night 
at the offices of the ruling AKP and far right MHP in Saray in Van 
province.  The blasts caused only material damage. 
 
- Turkish companies Turkuaz and Nurol, along with Europe's biggest 
commercial broadcaster RTL Group, have applied for prequalification 
to buy Turkish media company ATV-Sabah.  The state fund TMSF seized 
ATV-Sabah in April and has set a minimum reserve price of $1.1 
billion for the group.  The auction is scheduled for December 5. 
 
International News 
 
- On Wednesday in Tbilisi, President Abdullah Gul, Azerbaijan 
President Aliyev and Georgian President Mihail Saakashvili will 
attend a ground breaking ceremony for the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. 
 Turkey is contributing $220 million of the $420 million for the 
project and will construct 76 km of railway between Turkey's eastern 
province of Kars and the Turkish-Georgian border.  Georgia will 
build 30 kilometers of railway from its border with Turkey to 
Akhalkalaki.  The railway, expected to be ready in 2010, will carry 
about 1.5 million passengers and 3 million tons of goods every year. 
 
 
- Israeli Prime Minister Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman 
Abbas met Monday to seek compromise language for the joint 
declaration to be released at the end of the Annapolis meeting. 
 
- Bouderbala Fateh, head al-Qaeda in Algiers, was arrested in a raid 
after a tip from local residents. 
 
- Frances Townsend, the White House advisor on homeland security and 
counterterrorism, has resigned from her post after three and a half 
years. 
 
WILSON