VZCZCXRO7777
OO RUEHDA
DE RUEHAK #2926/01 3441328
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 101328Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4596
RUEKJCS/CJCS WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC//PA
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU
INFO RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 8538
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 3604
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 2508
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 6300
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 6114
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2700
RUEUITH/DET 1 39LG ANKARA TU
RHMFIUU/USDOCO 6ATAF IZMIR TU
RHMFIUU/39OS INCIRLIK AB TU
RHMFIUU/AFOSI DET 523 IZMIR TU
RHMFIUU/39ABG INCIRLIK AB TU
RHMFIUU/AFOSI DET 522 INCIRLIK AB TU
RUEUITH/AFLO ANKARA TU

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 002926 
 
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 
MONDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2007 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
PM Erdogan's Plan to Bring PKK Members Back Home 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman and others:   While 
en route from the EU-Africa Summit in Lisbon, PM Erdogan spoke to 
journalists about his plan to bring PKK members down from the 
mountains.  Radikal and Milliyet quote Erdogan saying that "earlier 
we passed a law concerning the terrorists, but it had only limited 
benefit.  As you know, there was resistance and defensiveness at 
that time.  Now, we are at a very different point.  We can achieve 
better results with the support of the media.  With this new effort, 
we can minimize, and even stop, people from going up into the 
mountains.  And we can also bring them down from mountains.  We are 
not bargaining with anyone.  We will say 'this is the law, come and 
surrender.'  A new law could be issued.  We will exert efforts in 
order to get the best results."  When Erdogan was asked whether the 
military was aware of this new initiative, he said "of course, we 
are working on this plan with the Turkish Military."  Saturday's 
Zaman based on Erdogan's comments, reported that has signaled that 
the government will pass a new 'repentance' law. 
 
The opposition reacted harshly to the PM's new plan.  Main 
opposition party CHP leader Deniz Baykal said that the government 
"seeks a compromise with terrorists" and noted that "any weakness in 
the fight against terrorism would have a serious cost.  Issuance of 
such a law would be political ignorance and would be a basic 
mistake." While addressing his party's rally in Izmir, MHP leader 
Devlet Bahceli criticized PM Erdogan by saying "such a repentance 
law would mean pardoning the murderers of our martyrs and innocent 
people.  Prime Minister, stop playing with fire." 
 
NGO Initiative for a Civilian Constitution 
Radikal reports that the Constitution Platform Initiative National 
Workshop, organized by NGOs including TOBB, TISK, Turk-Is, Kamu-Sen 
and TUSIAD, convened over the weekend.  The workshop issued the 
following proposals: the new constitution characterize economic 
stability as a duty of the state and should contain provisions that 
stress a functioning market economy.  The workshop also discussed 
judiciary, legislative and administrative issues that should be 
covered in the constitution. 
 
Jurists Rally in Ankara 
All papers and TV channels:  Over ten thousand lawyers and members 
of the judiciary protested at a rally held in Tandogan square in 
Ankara.  The title of the rally was "Independent Judiciary." 
Eighty-one provincial bar presidents, members of judges' and 
prosecutors' unions, law professors and many citizens attended the 
rally.  The rally protested a new law which allows the government to 
be directly involved in the interviewing and hiring of the 
judiciary, thereby - according to the protestors - politicizing the 
judiciary. 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: Iran 
 
"Nothing Can Be Achieved Unless Israel Becomes Part of the Process" 
Semih Idiz commented in the mainstream daily Milliyet (12/10):  "The 
NIE report is not only a hot topic on the international agenda; it 
also caused a fury in Israel.  The report makes it very difficult to 
validate an argument in favor of a strike against Iran.  It even 
makes it hard to justify diplomatic pressure on Iran.  Israel's 
objection to this report is understandable.  In fact, the stranger 
thing is the attitude of Washington.  The Bush administration is 
trying to defame an important assessment that was produced by its 
own intelligence units.  Former UN representative John Bolton even 
accused American intelligence units for organizing a coup against 
the Bush administration.   As part of US diplomatic efforts, IAEA 
Ambassador Greg Shulte called me from Vienna.  Ambassador Shulte 
emphasized that the NEI report demonstrates the fact that Iran, 
despite all of its denials, had a nuclear weapons program until four 
years ago.  He added that Iran still had the option to produce 
 
ANKARA 00002926  002 OF 002 
 
 
nuclear weapons while recalling that Iran resumed its uranium 
enrichment program.  In return, I asked about Israel's nuclear 
activities because Washington's efforts are doomed to fail unless 
this issue is properly addressed.  Israel refuses to be a part of 
the NPT and does not allow inspection of its nuclear program. 
Unless this attitude is changed, we cannot expect regional countries 
to listen to the US.  Ambassador Shulte, refraining from direct 
pronunciation of Israel by name, said that 'the US wants the Middle 
East entirely free from nuclear weapons.  Realistically speaking, in 
order to reach that goal, the Middle East problem should be resolved 
first.'  I believe that the nuclear weapons issue is one of the 
fundamentals of the Middle East problem and both Iran and Israel 
should be pressured for the sake of Middle East peace.  If the 
desire to prevent nuclear proliferation in this region is sincere, 
this is the key to this problem." 
 
"Olive Branch to Iran?" 
Omer Taspinar wrote in the leftist daily Taraf (12/10): "One fact 
should not be missed on the Iran-NIE:  The Bush administration is 
not happy with the NIE report for obvious reasons, but it did not 
try to hide the report from the public.  This attitude calls for the 
re-evaluation of prejudices about the Bush administration, and about 
America in general.  All of this shows that the country is ruled 
with democracy and has a free press.  The rulers feel accountable to 
the public and press.  Where do we put 'imperialism' in all of this? 
 Evidently, despite our anti-American sentiments from the left to 
the right, democracy and imperialism are not compatible with each 
other.  The US, despite its setbacks, is a democratic country and 
cannot be really imperialistic even if it wants to be.  By making 
the NIE report public, the White House's plans for a strike against 
Iran have completely failed.  From now on, it is almost impossible 
for the Bush administration to pursue harsh policies against Iran. 
President Bush is unlikely to get any support from Western allies, 
except for Israel.  In sum, US imperialism is the loser and 
democracy is the winner.  If Democrats win the next elections, we 
might even expect to see Washington present an olive branch to 
Tehran." 
 
TV News: 
NTV 
 
Domestic News 
 
The Turkish General Staff (TGS) will organize a symposium at their 
Central Officers Club in Ankara on Tuesday on 'cutting off 
ideological and economic support for the PKK.' 
 
When the Istanbul governor did not give permission for a DTP rally, 
DTP supporters, some heard chanting pro-PKK slogans, organized 
illegal demonstrations in Kucukcekmece, Okmeydani and Gazi Mahallesi 
districts in Istanbul. 
 
 
International News 
 
Iranian President Ahmedinejad plans to visit Turkey, but the date 
has not been determined yet. 
 
Russian media reported that their Strategic Missile Forces have 
successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile. 
 
WILSON