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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000169 
 
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 
TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2008 
 
 
ANKARA 00000169  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
AKP-MHP Agree to Lift Headscarf Ban in Universities 
All papers report the ruling AKP and opposition MHP reached 
agreement late on Monday on the details of a plan to remove the 
headscarf ban at universities.  The two parties have agreed to 
change provisions in the Constitution and the Higher Education Board 
(YOK) Law to resolve the problem.  There will be no direct 
references to clothing in the Constitution, and complementary 
changes will be made in the YOK law, Islamist-oriented Zaman says. 
The YOK Law amendment will describe the headscarf as a head covering 
wrapped around the head and tied in a knot under the chin without 
hiding the face.  The AKP and MHP are to submit the headscarf 
reforms to the parliament for approval on Tuesday. 
 
The AKP-MHP deal has sparked criticism from judges and university 
rectors.  University rectors claim academic freedom and social 
harmony are threatened by moves to ease the headscarf ban.  YOK 
Deputy Chair, Professor Isa Esme, said if the turban is allowed in 
universities, students who don't cover their heads would be 
pressured to cover their heads, and Turkey would face serious 
dangers.  The rectors of Inonu, Karaelmas, and Sutcu Imam 
universities warned the government against 'polarizing' the nation. 
According to a statement from Inonu University in Malatya, "The 
turban has been turned into a political symbol that opposes the 
fundamental characteristics of the Republic, including secularism." 
 
 
Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak says the AKP and MHP ended in just two 
hours the 'brutality' that has been going on for years.  Under the 
headline "Fighting against the Regime," leftist-nationalist 
Cumhuriyet says the two parties have agreed to set free the turban, 
'a symbol of political Islam.' 
 
A commentary in tabloid Posta says the AKP should inspire trust with 
a pledge to guarantee the continuation of the secular regime and 
should speed up EU reforms.  Another commentary in mainstream 
Milliyet opines about widespread concern that the freedom to wear a 
headscarf in universities could spread to elementary and secondary 
schools as well as state institutions. 
 
Papers report the AKP administration has initiated an investigation 
against Hasan Balaman, the Mayor of Isparta, and Husnu Tuna, an MP 
from Konya, who have made 'provocative' statements to the effect 
that civil servants, mayors, and parliamentarians should also be 
free to cover their heads.  Another AKP lawmaker, Nurettin Canikli, 
in turn said "We have no hidden agenda; our only goal is to resolve 
the problems in universities.  We respect the sensitivities of CHP 
leader Deniz Baykal.  We are ready to make adjustments to end such 
concerns."  The pro-Kurdish DTP lawmaker Hasip Kaplan lashed out at 
the AKP for working to lift the headscarf ban while preparing to 
reintroduce official bans for the use of the Kurdish language in 
education. 
 
On the other hand, Cumhuriyet carries a public opinion survey 
conducted by the "Ipsos KMG" company which shows 65 percent of 
interviewees believe the impact of religion will increase in daily 
life, and 56 percent think the impact of religion in the state 
administration will increase.  The poll was conducted in 26 
provinces with 1102 adults. 
 
AKP's 'Turban Work' Delays Changes to Article 301 
Milliyet, Vatan, Radikal and Zaman report the ruling AKP's bid to 
lift a ban on wearing the Islamic headscarf in universities has 
delayed an EU-sought reform of article 301 of the penal code, used 
to prosecute writers by making "insulting Turkishness" a crime. 
Mainstream Vatan claims the AKP has decided to postpone changes to 
article 301 to avoid tensions with the opposition MHP during the 
headscarf proceedings in the parliament.  AKP deputy Nurettin 
Canikli told reporters the reform of 301 was still on the agenda. 
 
ANKARA 00000169  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
 
Train Crash Resulted by Lack of Maintenance 
All papers report a court arrested three railroad workers on Monday 
in connection with the train crash that killed nine people near 
Kutahya early Sunday.  Vatan and Cumhuriyet say the crash might have 
been due to the lack of maintenance of the rail system over the past 
19 years.  A railroad official said the crash site lacked the 
automatic error reporting system, TSI, which would have prevented 
the deaths.  Experts reportedly said the accident might have been 
the result of metal fatigue.  The opposition CHP has proposed a 
parliamentary investigation into the state of Turkish railroads. 
 
Professor Yayla Sentenced for Insulting Ataturk 
All papers report Professor Atilla Yayla of Ankara's Gazi University 
has been given a suspended 15-month prison sentence for insulting 
Ataturk.  Yayla's sentence will be executed if he commits the same 
offense in a two-year probation period.  In a speech he made at a 
2006 panel in Izmir, Yayla said the era of Ataturk's single party 
rule from 1925-1945 did not signify progress in Turkey, and it was 
regressive in some respects.  Yayla also said Europeans were asking 
why there are statues and pictures of Ataturk everywhere.  Gazi 
University fired Yayla, but he was later reinstated. 
 
Investigations against DTP, Kurdish Writer 
Radikal, Zaman, Taraf and Yeni Safak report the Diyarbakir 
Prosecutor's Office has launched an investigation into the 
pro-Kurdish DTP congress held in the city over the weekend which was 
attended by the party co-chairperson Emine Ayna, lawmaker Akin 
Birdal, Mayor Osman Baydemir, and Siirt provincial party head Murat 
Avci.  Ayna told the congress implementation of Abdullah Ocalan's 
'democratic confederation' formula could resolve the Kurdish problem 
in the region. 
 
Meanwhile, Yeni Safak reports Kurdish writer Orhan Miroglu faces 
investigation under article 301 over an article he wrote for the 
leftist daily Taraf, in which Miroglu said from 1990-1995, Kurdish 
women were kept in gendarme stations in southeast Turkey for months 
and were raped by Turkish soldiers. 
 
EDITORIAL OPINION: 
 
"The Turban Debate is the Result of July 22 Elections" 
Murat Yetkin wrote in liberal Radikal (1/29):  "PM Erdogan was 
encouraged by the electoral support the AKP received during the July 
22 elections.  Thinking that he may not get this kind of support 
again, he decided to act immediately on the turban issue.  AKP 
supporters prevented protests against the turban ban in order to 
avoid any trouble between the PM and the judiciary, the opposition 
and the military.  During his election speech, PM Erdogan promised 
to treat each segment of the public equally.  But how could we 
expect PM Erdogan to open his arms equally to Kurds, Alevis and 
Greek Orthodox, and then ignore the crowds who voted him to power? 
In addition, military-government relations were rather painful prior 
to the July 22 elections.  But with Gul as president and the AKP in 
control of parliament, tensions eased.  After all, the military 
needed some breathing room in order to formulate a response to PKK 
terrorism. Therefore, the turban issue and the start of the active 
fight against the PKK terrorism are the direct results of the July 
22 elections.  Therefore, one would be naove to believe that PM 
Erdogan would put anything else on the agenda concerning the EU 
(i.e. lifting article 301) before the headscarf issue." 
 
"Why Are the Ones Who are Scared of Turban not Scared of 
Injustice?" 
Leyla Ipekci wrote in Islamist-oriented Zaman (1/29):  "I have 
difficulty understanding people who use the turban issue to increase 
tensions in Turkey, especially while there are so many dangerous 
gangs operating actively.  When the government criticized the 
headscarf ban in the universities, certain circles screamed that the 
regime was changing in Turkey and arranged street protests and 
 
ANKARA 00000169  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
chanted slogans against the AKP government.  It is hard to 
understand why some people are causing tension by using the turban 
issue to say the secular regime is changing.  Turkey should focus on 
other issues, such as unsolved murders, changes to article 301, and 
the Kurdish problem." 
 
"An Open Letter to the PM" 
Oktay Eksi commented in the mainstream Hurriyet (1/29):  "Mr Prime 
Minister, even though you claim that the July 22 election results 
did not go to your head, unfortunately, you are acting like the 
Democrat Party leaders following the 1954 elections.  Under the 
influence of the AKP victory, you began to polarize people instead 
of seeking consensus.  You started heated debates regarding the 
turban issue.  But, I am telling you that you will cause huge 
problems in Turkey.  As a friend, I am kindly warning you that 
neither you nor Turkey will be able to sort out such problems. 
Don't you know that once you open this door, you won't be able to 
close it?  Can't you see that this issue will not affect only you, 
but will be a disaster for all of us? Don't you have any friends?" 
 
TV News: 
NTV 
 
Domestic News 
 
- A court in Gaziantep arrested nineteen out of 25 al-Qaeda suspects 
on Monday.  On January 24, one police officer was killed and four 
others were injured in an operation against al-Qaeda members in the 
city. 
 
- The southeastern city of Batman's Agriculture Department said no 
bird flu virus was found in the 200 birds that were found dead in 
the region. 
 
- A 70-year old man had a heart attack during prayers in a mosque in 
the eastern city of Erzurum, but the Imam and fellow believers did 
not help him until they finished their prayers.  The man died from 
the heart attack. 
 
International News 
 
- Deputy Chief of the Turkish General Staff (TGS), General Ergin 
Saygun, traveled to the US on Monday for Turkey-US High Level 
Defense Group talks.  In Washington, Saygun will also hold talks 
with the US Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General 
James Cartwright, to discuss cooperation in the fight against the 
PKK. 
 
- President Ahmadinejad is to visit Iraq in less than two months, 
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Monday. 
 
- For the first time in 30 years, Egypt and Iran appear to be moving 
closer to reestablishing full diplomatic ties. 
 
MCELDOWNEY