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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 002818 
 
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 23, 2007 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Lagendijk on DTP, the PKK, Article 301 
All papers report that, during Thursday's meeting in the Turkish 
parliament, the Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Commission condemned 
the PKK.  The commission co-chair, Joost Lagendijk, told the press 
after the meeting that the DTP must put "a clear distance" between 
itself and the PKK.  "The PKK might want the DTP kicked out of the 
Turkish Parliament; but Turkey must not fall into this trap," 
Lagendijk said.  He further stressed that the DTP's presence in the 
parliament was an opportunity and warned that disbanding the party 
would not be good for Turkey.  Lagendijk also advised Turkey to 
establish contact with the Kurdish regional administration in 
northern Iraq.  Concerning the recent change in EU attitudes toward 
the PKK, Lagendijk said, "ten years ago, we had less information and 
were acting foolishly."  He also said article 301 of the Turkish 
Penal Code harms the image of Turkey.  "There are pledges, but no 
action; Turkey must do something on 301 and deprive its enemies of 
their weapon." 
 
Karayilan, Bayik in US Custody in Iraq 
Mainstream Vatan writes that PKK leaders Murat Karayilan and Cemil 
Bayik are in US military custody in Iraq.  The paper quotes an 
unidentified military source who says Karayilan and Bayik will be 
brought to Turkey in a few days.  It also claims the handover will 
take place once the AKP government unveils its political plan to 
deal with the the PKK.  Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet also reports 
Murat Karayilan and Cemal Bayik were captured in Mount Kandil.  The 
paper, however, carries Interior Minister Besir Atalay's response to 
the press that he had "no information" regarding their capture. 
Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak also says the capture of Karayilan and 
Bayik was not confirmed. 
 
US Urges Ankara to Bring Syria, Saudi Arabia to Annapolis 
Mainstream Hurriyet claims the US Administration has urged Ankara to 
use its influence on Syria and Saudi Arabia to persuade them to join 
the Middle East peace summit in Annapolis.  Following Washington's 
request, Ankara intensified diplomatic initiatives with the two 
countries.  Turkey believes the resolution of the 
Israeli-Palestinian conflict is key to solving other regional 
problems, so they are urging Damascus to join the Annapolis talks. 
In addition, the paper reports Turkey is trying to discourage Riyadh 
from insisting that the Saudi-led Arab Peace Plan be discussed at 
Annapolis. 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: Annapolis Conference 
 
Kubilay Celik commented in the nationalist daily Tercuman: "The US 
has invited nearly 40 countries and organizations to the Annapolis 
conference.  In fact, the primary actors at this conference are 
Israel and Palestine.  Turkey has become a part of the Annapolis 
Meeting due to its own vigilant efforts for peace in the Middle 
East.  Given the past record of similar meetings, the Annapolis 
meeting has almost no chance for success.  Peace is a very remote 
possibility, especially while Hamas and al Fatah are engaging in 
civil war.  Undoubtedly, any Arab countries not invited to the 
conference will do their best to undermine the process.   There have 
been many peace conferences around the world during the last 30 
years, yet none of them achieved success.  As far as Annapolis is 
concerned, peace between Israel and Palestine is unlikely." 
 
Serdar Turgut commented in the mainstream daily Aksam:  "As Bush's 
term draws to an end, he has started to make efforts toward peace in 
the Middle East.  Evidently, he feels he must achieve some sort of 
success before leaving office.  So far, the ongoing events are not 
positive for Washington.  The Iraq situation is an obvious failure. 
Pakistan is in chaos, Georgia is on the road to chaos, and both of 
them are supported by the Bush administration.  In that regard, the 
Bush administration needs Turkey's help as Washington struggles to 
correct its image.  Thus, the peace effort between Israel and 
 
ANKARA 00002818  002 OF 002 
 
 
Palestine is an imminent priority.  The Annapolis Conference works 
positively for the Bush administration only in terms of timing. 
However, the conference is unlikely to produce successful results. 
Washington, on the other hand, hopes to make gains for just being 
able to start the process." 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV, 7.00 A.M. 
 
Domestic News 
 
- The Constitutional Court will make a decision on a prosecutor's 
request to suspend all DTP members from politics until the end of 
the trial to disband the party. 
 
- Four suspects believed to be the members of the fundamentalist 
IBDA-C terror organization have been arrested in security operations 
in Izmir. 
 
- Prime Minister Erdogan said that it is a violation of human rights 
to require Turkish brides to speak German before being allowed to 
enter Germany. 
 
- Turkey's High Board of Privatization (OYK) approved the sale of a 
51 percent stake in petrochemicals company Petkim, paving the way 
for a handover to its new owners, Azerbaijani energy firm Socar, 
Saudi-based Injaz Projects and Turkey's Turcas -- the second-highest 
bidders in a tender in July. 
 
International News 
 
- The New York Times quotes US military officials as saying that 
more than half of the foreign fighters who came to Iraq in the past 
year arrived from Saudi Arabia and Libya. 
 
- The Associated Press says the allegations raised against its 
photographer detained by the US for 19 months in Iraq are false or 
meaningless. 
 
- An explosion aboard a bus in Russia's North Ossetia region has 
killed at least four people and injured 10. 
 
- Public transport workers across France voted to suspend their 
strike. 
 
WILSON