VZCZCXRO8978
OO RUEHDA
DE RUEHAK #0598/01 0911301
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 311301Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5743
RUEKJCS/CJCS WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC//PA
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU
INFO RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 8786
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 4061
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 2820
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 6508
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 6349
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2924
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 03 ANKARA 000598 
 
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, MARCH 31, 2008 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
AKP Closure Case 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Taraf, Cumhuriyet, Zaman, Yeni 
Safak and others report Turkey's Constitutional Court will determine 
whether to proceed with the closure case against the AKP on Monday. 
Court of Appeals (Yargitay) Chief Prosecutor Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya 
submitted his request for the closure of Turkey's ruling party.  If 
the court accepts the indictment, the AKP will submit its 
preliminary defense to the court in one month.  After the Chief 
Prosecutor states his views on the merits of the case, the AKP will 
make a verbal defense, which will be followed by a verbal response 
from the Chief Prosecutor.  Later, the reporter of the 
Constitutional Court will prepare his report on the merits of the 
case.  Turkey's Constitution stipulates that at least seven of the 
11 court members have to vote for closure in order for the court to 
ban a political party. 
 
Sunday papers quote Yalcinkaya as saying "up to 40 AKP lawmakers 
could be banned from politics," as a result of the suit.  Mainstream 
Hurriyet quotes on Monday an unidentified AKP official who said, 
"The Constitutional Court could reject the indictment on the grounds 
that it was not legally possible to start investigations against the 
president."  Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak writes over the weekend 
that "according to jurists, the Constitutional Court should return 
the indictment to the Chief Prosecutor because it does not include 
the AKP officials' statements in support of secularism."  Over the 
weekend, Sabah said the AKP might hold early parliamentary elections 
and municipality elections before the Constitutional Court makes its 
final decision about the suit. 
 
Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak says Yalcinkaya claimed, "The closure 
case would not have been launched if the AKP had heeded the warnings 
on the headscarf issue."  Yeni Safak asserts "Yalcinkaya's remarks 
link the headscarf to the closure case.  This shows that the suit 
was filed was to influence the Constitutional Court's decision on 
the headscarf issue."  Liberal Radikal writes, "Changing the 
constitution and holding a referendum is not the right way to 
resolve the existing problem.  Everything should be done to protect 
our democracy against a court decision that might be described as a 
legal coup.  However, remaining loyal to the principle of secularism 
is as important as maintaining democracy." A Saturday column in the 
Islamist-oriented Zaman says, "It's the AKP's duty to defend 
democracy under such circumstances" and "the Erdogan government must 
work towards a fast alignment of the Turkish political system with 
EU standards.  This can be done by calling a referendum regardless 
of whether the Constitutional Court accepts or rejects the 
indictment." 
 
AKP Leaders and EU's Olli Rehn on AKP Closure Case 
All papers report that on Sunday, Prime Minister Erdogan told 
supporters in Yalova and Bursa, "Everyone has to respect the 
national will" because, "16.5 million voters backed the AKP in the 
latest elections.  We will continue on our path; the only way to 
defeat us in this democratic process is the ballot box."  Erdogan 
complained, "It is disgraceful that the AKP is linked exclusively to 
the headscarf issue."  He noted that the headscarf reforms passed by 
the parliament were backed by another party, the MHP, and it was a 
"double standard" that no one placed any sanctions against this 
party.  Mainstream Vatan comments, "Erdogan implies that the 
prosecutor should have filed suits to disband the MHP as well." 
Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek denounced efforts to "seize the 
administration of the country through undemocratic means."  Culture 
Minister Ertugrul Gunay told reporters, "Democracy will prevail in 
Turkey. Parties cannot be closed in today's world.  Attempting to 
close down the rule of the people would mean Turkey has dropped to 
the second division of the democracy league." 
 
EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn, speaking to press in Slovenia 
after a meeting with EU foreign ministers, said he viewed the AKP 
 
ANKARA 00000598  002 OF 003 
 
 
closure case with "growing concern and disbelief. I hope the judges 
will consider Turkey's long-term interests to be an important 
European democracy respecting all democratic principles of the EU." 
 
 
Editorial Commentary on AKP Closure Case 
 
In mainstream Milliyet, Semih Idiz wrote (3/31): "On Saturday, EU 
Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn warned Turkey against proceeding 
forward with the AKP closure case.  Some in Turkey regarded this 
warning as a threat.  Actually, party closure is against EU 
criteria.  Europeans do not close political parties.  According to 
the Venice Commission of the European Council, a political party can 
be closed down only if it calls for violence and is involved in 
violence.  This applied to the closure of communist and fascist 
parties in Germany and Italy during the 1940s and the 1950s.   While 
Turkey is a member of the Venice Commission, the closure of 
communist and fascist parties in Germany and Italy during the 1940s 
and 1950s cannot justify the closure of the AKP.  Despite all of 
this, if Turkey's Constitution Court decides to close down the AKP, 
we better think about our prestige.  The European Court of Human 
Rights may reject the ruling.  Therefore Olli Rehn's words should be 
regarded as a warning instead of a threat." 
 
Nuri Elibol wrote in conservative Turkiye (3/31): "We have to bear 
in mind the economic impact behind this political crisis.  Turkey is 
going through a transformation in terms of the emergence of new 
capital owners.  The major flow of capital has gone to the hands of 
new bosses.  This is the main reason why anti-AKP efforts have 
commenced.  The AKP government did not share the wealth with both 
the status quo and capital owners, and now the AKP is facing the 
consequences.  This is about a power struggle.  Had PM Erdogan 
served the interests of certain groups, there would not be tensions 
regarding religious fundamentalism or anti-secularism issues.  This 
is a big game.  The ultimate goal is to disqualify Erdogan in 
politics." 
 
Justice Minister Sahin: "744 Cases Pending for Violating Article 301 
of Turkish Penal Code" 
Liberal Radikal and mainstream Milliyet report that, despite the 
promises of former Justice Minister Cicek, PM Erdogan and Foreign 
Minister Babacan, nothing has been done about amending article 301 
over the last three years.  During a meeting with the MHP deputy 
group chairman Mehmet Sandir, Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin said 
that "as of the first three months of 2007, there were 744 ongoing 
cases in the courts, opened based on article 301.  536 of these 
cases were handed over from 2006." 
 
A New Era with Iraq 
Cumhuriyet, Sabah:  Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet reports, "Since 
Iraqi President Talabani and U.S. Vice-President Cheney visited 
Ankara, Turkey has intensified its initiatives regarding Iraq." 
Turkey's Special Envoy for Iraq, Murat Ozcelik, has held meetings in 
Baghdad for one week.  Cumhuriyet writes, "During this new period in 
bilateral relations, Turkey and Iraq will focus on the transferring 
Iraqi oil and natural gas to international markets through Turkey, 
boosting economic corporation, eliminating the PKK terror 
organization, and initiating dialog between Turkey and the Kurdish 
administration.  Reportedly, Ozcelik met with Iraqi Vice- Presidents 
Tarik el Hasimi and Adil Abdulmehdi, Parliament Foreign Relations 
Committee Chairman Humam Hammudi, Deputy PM Berham Salih and 
Saadettin Ergec, the chairman of Iraqi-Turkmen, in Baghdad.  During 
the meeting with Vice-President Abdulmehdi, the two officials 
discussed the cross border operations.  Abdulmehdi stressed the 
importance of the bilateral relations based on respect for 
sovereignty, national independence and territorial integrity.  Murat 
Ozcelik reiterated Turkey's support for the Iraqi government and 
noted the improved relations between the two countries. 
 
Meanwhile, mainstream Sabah quotes Massoud Barzani's Foreign 
 
ANKARA 00000598  003 OF 003 
 
 
Relations Official Safin Dizayi as saying, "Official meetings 
started between Turkey and the Kurdish Administration in northern 
Iraq."  Dizayi mentioned Murat Ozcelik's meeting with the officials 
in Dohuk and said that "Ozcelik wanted me to attend the meeting 
between the Kurdish Administration and the governor of Dohuk." 
 
TV News: 
CNN Turk 
 
Domestic News 
 
- Four suspects, including two children, have been taken into 
custody on Sunday in connection with an attack against Cumhuriyet 
daily.  A 13-year old assailant was captured after he threw a 
Molotov cocktail at the newspaper's office in Istanbul on Saturday. 
 
 
- The Kuwaiti Emir Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah will meet Prime 
Minister Erdogan in Ankara on Monday. 
 
- Parliament's commission for human rights has initiated an 
investigation into reports that a 15-year old youth was beaten by 
three police officers in front of cameras in Hakkari, Yuksekova. 
 
International News 
 
- Radical Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr has ordered his followers to 
stop attacks on security forces in Baghdad and Basra. 
 
- Hillary Clinton has rejected calls by the supporters of Barack 
Obama to quit the race. 
 
- Nine nations that joined the EU in 2004 have dropped passport 
controls for Schengen citizen air passengers. 
 
WILSON