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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002856 
 
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 29, 2007 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
All papers report Ambassador Ross Wilson hosted a breakfast meeting 
Tuesday for visiting US congressman Christopher Shays and Kurdish 
politicians from different political parties, except the pro-Kurdish 
DTP. 
 
Liberal Radikal says the meeting with Kurdish politicians outside 
the DTP has sparked speculation that the US has adopted a new policy 
with regard to the Kurdish issue. 
Radikal reports that DTP deputy Ahmet Turk of the pro-Kurdish 
Democratic Society Party (DTP) harshly criticized the US Embassy in 
Ankara for failing to invite a representative from his party, 
calling it an "insult to the Turkish parliament." Radikal reports 
that Turk emphasized that his party "included 20 lawmakers in the 
parliament, who are supported by two million voters," criticizing 
their exclusion from such efforts.   Turk added the Kurdish question 
should be handled in the parliament.   Radikal reports Kurdish party 
KADEP leader Serafettin Elci, who joined the breakfast, said the US 
Ambassador has invited only "the parties that reject violence," and 
noted that the position of the DTP in this regard was "not clear." 
The breakfast meeting, hosted by Ambassador Ross Wilson, was held 
for Representative Christopher Shays, who wanted to learn about the 
current situation regarding the Kurdish issue and the PKK ahead of 
his visit to predominantly Kurdish southeastern Turkey. 
 
Bugun reports DTP deputy Sirri Sakik said "the way to resolve the 
Kurdish issue is not by creating 'artificial representatives' of the 
Kurdish people in Turkey.  Don't you know that the DTP is the real 
representative of the Kurds in Turkey?  The DTP is not a leper, nor 
is it illegitimate.  This is shameful on the part of the US Embassy. 
 We are as legitimate as the prime minister is."  Meanwhile, Today's 
Zaman reports that the meeting's focus was not solely the AK Party 
and its policies, but that participants discussed the expansion of 
democratic rights and economic initiatives in the southeast. 
 
Editorial Commentary on Shays-Wilson Meet with Kurdish 
Parliamentarians 
Hasan Celal Guzel commented in the liberal Radikal (11/29):  "US 
Ambassador to Turkey Ross Wilson is very busy.  His Excellency, as 
the envoy of a superpower, is trying to resolve the Kurdish issue. 
Along with Congressmen Shays and Palorino, assigned to inspect 
Turkey's Kurdistan, his Excellency hosted a Kurdish summit at the 
Embassy.  First of all, the US Ambassador has no right to host such 
a meeting since it clearly interferes with Turkey's domestic 
affairs.  Just because the PKK was announced as a joint enemy during 
PM Erdogan's last visit to Washington, the Ambassador has no right 
to host a meeting about the 'Kurdish Issue.'  I am sure that the 
Ambassador will defend himself by saying "such meetings were held in 
the past as well, and this time it was arranged for the sake of 
visiting Congressmen."  Well, in that case, could you answer this 
question please:  if the Turkish Ambassador to US Nabi Sensoy had a 
similar meeting at the Turkish Embassy in Washington on a sensitive 
issue for the US, what would your reaction be?  Ambassador Wilson 
went beyond the limit with this meeting and the Foreign Ministry 
should make the necessary warning." 
 
Mustafa Balbay wrote in the leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet (11/29): 
"The contents of the meeting Ambassador Wilson hosted the other day 
with the Kurdish origin parliamentarians, reminds us of the 
principles US President Woodrow Wilson published in January 1918. 
Reportedly, Ambassador Wilson discussed the PKK, Iran and Iraq with 
his guests, who did not include DTP deputies.  This meeting shows us 
that the US is after new approaches in finding a solution to the 
regional issues and already took DTP out of the equation.  Article 
12 of the Wilson Principles (WP) says that "sovereignty rights 
should be given to the Turkish parts of the Ottoman Empire but, 
independence should be given to the non-Turks."  Of course, this was 
received with great happiness in Istanbul, at that time.  The huge 
similarity in the targets of the WP supporters then and the Greater 
 
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Middle East Project supporters now cannot be ignored.  Years ago, 
President Wilson told the Ottoman Empire that "for your own peace, 
I'll separate and down size you and I will control your strategic 
regions."  And today, Ambassador Wilson is saying "I'll make your 
regional plans for your own peace and to eliminate the PKK.  You 
will be a part of my plans."  As President Wilson's principles were 
supported by some so-called intellectuals, Ambassador Wilson's ideas 
also received some support.  Thus history repeats itself:  The 
imperialist countries never change their targets, they only change 
their methods and tools." 
 
Congressman Shays Visits Southeast Turkey 
All media outlets extensively cover US Congressman Christopher 
Shays' travel to the mainly Kurdish southeast "to see the economic 
and political developments in the region."  Shays met a 70 year old 
woman whose two sons "died in the mountains" fighting with the PKK, 
and whose husband is missing.  Early Wednesday, Shays went to the 
towns of Silopi and Cizre in the Sirnak province on the border with 
Iraq.  Mainstream papers and the Islamist-oriented Zaman quote Shays 
at the Habur border crossing, "Several of my fellow Congressmen and 
President Bush have concerns over the issue of the PKK; we see the 
organization as the enemy of Turkey, Iraq and the US.  I'm here to 
see that we're doing all in the fight against terrorism." Radikal 
reports Shays wants to see "an end to the PKK," and pledged US 
support to that end.  Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak reports Shays 
said Turkey wants to solve the PKK problem "in a peaceful and 
diplomatic way."  Mainstream dailies Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah and 
the Islamist-oriented Zaman report Shays suggested "dialogue" as the 
only solution to the Kurdish problem. 
 
Germany Hands over PKK Member Sought by Turkey 
Islamist-oriented Zaman reports on its front page Germany extradited 
Esref Kizilay to Turkey.  Kizilay is a PKK militant sought by Turkey 
by Interpol Red Notices for killing six Turkish police officers in 
Adana in 1997.  He had fled to Germany in 1998.  On Tuesday, a 
Turkish police team took Kizilay to Diyarbakir for interrogation. 
Zaman reports that Turkey sees Kizilay's extradition as a major 
change in the European attitudes against terrorism. 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV 
 
Domestic News 
 
- Daniel Savci, an Assyrian priest in Midyat in the southeastern 
city of Mardin, has been kidnapped by unidentified people.  The 
kidnappers demand a ransom of 300,000 Euro. 
 
- President Abdullah Gul is to travel to Islamabad on December 2-3 
as the guest of President Pervez Musharraf to meet with government 
and opposition leaders for "peace and democracy" in Pakistan. 
During the visit, Gul will be accompanied by his wife Hayrunnisa 
Gul, senior officials, business leaders and top media personalities 
of Turkey. 
 
- The tender for the construction of Turkey's first nuclear power 
plant is to be announced February 21.  Energy Minister Hilmi Guler 
said Turkey plans to build three plants until 2010 with a total 
capacity of 5,000 megawatts in which local investors will have 
60-percent shares. 
 
- A survey conducted by TESEV foundation for economic and social 
research shows that more than half of the judges and prosecutors in 
Turkey see the human rights as "a threat for the security of the 
state." 
 
International News 
 
- The UN has returned to Iraq -- UN envoy to Iraq Staffan de Mistura 
and Kurdish regional administration PM Nechirvan Barzani have opened 
 
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Wednesday a UN office in Erbil. 
 
- Iranian President Ahmadinejad said Wednesday that Annapolis 
conference was "a failure." 
 
- Representatives of six world powers trying to curb Iran's nuclear 
ambitions will meet in Paris over the weekend. 
 
- Saudi Arabia announced on Wednesday that it had arrested 208 
suspected al-Qaeda members who had been planning attacks on oil 
facilities and assassinations of clerics and security forces across 
the country. 
 
WILSON