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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000105 
 
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, JANUARY 18, 2008 
 
ANKARA 00000105  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
The Turban Debate Continues 
All papers report the chairman of the far right MHP, Devlet Bahceli, 
released a statement saying the turban controversy could be resolved 
by rewriting article 10 of the Constitution.  However, Ergun 
Ozbudun, the architect of the new AKP-backed draft constitution, 
said one-sentence changes in the constitution cannot solve problems 
because similar reforms passed by the parliament were annulled by 
the Constitutional Court in 1989. 
 
The Chief prosecutor of the Court of Appeals Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya 
objected to the government plan to lift the headscarf ban. 
Yalcinkaya stated that political parties cannot use religion or 
religious symbols for political gains.  "The rights and freedoms 
mentioned in the constitution cannot be used to destroy the unity 
between the state and the nation, and to purge values of the secular 
democratic republic," noted Yalcinkaya.  He underlined that freedom 
to wear certain clothing items in educational institutions might 
cause damage to Turkey's secular and unitary structure.  The ruling 
AKP officials have criticized the chief prosecutor, saying his 
statement contradicts the principle of separation of powers. 
 
Opposition CHP leader Deniz Baykal warned that lifting the turban 
ban in the constitution would spread other political symbols all 
over public institutions and possibly even in the military.  "It 
will kick off a process, and no one can guess where it will stop," 
emphasized Baykal. 
 
Islamist-oriented Zaman reports the Head of the Religious Affairs 
Directorate (Diyanet,) Professor Ali Bardakoglu, said the headscarf 
is a 'religious requirement' for women as is openly stated in Islam. 
 "All must realize that over the past 14 centuries, women in the 
Muslim world have been covering their heads.  The headscarf is a 
religious requirement, but whether or not people meet it is a matter 
of their own free will," said Bardakoglu.  He stressed that the 
matter can be resolved through dialogue among the political parties. 
 
 
Editorial Commentary on Turban Debate 
Ertugrul Ozkok commented in mainstream Hurriyet (1/18):  "MHP leader 
Bahceli seeks a solution for the turban issue within the framework 
of the constitution.  He believes that the turban can be allowed in 
universities by passing a minor amendment to the Constitution's 
Article 10.  I strongly oppose this proposal.  I believe that taking 
the turban issue under a Constitutional guarantee will lead to 
serious problems.  In the past, I was never against women wearing 
turbans entering universities.  But the latest developments forced 
me to change my mind.  I am skeptical about the real goals of those 
who want to lift this ban.  I believe that lifting the ban will lead 
to neighborhood pressure to wear the turban in Anatolian provinces. 
I can see this issue has become a mission for the Prime Minister and 
his circle.  Obviously, winning 46.5 percent of the votes during the 
elections encouraged them.  If they want, they can lift the turban 
ban within the democratic framework; and we have no right or power 
to object.  From today until the day I die, I will say 'wearing the 
turban is a personal choice and it should not be a political or 
religious symbol.'  Putting such a provision in the Constitution 
will undermine secularism." 
 
Hrant Dink to be Commemorated on First Anniversary of His Death 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman and others report 
Turkish Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, shot dead last year, will be 
commemorated on the first anniversary of his death on Saturday. 
Papers echo suspicions persisting over a police cover up in his 
slaying.  A report by Trabzon Gendarme Command officials say Dink's 
murder was plotted by Yasin Hayal, a key suspect who directed four 
people to trail Dink and carry out research before killing the 
journalist.  The report was not put into the Dink murder file. 
Links were seen among the members of security forces in Trabzon, 
 
ANKARA 00000105  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
Istanbul, and Ankara, and the plotters.  A lawyer for the Dink 
family told the Interior and Justice Ministries in a report, "As 
long as the public officials investigated for involvement in the 
murder retain their posts, the ambiguities surrounding the murder 
cannot be cleared." 
 
A commentary in the leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet says, "Solving 
the Dink murder with all the forces in its background seems 
impossible.  Solving this murder means cleaning up the gangs within 
the state.  It means purging the 'inner state'.  It means overcoming 
the obstacles to democracy." 
 
Editorial Commentary on the Dink Murder and Article 301 
Hasan Cemal wrote in mainstream Milliyet (1/18):  "Both Article 301 
and the turban issue are about democracy and freedom, but PM Erdogan 
doesn't seem to be willing to exert an equal amount of effort on 
both issues.  For the last two years the AKP government has not done 
anything to address Article 301.  As Cengiz Candar told an AKP 
Minister, 'no one is in prison because of Article 301, but people 
have died because of 301.'  One year after the assassination of 
Hrant Dink, we are still in darkness.  The murder case remains 
unsolved.  Rakel Dink's screams during her husband's funeral still 
ring in our ears: 'We cannot do anything until we question the 
darkness that creates murderers out of babies.'  Well, did we 
question the darkness? No. Did the court case give us any trust in 
the judiciary? No.  Is the process of this trial trustworthy? No. 
The Dink family and their lawyers sent a thick file to the Prime 
Ministry containing a huge list of neglected issues.  Looking at 
that list, unfortunately, one easily looses trust in the 
judiciary." 
 
Survey: Anti-PKK Cooperation Lifts US Image in Turkey 
Mass appeal Star daily and Today's Zaman English daily report 
independent research organization Pollmark conducted a survey in 
Turkey in December 2007, which shows that 57.8 percent of 
participants welcomed the US cooperation against the PKK, while 30.8 
percent remained skeptical.  In a survey held by the same company in 
October, 86.4 percent opposed the US and only 5.9 percent had a 
positive view of the US.  The same research says the ruling AKP's 
support has increased to 50.6 percent from the 46.5 percent of votes 
the party received in July 22 general elections; opposition CHP and 
MHP suffered slight falls with 19.2 and 14.3 respectively.  The poll 
canvassed the views of 3,102 adults in one-on-one interviews in 12 
provinces across Turkey in the last four days of December. 
 
Baghdad Cuts Ties with Foreign Oil Firms Working with KRG 
Zaman, Yeni Safak, Taraf, Cumhuriyet and Aksam report the Iraqi Oil 
Ministry has decided to cancel oil deals signed between foreign oil 
companies and the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) in northern 
Iraq.  An Iraqi official said if foreign oil companies insist on 
retaining the deals they have with the KRG, the central government 
in Baghdad would consider such dealings illegal and the companies 
would be blacklisted.  In a related story, Tabloid Aksam reports the 
Iraqi Electricity Ministry blamed Turkey for suspending Iraq's 
electrical supply, which the Ministry said caused a halt in oil flow 
to Turkey. 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV, 7.00 A.M. 
 
Domestic News 
 
- Police detained two suspects in connection with the January 3 car 
bomb attack in the mainly Kurdish southeastern city in Diyarbakir. 
 
 
- Three students were injured in fighting between the left-wing and 
right-wing groups at Istanbul's Marmara University. 
 
- Opposition CHP and DSP deputies applied to the Constitutional 
 
ANKARA 00000105  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
Court for the annulment of a new law concerning judges and 
prosecutors. 
 
- Turkey's Oyak Bank was sold to the Netherlands-based ING Group and 
will be renamed ING Bank of Turkey. 
 
International News 
 
- The Bulgarian Parliament has rejected a nationalist proposal for 
the recognition of Armenian genocide claims. 
 
- US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said NATO forces in southern 
Afghanistan were ill-prepared to fight an insurgency. 
 
- Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has described the war 
in Iraq as 'the biggest mistake in US foreign policy.' 
 
- President Gul will travel to Syria to attend the opening ceremony 
of 'Damascus, Capital of Arab Culture 2008' celebrations as the 
guest of President Bashar al-Assad. 
WILSON