VZCZCXRO1673
OO RUEHDA
DE RUEHAK #0471/01 0711502
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 111502Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5543
RUEKJCS/CJCS WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC//PA
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU
INFO RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 8740
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 3976
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 2763
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 6466
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 6301
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2880
RUEUITH/DET 1 39LG ANKARA TU
RHMFISS/USDOCO 6ATAF IZMIR TU
RHMFISS/39OS INCIRLIK AB TU
RHMFISS/AFOSI DET 523 IZMIR TU
RHMFISS/39ABG INCIRLIK AB TU
RHMFISS/AFOSI DET 522 INCIRLIK AB TU
RUEUITH/AFLO ANKARA TU

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000471 
 
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, MARCH 11, 2008 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Discord Continues Between Turkish Military and Opposition Parties 
All papers report the Chief of the Turkish General Staff (TGS) Yasar 
Buyukanit spoke with reporters yesterday concerning charges that 
pressure from the US caused Turkey to withdraw from northern Iraq. 
Buyukanit accused political opposition parties of launching 
criticisms that overshadow the military success against the PKK 
terrorists.  Buyukanit called such criticism from the opposition 
"insulting," and emphasized he would never "remain silent in the 
face of insults that target the military." 
 
In response to these remarks, CHP deputy chairman Mustafa Ozyurek 
said the opposition remains convinced that the operation ended due 
to US pressure.  Ozyurek warned the military against intervention in 
political debates between the ruling party and opposition parties. 
Ozyurek said the CHP holds the AKP government responsible for bowing 
to US pressure. "To this end, the prime minister himself made a 
series of serious accusations aimed at the opposition.  We hoped the 
head of the Turkish military would abstain from debates between our 
party and the ruling party," Ozyurek emphasized. 
 
Later in the day, Buyukanit tried to ease strains by telling 
reporters he was not a "neighborhood bully." He added that his 
remarks were not directed against the CHP or its leader Deniz 
Baykal, and that he was reluctantly dragged into "a polemic." 
 
Editorial Commentary on the Military's Polemic with Political 
Parties 
 
"When Will Democracy Be the Common Platform?" 
Hasan Cemal wrote in mainstream Milliyet (3/11):  "The military's 
'e-warning to the opposition' has become a never-ending story. The 
Chief of Staff General Buyukanit seems to have no intention of 
backing off.  General Buyukanit looks like he has engaged himself in 
psychological warfare with opposition leaders.  It appears he wants 
to weaken the opposition by accusing them of being enemies of army. 
The Turkish military used to manipulate political authorities toward 
the 'right direction.'  Now the military has begun manipulating 
opposition parties.  It is time to emphasize a very basic fact about 
democracies.  In democracies, the military has absolutely no role in 
politics.  The military is entitled to report to the political 
authority and cannot act like a political party.  This is the time 
to embrace democracy; both the ruling party and the opposition need 
to move toward a path where democracy is the common platform." 
 
"Enough of This Polemic" 
Gungor Mengi commented in mainstream Vatan (3/11):  "The military's 
reaction to the opposition parties is very hard to understand. 
Moreover, Chief of Staff General Buyukanit is continually egging on 
the opposition.  Yesterday he even admitted that he drafted the 
statement posted in TGS website which referred to the opposition 
leaders as 'worse than traitors.'  General Buyukanit should stop 
making such harsh statements against the opposition.  This polemic 
must come to end because it simply serves against the interests of 
national unity.  The CHP, the main opposition party, has calmly 
asked the military to stay out of this debate because the CHP wants 
answers from the AKP government, not from the military.  The ruling 
party is obviously pleased with the ongoing military vs. opposition 
polemic, but the military should absolutely stay away from domestic 
political debates." 
 
 
Buyukanit Warns against the Taliban Threat in Pakistan 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Taraf, Cumhuriyet, Zaman and 
others report the Chief of the Turkish General Staff (TGS) Yasar 
Buyukanit delivered the opening remarks during an international 
terrorism symposium.  The event was organized by TGS and held at the 
Centre of Excellence -- Defense against Terrorism (COE-DAT) in 
Ankara on March 10-11.  During his address, Buyukanit stressed that 
 
ANKARA 00000471  002 OF 002 
 
 
terror organizations were illegally trying to acquire nuclear power 
and weapons of mass destruction.  Buyukanit underlined the 
importance of international cooperation in the fight against terror. 
 In the case of Pakistan, Buyukanit warned, political turmoil and 
fundamentalist violence could help the Taliban seize control of the 
country and its nuclear weapons.  "I hope Pakistan becomes stable 
soon," Buyukanit told the conference.  He added, "if President 
Musharraf loses his grip, Pakistan could fall into the hands of a 
resurgent Taliban." 
 
In addition, papers report Buyukanit called for a UN mechanism to be 
activated against countries "showing tolerance" for the PKK 
terrorist network. 
 
 
Parliament Speaker Toptan Opens Door to DTP 
Sabah, Zaman, Hurriyet, Vatan, Cumhuriyet and others:  Yesterday, 
Speaker of Parliament Koksal Toptan received a delegation led by 
pro-Kurdish DTP Chairman Ahmet Turk.  Mainstream Sabah says Ahmet 
Turk expressed his party's views concerning the Kurdish issue to 
Toptan.  However, the meeting was closed to the press. 
Islamist-oriented Zaman reports that Ahmet Turk told press after the 
meeting, "I expressed my opinion regarding the process of lifting 
the parliamentary immunity for DTP deputies.  Mainstream Hurriyet 
reports President Gul will receive the same DTP delegation today at 
4:00 p.m.  Meanwhile, Sabah reports the Igdir prosecutor initiated 
an investigation against Igdir deputy Pervin Buldan for supporting 
the PKK terrorist organization and its leader, Abdullah Ocalan. 
 
Workers to Go on a Two-Hour Strike on Friday 
Radikal, Hurriyet, Milliyet, Zaman, Cumhuriyet and others:  Turkey's 
major labor unions, including Turk-Is, Disk and Kesk (which form the 
Emek Platform) will go on strike between 10.00-12.00 on Friday.  The 
strike was organized in order to protest the draft Social Security 
law and general health insurance. 
 
 
TV News: 
CNN Turk 
 
Domestic News 
 
- A Turkish delegation will meet in Baghdad with Nechirvan Barzani, 
the prime minister of the KRG in northern Iraq. 
 
- The government has reduced the number of students accepted into 
imam-hatip Islamic cleric-training high schools. In an effort to 
improve the quality of education, the number of students was reduced 
from 120,000 to 100,000. 
 
- The pro-Kurdish DTP lawmaker Bengi Yildiz asked Justice Minister 
Mehmet Ali Sahin whether the phones of DTP deputies are being 
tapped. 
 
International News 
 
- Vice President Dick Cheney will come to Turkey during his Middle 
East tour which begins March 16.  Cheney will meet with President 
Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Erdogan, and the Military General Staff 
Chief Yasar Buyukanit.  Items on his agenda include the fight 
against the PKK, Iraq and bilateral relations between Turkey and the 
US. 
 
- President Abdullah Gul will travel to Dakar, Senegal on Wednesday 
to participate in the 11th session of the Organization of the 
Islamic Conference (OIC). 
 
WILSON