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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000289 
 
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, FEBRUARY 15, 2008 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Paper: Secretary Gates to Visit Turkey in Early March 
Mainstream Vatan reports that following the visit to Ankara of 
General James Cartwright, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates will 
come to Turkey the first week of March.  Gates' visit to Turkey 
could be put off for one or two weeks since the Secretary fractured 
his shoulder when he slipped on ice on Tuesday.  Gates and the Turks 
will discuss a ground operation against the PKK in northern Iraq, 
according to Vatan.  The paper stresses that diplomatic contacts 
between Turkey and the US have intensified since the November 5 
meeting of Prime Minister Erdogan with President Bush in Washington. 
 
 
Four Turkish Hizbullah Members Sentenced to Life 
All papers report a court in the southeastern province of Diyarbakir 
on Thursday sentenced four members of the terrorist organization 
Hizbullah in Turkey to life in prison for the killing of 16 people 
and kidnapping of others between 1991-1998.  The court sentenced 
Metin Coskun, Ismet Okmen, Mehmet Selim Ozdemir, and Mehmet Ali 
Oguzhan to life in prison on the charges of "attempting to abolish 
the constitutional order by force and to introduce Islamic rule 
based on Sharia."  The court imposed 16 years of imprisonment each 
for three other suspects. 
 
Higher Education Board (YOK) Meeting 
All papers report that, at a meeting Thursday, the Higher Education 
Board (YOK) did not change regulations related to graduates of 
Imam-Hatip Islamic cleric-training schools.  According to current 
regulations, graduates of vocational high schools are granted easy 
access to universities in branches related to their field of 
education.  On the other hand, it is practically impossible for the 
graduates of vocational high schools to study in universities in 
branches other than their high school background, since in the exam 
their grades are multiplied with a lower coefficient than those of 
regular high schools.  Imam-Hatip Islamic cleric-training schools 
have the status of vocational high schools.  Mainstream Vatan 
comments that yesterday's YOK Board decision was a positive step 
aimed at defusing tensions in the face of ongoing speculation that 
the government would do favors for Imam-Hatip graduates. 
 
Gul Phones Assad 
Islamist-oriented Zaman reports President Abdullah Gul telephoned 
Syrian Head of State Bashar Assad.  The phone call came after the 
visit of Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak to Turkey.   Israeli 
dailies report Turkey wants to mediate between Israel and Syria. 
Zaman, however, reports an unidentified Turkish official as saying 
Ankara was not willing to mediate, but rather carry messages between 
the two parties if requested.  Gul and Bashar discussed regional 
problems as well as the latest developments in Lebanon, according to 
Zaman. 
 
 
 
Turkey to Recognize Kosovo Soon, Putin Slams EU on Kosovo 
Vatan, Radikal, and Zaman report Turkey was expected to recognize 
Kosovo after its unilateral declaration of independence on February 
17-18, adding Turkish recognition might come within 24-48 hours.  In 
a recent visit to Turkey, Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu was given 
guarantees of recognition, even though Turkey gave no timetable to 
that end.  An unidentified Turkish official rejected allegations 
that the recognition of Kosovo could set an example for Karabakh or 
northern Iraq. 
 
Meanwhile, Russian President Putin, in an annual press conference in 
the Kremlin, warned the EU that the recognition of Kosovo would pave 
the way for the recognition of Turkish Cyprus.  Putin said that 
recognizing an independence declaration by Kosovo would be "immoral 
and illegal" and that European countries supporting the region's bid 
 
ANKARA 00000289  002 OF 003 
 
 
to break away from Serbia should be "ashamed of double standards" 
since the EU has not recognized Turkish Cyprus, which has been 
independent for 40 years. 
 
Editorial Commentary on Kosovo 
Mustafa Balbay commented in leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet (2/15): 
"It is expected that Kosovo will declare independence on February 17 
or 18.  The US and the EU are supporting Kosovo's independence. 
Russian leader Putin accuses the western countries for hypocrisy by 
not recognizing northern Cyprus.  What possible developments can be 
seen after Kosovo declares independence?  Problems in the Balkans 
have never ceased since the 1990s.  Kosovo's decision will affect 
Albania, Serbia and Macedonia directly.  Albania might want to 
include Kosovo into its territory.  In addition to the 3 million 
Albanians in Kosovo, there are more than 500,000 Albanians at 
Kosovo-Albania border.  Inspired by Kosovo's independence, the other 
ethnic groups in the Balkans may knock on the door of the US and the 
EU.  How Turkey will react?  Well, what Putin said recently is what 
Turkey has been thinking about for some time.  Unfortunately, Turkey 
failed to lobby effectively on this issue.  The AKP government's 
foreign policy doesn't fit into this situation.  Let's consider the 
situation from a different angle:  Kosovo will declare its 
independence with NATO and UN support.  Such a situation never 
occurred before.  Therefore, we can expect two possible results from 
Kosovo's independence:  this second wave of separation in the 
Balkans will set an example for the other regions." 
 
Hakan Celik wrote in tabloid Posta (2/15):  While we are deep into 
headscarf debates in Turkey, we are missing out on larger, global 
issues.  Kosovo has reached a critical phase.  While the EU 
countries are supporting its independence, Russia is objecting 
harshly.  Vladimir Putin recently slammed EU for its bias against 
Northern Cyprus.  I find his remarks about northern Cyprus very 
important.  So far, Russia has always supported the Greek side of 
the Cyprus issue.  Therefore, Turkey should use Putin's impartial 
observation in its international negotiations." 
 
 
 
 
TV News: 
NTV 
 
Domestic News 
 
- A Belgian judicial delegation, in Istanbul for inspections, went 
to Sabanci Center on Thursday to see the place where Turkish 
businessman Ozdemir Sabanci was assassinated by DHKP-C militant 
Fehriye Erdal. 
 
- The Council of State announced that former security chief Mehmet 
Agar should be tried for his ties with the Susurluk scandal of 
state-mafia links.  Agar is charged with establishing an illegal 
network. 
 
- In a meeting yesterday, the Higher Education Board declined to 
make any changes in university entrance exam regulations for 
graduates of Imam-Hatip Islamic cleric-training schools. 
 
- Turkey's Koc Holding has agreed to sell its 50.8 percent stake in 
the leading retailer Migros to Moonlight Capital for 1.98 billion 
YTL.  Moonlight Capital S.A. is controlled by BC Partners, an 
international private equity firm, operating through integrated 
teams based in Geneva, Hamburg, London, Milan, New York, and Paris. 
 
 
International News 
 
- The prosecutor in charge of the investigation into a fire that 
claimed the lives of nine Turks in the south-western German city of 
 
ANKARA 00000289  003 OF 003 
 
 
Ludwigshafen has rejected allegations that the police had the 
picture of a suspect in the fire. 
 
- The US plans to put a third major antimissile component in 
southeastern Europe, possibly in Turkey. 
 
- An Earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale shook Greece on 
Thursday, but there were no reports of casualties or severe damage. 
 
 
- Bosnia has lost its original copy of the Dayton peace agreement 
that ended the country's 1992-1995 war. 
WILSON