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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000072 
 
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 14, 2008 
 
 
ANKARA 00000072  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
AKP Reaches Out to Alevis 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman, Yeni Safak 
and others report Prime Minister Erdogan said he would not remain 
indifferent to the demands of the Alevi community in Turkey.  "We 
have not received any, but if we do, we will consider requests 
coming from the country's Alevis for their meeting and prayer houses 
(Cemevi) to be officially recognized as places of worship," said 
Erdogan.  The PM noted such requests would be met under the existing 
laws. 
 
On Friday, Erdogan, together with nine cabinet ministers and over 50 
AKP lawmakers, participated in an Alevi fast-breaking dinner in 
Ankara.  More than 270 Alevi organizations were invited, but only 
six of them joined the event.  Radikal, Cumhuriyet and several 
mainstream papers say Alevis doubt the government's sincerity.  The 
Alevis and opposition CHP believe the government aims at winning the 
Alevi votes before the forthcoming municipality elections next year, 
say papers. 
 
Erdogan said during a visit to Berlin in 2003 that Alevism was not a 
religion, and that Cemevi were a place for cultural activities while 
the mosque was the only place of worship for Muslims.  Alevis also 
remember that the head of the Diyanet, Professor Ali Bardakoglu, has 
always argued that recognition of Cemevis places of worship could 
harm national unity, say papers. 
 
Barzani: "We're not Obliged to See the PKK as Terrorist" 
Hurriyet, Radikal, Cumhuriyet and others report Massoud Barzani, the 
leader of Kurdish regional administration in northern Iraq, said 
they were not obliged to brand the PKK as a terrorist organization, 
and added that they were not supporting Turkish military operations 
into northern Iraq.  "We're ready to help if Turkey adopts a 
peaceful attitude towards the resolution of the problem.  We will do 
our best if the US, Turkey, and the international balances 
contribute to the resolution of the PKK question," Barzani told a 
joint news conference with visiting Italian Deputy Foreign Minister 
Giovanni Vernetti in the city of Selahaddin.  Italy accepts the PKK 
as a terror organization, Vernetti said, adding, however, that 
Turkish cross border military operations harm northern Iraq. 
 
CHP to Prepare "Kurdish Report" 
Mainstream Sabah and liberal Radikal report the main opposition CHP 
is to prepare a "Kurdish report" which will be based on two earlier 
CHP reports released between  1989-1995.  CHP wants the report ready 
prior to a party convention in March at which a special commission 
will be set up to work on it.  CHP board member Sinan Yerlikaya said 
it has become clear that military measures alone were not sufficient 
to resolve the Kurdish question.  "The recognition of the Kurdish 
identity and the use of their language as well as legal guarantees 
for the development of the Kurdish culture are necessary steps," 
said Yerlikaya. 
 
Iranian President Ahmedinejad to Come to Turkey 
Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet reports that the Tehran 
administration, as a counter attack for growing international 
pressure against its nuclear program, is preparing a regional tour 
by President Ahmedinejad.   Following the natural gas crisis with 
Iran, Ahmedinejad is expected in Turkey by the end of February.  A 
request for the visit came from the Tehran Administration in 
December 2007, but because of President Gul's visit to the US Tehran 
was not given a date.   Paper reports that Secretary Rice also is 
expected to come to Turkey mid-February. 
 
Drug Usage Increased Among Turkish Students 
Mainstream Hurriyet cites 'The European Monitoring Center for Drugs 
and Drug Addiction' report which claims that ten percent of all 
students in Turkey use illicit drugs.  The same report claims that 
between 30-44 percent of students in Belgium, Ireland, France, Spain 
 
ANKARA 00000072  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
and Britain use drugs. 
 
Editorial Commentary on President Bush's Middle East Tour 
Sedat Sertoglu opined in mainstream Aksam (1/14):  "President Bush 
made an amazing remark, expecting peace between Israel and Palestine 
by early 2009.  Looking at his statement, one wonders whether he had 
no idea about the region or whether he was joking.  A real peace in 
the Middle East calls for an agreement among Palestinians first. 
Giving the current circumstances, if Palestinian leader Abbas makes 
any efforts towards a Palestinian state, it will have to be limited 
to the West Bank area.  There are 1.5 million people living in the 
Gaza area but it is under Hamas' control.  How can we talk about a 
state of Palestine while Hamas groups in Gaza and Abbas groups in 
the West Bank continue to attack and kill each other?  Moreover, 
Hamas has another goal which is to demolish Israel completely. 
Looking at all of these facts, there is absolutely no room for 
optimism in the year 2008." 
 
Ceyda Karan wrote in intellectual-liberal Radikal (1/14): "During 
his final days in office as a lame duck, President George Bush spoke 
sweetly during his holy land tour. He said peace between Israeli and 
Palestine was possible and added that it was even possible to 
achieve this goal in 2008. He called on Israel to end the 1967 
occupation. Furthermore, he remembered Palestinian refugees who had 
to leave their homes during the establishment of the Israeli state. 
However the US President, having committed himself to a peace 
agreement between Israel and Palestine, is acting as if he is not 
aware of these basic facts. The fact of the matter is that it was 
President Bush, himself, who practically gave support to Israel's 
expansionist policy with the new Jewish settlements. Those 
settlements not only violated the US' Middle East roadmap, but also 
became the most important obstacle to peace. President Bush also 
spoke as if peace could be achieved between Israel and the 
Palestinian Administration leader Mahmud Abbas who is only in 
control of the West Bank. While Hamas remains in the Gaza Strip, 
even Israelis personally say that there could be no peace with 
Abbas." 
 
TV News: 
NTV 
 
Domestic News 
- Over the weekend, Deputy Prime Minister Nazim Ekren paid visits to 
the mainly Kurdish provinces Batman and Sirnak to discuss steps for 
tackling economic problems in the region. 
 
- The second hearing in the trial of the suspects for the slaying of 
three Christian Bible publishers in Malatya last year will be held 
Monday. 
 
- On January 19, Ankara Chamber of Trade (ATO) will hold a meeting 
to discuss the ruling AKP government decision to move the Central 
Bank and the state-owned banks to Istanbul. 
 
- The President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of 
Europe (PACE), Rene van der Linden, will visit Ankara for talks with 
President Abdullah Gul, Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan, and some 
AKP leaders. 
 
International News 
 
- President Abdullah Gul is to travel to Egypt from January 14-16 
for talks with President Hosni Mubarak and the Egyptian PM and FM as 
well as Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa in Cairo.  Gul will 
also visit the port city of Alexandria. 
 
- Prime Minister Erdogan will visit Madrid to participate in the 
First Alliance of Civilizations Forum on January 15-16.  On Monday, 
Erdogan is scheduled to hold talks with Spanish Prime Minister Jose 
Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and King Juan Carlos. 
 
ANKARA 00000072  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
 
- White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said President Bush discussed 
the Strait of Hormuz incident with Vice Admiral Kevin Cosgriff, the 
commander of the Fifth Fleet, who stressed that his forces took it 
"deadly seriously." 
 
- French President Sarkozy has kicked off a three-day trip to the 
Middle East on Sunday.  Sarkozy is expected to sign a nuclear 
cooperation deal with the United Arab Emirates. 
 
WILSON