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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 000853 
 
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, MAY 2, 2008 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
May Day Marked by Police Brutality 
All news outlets report police used excessive force to prevent 
Turkey's major labor unions and other civic organizations from 
commemorating May Day in Istanbul's Taksim Square yesterday.  Police 
blocked access to Taksim Square by dispersing demonstrators with 
tear gas and water cannons.  The headquarters of the Confederation 
of Revolutionary Workers' Unions (DISK) was besieged by police, who 
fired teargas into the building where union members were meeting in 
preparation for the May Day events.  Police fired teargas into a 
children's hospital near Taksim, which injured doctors and patients 
inside.  As tensions escalated, DISK cancelled their march to 
Taksim.  DISK's May Day march was intended to commemorate the 36 
people killed in May Day in 1977.  Papers report DISK chairman 
Suleyman Celebi said they decided not to march to Taksim in order to 
minimize damage, and Celebi demanded the resignation of Istanbul 
Governor Muammer Guler.  Celebi said the police brutality on May Day 
revealed the hypocrisy of the AKP, and it also showed that "the 
government wants freedom only for the headscarf."  The ruling AKP 
government imposed a ban on May Day celebrations in Taksim Square, 
claiming illegal groups were planning to use the rally to cause 
civil unrest.  At least 25,000 policemen were on duty and 2,000 
gendarmes were stationed in Taksim Square at 4:30 in the morning 
yesterday.  Papers report 530 demonstrators were detained, and 6 
policemen and 32 civilians injured. 
 
Mainstream Milliyet's banner headline reads, "Why?" and argues, "The 
Government Stirs Up Tensions While the Police Beat Men and Women 
With Batons and Kicks," as "Even a Hospital Is Attacked With 
Teargas."  Mainstream Hurriyet writes in "May Day Police State," 
that, "Workers in cardigans were dispersed by police using water 
cannons, teargas, and truncheons."  Hurriyet also notes, "Police did 
not hesitate to use teargas in a children's hospital," where "both 
doctors and patients were hurt."  Liberal Radikal carries photos of 
police beating May Day protestors with the banner headline, "This Is 
As Far As AKP Democracy Goes;" the article points out, "Police 
started their security measures with early morning beatings." 
Radikal columnist Murat Yetkin calls the police crackdown, "a 
violation of international conventions," and notes, "the AKP 
government upholds EU values in its defense against closure, but 
acts like a Middle East autocracy when the rights of workers are at 
stake."  Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet writes, "May Day Marred By 
AKP Terror," as "The government's mask of democracy is removed," and 
"the police take orders from the government to turn Istanbul into a 
battle field," as, "a reporter for Cumhuriyet suffers a broken arm 
after being beaten by police."  Cumhuriyet also writes, "May Day was 
celebrated in 160 countries but footage of police at May Day rallies 
in Turkey must have looked like some kind of police festival." 
Cumhuriyet correspondent Orhan Bursali called yesterday's turmoil, 
"a rehearsal for the establishment of an Islamic dictatorship." 
Mainstream Vatan columnist Rusen Cakir writes, "When the government 
banned the May Day demonstrations, they missed a chance to improve 
dialogue with voters who did not support them in the last 
elections."  Economic daily Referans refers to Istabul Police Chief 
Celalettin Cerrah's statement that "the police fulfilled their 
duties," by saying, "Cerrah must have been blinded by the teargas 
used by the police yesterday."  Columnist Mehmet Altan of mainstream 
Star wrote, "Yesterday's clashes looked like the four horsemen of 
the Apocalypse in Turkey." 
Mainstream Sabah strikes an ironic tone, saying "Police and soldiers 
have bravely defended Taksim from the workers." 
 
Meanwhile, Islamist-oriented and far right papers report otherwise. 
Islamist-oriented Zaman writes, "Taksim Tensions Averted When Labor 
Unions Step Back," but that "tensions were triggered by marginal 
groups clashing with police."  Conservative, nationalist-oriented 
Bugun writes, "May Day Horror:  All of Turkey Pays for DISK's 
Insistence on Marching to Taksim."  Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak 
writes, "The Result of DISK's Insistence on Marches in Taksim: 
 
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Police Use Teargas and Water Cannons Against the Demonstrators." 
Conservative-nationalist Turkiye writes, "Provocation! 
Demonstrators Trigger Turmoil With Their Insistence on Marching to 
Taksim, Despite the Restrictions."  Ali Bayramoglu of 
Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak blames the overall mentality of 
intolerance on both sides, noting Turkish politics are "haunted by 
oriental despotism."  However, columnist Oktay Eksi of mainstream 
Hurriyet joined the criticism against the labor unions when he 
wrote, "The unions pretended they were too strong to listen to the 
laws." 
 
President Abdullah Gul expressed regret that the workers could not 
celebrate May 1 by exercising basic rights and freedoms.  The CHP 
deputy group chairmen released a statement saying the AKP handled 
May Day with a "fascist mentality."  Far right MHP deputy group 
chairmen held a joint press conference and denounced the attitude of 
the security forces that were acting on the orders of the 
government. 
 
Editorial Commentary on Yesterday's May Day Debacle 
 
"Was This About May Day or the Government's Hara-kiri Suicide?" 
Cengiz Candar wrote in business daily Referans (5/2): "The police's 
show of force against demonstrators and the government's fights with 
labor unions are enormously symbolic events.  After yesterday's 
debacle, these symbols may signal the final stage of the AKP 
government.  Yesterday's May Day crackdown was typical of a despotic 
government with no sense of freedom. If this is the way AKP wants to 
behave, Turkey has no need for it.  While the measures taken to 
prevent labor unions from entering Taksim Square were legal, these 
measures were not taken in the interest of freedom." 
 
"The September 12 Coup Is Still Alive" 
Koray Duzgoren wrote in Islamist Yeni Safak (5/2): "While watching 
yesterday's scenes from Taksim, foreigners must wonder if Turkey is 
experiencing another military coup.  Police forces harshly attacked 
demonstrators and, in some cases, even innocent bystanders. 
Turkey's September 12th military coup happened 27 years ago, but 
today the same mentality of intolerance continues. One can exercise 
his or her freedoms only up to a certain extent.  In fact, the 
government's justification for the crackdown is even the same as it 
was during the military coup - full scale freedom can be abused. 
There is only one difference between military despotism and today. 
The military used to declare curfews on May Day.  While there are no 
official curfews today, it is a de facto thing." 
 
"Reporting From Besieged Taksim" 
Ferai Tinc wrote in mainstream Hurriyet (5/2): "Interestingly 
enough, the closure case against the AKP was opened based on 
existing laws.  When the closure case was initiated, AKP leaders 
extensively challenged the validity of the law.  But when it comes 
to labor unions and May Day demonstrations, the ruling AKP presents 
a stiff approach to binding laws.  This is nothing but hypocrisy and 
self-serving democracy.  While party closure is not right, banning 
peaceful demonstrations is equally wrong.  The values of democracy 
should be embraced as a whole.  Unions planned to criticize the 
government's approach to labor rights and the AKP prevented their 
voices from being heard from Taksim.  Yet this does not help the 
ruling AKP at all.  Instead, the entire world now understands the 
true meaning of democracy according to the AKP." 
 
[Background: May Day was a national holiday until the 1980 military 
coup.  Prior to the 1980 coup, labor unions traditionally organized 
large gatherings in Istanbul's Taksim Square.  In 1977, May Day 
Celebrations ended in bloodshed when 36 died after someone opened 
fire on the crowd of 500,000.  Later, papers reported the so-called 
"Deep State" was involved in the violence and thus it was an act of 
provocation.  The military coup of 1980 ordered a full ban on May 
Day celebrations and annulled the May Day holiday.] 
 
 
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Turkish Delegation Holds Official Talks in Iraq 
All papers report on Thursday, a Turkish delegation led by Prime 
Minister Erdogan's chief advisor Professor Ahmet Davutoglu and 
Special Iraq envoy Ambassador Murat Ozcelik met with Iraqi President 
Jalal Talabani, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, and the Kurdish 
regional administration Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani.  During 
the meeting with the Iraqi President, Talabani said it was 
"important for Turkey to strengthen ties with not only the central 
Iraqi government but also the Kurdish administration."  A statement 
issued by the Iraqi Presidency said the delegations stressed the 
need to resolve matters between Turkey and the Kurdish 
administration, and hold talks on politics, economics, and security 
matters. 
 
In the meeting with the Turks, Prime Minister Maliki said Iraqi 
government was eager to boost relations with Turkey and improve 
cooperation in all areas.  While Maliki said this year would be a 
year of reconstruction in Iraq, he added he would like to see Turkey 
join the reconstruction projects.  Davutoglu reaffirmed Turkey's 
support to Iraq's fight against terrorism and projects to 
reconstruct the country.  Davutoglu also told Maliki that Prime 
Minister Erdogan was willing to visit Iraq, say papers. 
 
In Ankara, Prime Minister Erdogan met Thursday the Iraqi Vice 
President Tariq al-Hashimi.  Erdogan and Hashimi to discuss regional 
stability and cooperation in the fight against terrorism and. 
Earlier yesterday, Hashimi was received by President Abdullah Gul at 
Cankaya Presidential Palace.  Gul said energy was an important 
dimension of Turkey's ties with Iraq.  Gul also told Hashimi Turkey 
wants to be included in the new list of countries that would explore 
oil in Iraq, papers report.  Mainstream Sabah reports, "Turkish 
officials asked Kurdish officials to guarantee they will take action 
against the PKK," and "the political isolation of northern Iraq will 
continue if the Kurdish regional administration fails to take steps 
against the PKK." 
MHP Seeks CHP Support for Annulling Changes in Article 301 
Hurriyet and Sabah report that MHP deputy chairmen Oktay Vural and 
Mehmet Sandir met with CHP group deputy chairmen Kemal Anadol, Kemal 
Kilicdaroglu and Hakki Suha Okay in an effort to get CHP's support 
to take the amendment of article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code to 
the Constitutional Court.  Sabah reports that CHP stressed that it 
was not possible to appeal to the Constitutional Court for the 
annulment of changes in article 301. 
 
Six Children on Trial for Singing Kurdish Marches 
Mainstream Sabah and Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak report the 
Diyarbakir Juvenile Court is trying six children between the ages of 
14 and 15 on charges of making PKK propaganda at a music festival in 
the U.S.  The lawyers of the child defendants claim the song the 
children sang and the flags that were hanging at the concert hall 
all belong to the regional Kurdish administration of northern Iraq. 
In order to gather more evidence, the court board postponed the 
case. 
 
TV Highlights 
CNN Turk 
 
Domestic News 
 
- Turkish fighter jets have bombed the PKK positions in the Kurtek 
and Kalatukan regions in Mount Kandil in northern Iraq. 
 
- Investigations into a recent lynching attempt against Kurds in 
Adapazari continue, but ten suspects detained in connection to the 
crime were released.  A group of Kurds in Sakarya condemned the 
racist attacks in the city. 
 
- Turkish Parliament's Justice Committee approved Thursday a draft 
allowing foreigners to acquire property in Turkey.  On March 12, the 
Constitutional Court annulled a law on sales of real estate to 
 
ANKARA 00000853  004 OF 004 
 
 
foreign companies and joint ventures. 
 
International News 
 
- Greek Cypriot leader Christofias said new initiatives in Cyprus 
would not lead to peace if Turkish Cypriots base their positions on 
the views of the Turkish National Security Council (MGK). 
 
- Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki sent a delegation to tell Iran 
to stop backing the Shiite militias in Iraq. 
 
- The man believed to be the head of al-Qaeda in Somalia was killed 
in a U.S. air strike. 
 
WILSON