VZCZCXRO7571
OO RUEHDA
DE RUEHAK #0673/01 1001357
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 091357Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5855
RUEKJCS/CJCS WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC//PA
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU
INFO RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 8813
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 4103
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 2844
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 6529
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 6370
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2945
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 000673 
 
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 
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9, 2008 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
EU Officials on AKP Closure Case, Turkey's EU Reforms 
All papers report in Brussels on Tuesday, EU officials urged Ankara 
to amend article 301 of the penal code and to continue with EU 
harmonization reforms.  EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana warned 
that attempts to ban the ruling AK party could have "grave 
consequences" for Turkey's EU bid.  Solana told the European 
Parliament yesterday banning a party was "not something normal" in a 
democracy.  EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said the 
latest incidents show it won't be possible for the EU to give Turkey 
a date for full membership.  EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn 
stressed that the EU entry process was a "guarantee" for preserving 
democracy and secularism in Turkey.  Joost Lagendijk, co-chairman of 
Turkey-EU joint parliamentary commission, welcomed the attempt to 
change article 301, and noted that the reforms planned by the 
Turkish government would end the ambiguity in article 301.  Under 
the headline, "Closing Down the AKP Would be Disaster," Yeni Safak 
quotes EP Socialist Group Vice-President Hannes Swoboda as saying 
banning the AKP would "paralyze democracy in Turkey." 
 
Mainstream Milliyet warns in a front-page editorial the delay in EU 
reforms has raised questions regarding the willingness of Turkey to 
join the EU.  The paper says the criticism of the European 
Commission over the AKP closure suit deserves respect.  Turkey's 
move back towards the EU should be seen in a positive light and the 
EU delegation's visit should be. 
 
Editorial Commentary on AKP Closure Case; Turkey-EU 
 
"Chaos Engineering" 
Mustafa Unal wrote in Islamist-leaning Zaman (4/9): "More democracy 
is the remedy for countering non-democratic efforts.  The effort to 
change Turkish Penal Code 301 is a good step for eliminating 
obstacles to freedom of thought.  Even though the proposed changes 
are not good enough to fully meet expectations, it can still be an 
interim solution to the problem.  The ruling AKP decided to go ahead 
with a comprehensive democratization package instead of minimal 
constitutional changes.  Once the content of the package is 
finalized, the AKP will seek reconciliation with the parties 
represented in the parliament.  Given the atmosphere in both the MHP 
and the CHP, we can conclude that reconciliation will be a very hard 
task for the AKP to achieve.  Neither Baykal nor Bahceli seem to be 
in favor of reconciliation, even though this was originally CHP 
rhetoric as Baykal used to call on PM Erdogan to exert efforts to 
reconcile.  The upcoming debate over a democratization package will 
be like a litmus test for the CHP on reconciliation.  The AKP will 
proceed on its own and seek a referendum if the opposition does not 
give support for this ongoing effort.  The ideal formula would be to 
find a way to these solve problems with a collaboration of 
government and opposition parties.  Democratization should be 
winning over chaos, and chaos engineers should be left jobless." 
 
"Ankara Waits for Barroso" 
Murat Yetkin wrote in liberal-intellectual Radikal (4/9): "Barroso 
will be the second president of the EU Commission to visit Turkey. 
He comes to Ankara at a very critical time, and his visit provides 
two important messages to both Europe and to Turkey.  EU Commission 
President Manuel Barroso has always defended Turkey's rights as a 
candidate before the anti-Turkey lobbyists in Europe.  He has 
supported the idea that Turkey's negotiations with the EU should be 
dealt within a full membership context instead of privileged 
partnership.  With this visit, he gives an open message to Turkey 
opponents: that Turkey deserves to be and should be a full member 
once conditions are all met.  And his message to Turkey will be 
going to every official or institution he meets:  'we, the EU 
Commission, are supporting Turkey's full membership negotiations. 
However, do not expect it to happen without meeting all of the 
conditions.'  In other words, Barroso will underline that the EU 
will not bend the rules of the game just because Turkey has some 
 
ANKARA 00000673  002 OF 003 
 
 
political, geographical, economical and cultural peculiarities. 
The fact that the ruling AKP has suddenly initiated some EU reforms 
after doing almost nothing in the last two years means that the 
messages from EU circles must have played a role.  It is obvious 
that nobody will open the doors of EU to save the AKP for the sake 
of democracy unless and until Turkey fully complies with full 
membership requirements." 
 
Erdogan, Baykal, Bahceli Address Party Groups 
All papers report Prime Minister Erdogan told his ruling AKP 
lawmakers Tuesday his government was determined to protect the 
interests of all voters, including the ones who did not vote for the 
AKP in the last elections.  Erdogan said the AKP was the "guarantee" 
of Turkey's unity.  Mainstream Vatan notes the similarities between 
these comments and the Prime Minister's message following the 
victory of his party in July 22 elections.  Opposition CHP leader 
Deniz Baykal lashed out at Erdogan for "complaining" about the AKP 
closure case to Vice President Dick Cheney during a meeting between 
the two leaders last month.   Baykal said if Erdogan "did complain 
to the vice president of a foreign country, he deserves the worst 
punishment."  Opposition far right MHP leader Devlet Bahceli said 
that the place to overcome the crisis is "not the corridors of the 
EU but the Turkish Parliament."  Bahceli warned the AKP-backed 
constitutional reforms package would "pull Turkey into an 
environment of conflict." 
 
Police Seize Hand Grenades at Bus Terminal in Istanbul 
All papers report five grenades, three bomb fuses and 76 Kalashnikov 
bullets were found by the police at Istanbul's inter-city bus 
terminal in Bayrampasa in a bus coming from the eastern city of 
Malatya.  The serial numbers of the grenades had been erased. 
Leftist Taraf says the grenades belong to a shadowy 
"counter-guerrilla" organization.  Mainstream Sabah recalls that 
similar grenades were used in attacks against Cumhuriyet daily in 
Istanbul last year. 
 
Fried Makes 'Complimentary' Remarks on Turkey 
Hurriyet, Radikal, Zaman and others report on Tuesday, Assistant 
Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Dan Fried made 
 
SIPDIS 
"complimentary remarks" about Turkey to Turkish and Greek reporters 
at the Foreign Press Center in Washington.  Islamist-oriented Zaman 
quotes Fried as saying, "Turkey had an active role in missile 
defense issues at the formal NATO meetings, as well as behind the 
scenes."  Fried noted he has "learned a lot from Turkish colleagues 
who had strong advice."  Fried also mentioned the UN's Lynn Pascoe 
recent visit to Cyprus, and now there is perhaps a true opportunity 
for progress on the divided island. 
 
TV News: 
NTV 
 
Domestic News 
 
- The head of the Diyarbakir Bar Association, Sezgin Tanrikulu, 
walked out of a meeting with Prime Minister Erdogan when the PM 
accused him of "lying" over the lack of Kurdish education and 
language rights in southeast Turkey, and for acting like a 
"spokesman of the PKK." 
 
- Prosecutor sets free 33 suspects taken into custody in connection 
with the turmoil in Akdeniz (Mediterranean) University in Antalya. 
 
 
- Former lawmaker Turan Comez has been expelled from the AKP. 
 
International News 
 
- The top US commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, recommended 
a 45-day pause in withdrawals of US troops from Iraq. 
 
 
ANKARA 00000673  003 OF 003 
 
 
- The White House warned Iran risked further isolation and new 
international sanctions after refusing to comply with UN Security 
Council resolutions over its nuclear program. 
 
- The Kosovo parliament is set to hold an extraordinary session 
Wednesday to adopt a new constitution. 
 
WILSON