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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000164 
 
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, JANUARY 28, 2008 
 
 
ANKARA 00000164  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
'Ergenekon' Gang Investigation Continues 
All papers report over the weekend and today that a court charged 
five ultra-nationalists for plotting a series of bomb attacks and 
assassinations across Turkey.  Papers report their aim was to topple 
the ruling AKP government in a military coup in 2009.  The court 
decision follows the detentions of dozens of people last week after 
a police investigation into a far-right group known as 'Ergenekon.' 
Retired general Veli Kucuk, the accused ringleader of the gang, is 
accused of ordering the murders of Turkish Armenian editor Hrant 
Dink in Istanbul, three Christian Bible publishers in Malatya, and a 
Council of State (Danistay) high justice in Ankara.  The 
organization is accused of bomb attacks against Cumhuriyet newspaper 
offices and the Association of Martyrs' Families Chapter in 
Diyabakir.  Reports indicate, the group was also making preparations 
to assassinate Prime Minister Erdogan, Islamist leader Fethullah 
Gulen, and Turkey's Nobel Prize Winner for Literature Orhan Pamuk. 
Mainstream Sabah claims the gang has raised funds through drug 
trafficking and the help of the German intelligence service, BND. 
 
Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak writes on Sunday that the Turkish 
Orthodox Patriarchate spokesperson, Sevgi Erenerol, who is in 
custody for alleged ties to Ergenekon, used the Patriarchate as a 
meeting center for Ergenekon leaders Veli Kucuk, Zekeriya Ozturk, 
Fikri Karadag, and Kemal Kerincsiz.  Police found evidence linking 
the gang with the CIA, MOSSAD, and the German intelligence service 
BND, claims Yeni Safak.  Leftist Taraf says the Turkish Orthodox 
Patriarchate "was established in 1922 to reduce the influence of the 
Istanbul-based Greek Orthodox Patriarchate" and the Patriarchate 
"has served as an instrument of Ergenekon." 
 
AKP-MHP to Meet Monday on Headscarf Reforms 
All papers report the ruling AKP and opposition MHP officials will 
meet Monday to discuss a plan to allow women to wear headscarves in 
universities.  AKP lawmaker Husnu Tuna, parliament's constitutional 
commission member, said over the weekend that after headscarf 
regulations were eased in universities, the ruling AKP would work to 
remove the headscarf bans for civil servants as well.  Mainstream 
Hurriyet's Sunday edition reports that Prime Minister Erdogan asked 
his staff to make clear that the headscarf reforms would be applied 
only in universities, and that the reforms would not disrupt public 
order and morals.  Sunday papers also report many high school 
students wore headscarves during exams in Ankara, Erzurum and 
Denizli last week.  Mainstream papers comment the students were 
encouraged by the attitudes of the AKP government. 
 
CHP leader Deniz Baykal warned Sunday that the reforms planned by 
the AKP might transform the headscarf into a uniform for state 
officials.  Former Chief Prosecutor Sabih Kanadoglu said Turkey's 
top problem was not the headscarf, but the exploitation of religion 
for political purposes.  "This process is moving toward a religious 
dictatorship regime," said Kanadoglu. 
 
Monday papers report President Abdullah Gul, during a visit to 
Kayseri over the weekend, signaled he would favor a public 
referendum on the turban.  Gul's remarks drew strong reactions, with 
CHP MP Mustafa Ozyurek saying "a referendum over the fundamentals of 
the republic would divide people."  Former Chief Prosecutor 
Kanadoglu followed suit, saying "a referendum cannot be held on 
whether to bring a Sharia regime to Turkey." 
 
Mainstream Hurriyet expects a package of constitutional reforms to 
be submitted to the parliament this week if the AKP and MHP reach a 
compromise on the headscarf question. 
 
Passenger Train Derails, Nine Killed 
All papers report nine people were killed and at least 30 injured 
when a train jumped the tracks on Sunday in Denizli province in 
western Turkey.  Passengers were stuck under the wreckage for as 
 
ANKARA 00000164  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
many as 12 hours.  Initial investigations say the wreck could have 
been caused by a broken train track.  The train was traveling from 
Istanbul to Denizli with more than 400 people on board.  Thirty-nine 
people were killed in 2004 when a high-speed train between Ankara 
and Istanbul derailed. 
 
Editorial Commentary: Turkey on or off Western Track; PM Erdogan on 
the West 
 
Ali Aslan commented in Islamist-oriented Zaman (1/28):  "PM Erdogan 
reacted harshly to the Democratic candidate Barack Obama's remarks 
on the Armenian issue last week.  In a very active election 
atmosphere, all the candidates desperately need the support of all 
kinds of groups.  Candidates' stances, usually, change once they 
enter the White House.  During his election campaign, President Bush 
also promised support for the Armenian resolution, but his stance 
changed once he was elected.  There was no need, at this point, for 
PM Erdogan to exaggerate this issue and react so harshly. 
Currently, the Armenian issue is shelved in the US Congress.  It's 
very possible that the genocide draft will not pass the Congress. 
However, while the Armenian lobbies continuously pressure Congress, 
it should be Ankara's priority to intensively lobby on the Congress. 
 Instead, unfortunately, the anti-Turkey gangs in Congress benefited 
from two of Ankara's recent mistakes.  One of them was inviting 
Sudanese President Al-Bashir, who is accused of genocide in Darfur, 
to Turkey.  The other mistake was PM Erdogan's remarks that no 
Israeli died in Israel from the rockets fired from Gaza.  Luckily, 
The US media is heavily involved in the election campaign and the 
economic crisis, so they did not notice these two mistakes. 
Otherwise, Turkey's image in the US would be damaged heavily.  Even 
though such acts seem to open doors for Turkey, they also damage 
Turkey's image in the West.  Moreover, such acts allow the US and 
the EU to be skeptical about Turkey.  Turkey should avoid these acts 
because they give the impression that Turkey has derailed from the 
Western route." 
 
Semih Idiz wrote in mainstream Milliyet (1/28):  "Since he was mayor 
of Istanbul, PM Erdogan has consistently shocked us all with his 
remarks.  His latest remarks are some of the worst.  At the 
Education Ministry last week, Erdogan said to students preparing to 
travel to Europe, "we have adopted only the immoral acts of the 
West." As a matter of fact, there are two values we have adopted 
from the West which we cannot ignore. 
The first value is secularism, which is the basis of the republic. 
The second value is popular democracy, which we have to develop and 
advance continuously.  It is natural for PM Erdogan to have problems 
with the principle of secularism; secularism stands against the 
values his party wants to force on the public.  Nevertheless, he has 
to be grateful for the democratic system instead of the Sharia 
system, since the democratic system brought his party to power.  PM 
Erdogan should clearly explain what he meant by his remarks 
regarding the western world's immoral acts and values.  Otherwise, 
these words will increase suspicions about his political aims, both 
in Turkey and abroad." 
 
TV News: 
NTV 
 
Domestic News 
 
- On Sunday, Iran resumed gas exports to Turkey. 
 
- The pro-Kurdish DTP deputy chairperson Emine Ayna said PKK leader 
Abdullah Ocalan's proposal of a 'democratic confederation' in the 
region should be discussed as an alternative to the US Broader 
Middle East and North Africa Initiative (BMENA). 
 
- 200 dead birds have been found in the southeastern province of 
Batman.  The area has been quarantined in case the birds test 
positive for the H5N1 strain of avian flu. 
 
ANKARA 00000164  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
 
International News 
 
- Javad Vaeedi, Deputy Head of Iran's Supreme National Security 
Council, said his country has produced 300 tons of uranium 
hexafluoride (UF6) gas used for uranium enrichment in the Isfahan 
nuclear facility. 
 
- Prime Minister Olmert said Israel will resume the flow of 
humanitarian aid and fuel supplies to Gaza. 
 
- Russia's Election Commission has barred former Prime Minister and 
Kremlin critic Mikhail Kasyanov from the upcoming March presidential 
election. 
MCELDOWNEY