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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000982 
 
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 23, 2008 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Council of State Releases Statement Supporting Court of Appeals 
Declaration 
All news outlets report the Council of State (Danistay) released a 
statement on Thursday to express its unease with the AKP 
government's harsh response to the Court of Appeals (Yargitay) 
declaration.  The Council of State statement said the Court of 
Appeals declaration released Wednesday against the ruling AKP 
government was "not politically motivated."  In addition, the 
statement noted, "Top judicial institutions in Turkey have the right 
to interfere in the process of constitutional and legal amendments 
regarding the judiciary.  We see this as part of our constitutional 
responsibility to protect the basic principles of the Republic." The 
statement also criticized the government for not discussing its 
judicial reform strategy draft with the Turkish judiciary before 
submitting the document to the EU.  The court called such a move, 
"out of line with the principles of independence." 
 
Opposition far right MHP leader Devlet Bahceli said the Court of 
Appeals declaration was a "righteous reaction."  He urged President 
Abdullah Gul to "take initiative to bring together the heads of 
legislation and judiciary to end the crisis among the basic 
institutions of the Republic." 
 
Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak writes, "The Council of State's 
announcement supports the Court of Appeals' attempts to influence 
the AKP's closure case in the Constitutional Court," and claims the 
statement was "Another act that damages the judiciary."  Mainstream 
Hurriyet writes, "The exchange of harsh statements signals a new 
phase in the conflict between the AKP government and the judiciary, 
and is likely to stoke tensions further."  Tabloid Aksam criticizes 
the statement, saying "The judiciary has violated the rule of not 
commenting on ongoing cases." Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet sees it 
as "Big support" as "the Council of State, political parties and 
lawyers back the Court of Appeals declaration."  In "The Judiciary's 
Memorandum Frenzy," leftist Taraf, lashes out at the "sister 
statement" released in support of the Court of Appeals declaration. 
Ahment Altan of Taraf calls the statement, "an indication of panic," 
in the judiciary and "those who embarrassed their own society with 
coup attempts will be pushed outside of the system where they would 
never gain back the respect they have lost."  Cengiz Candar of 
economic daily Referans wrote the statement, "harmed the public's 
understanding that the Court of Appeals is an independent and 
impartial institution."  Taha Akyol of mainstream Millyet wrote, 
"The independence of the judiciary should not be interpreted as 
judicial oligarchy."  Erdal Safak of mainstream Sabah noted this 
incident proves judicial reform is "the most pressing issue."  Ergun 
Babahan of Sabah calls the institutional disputes, "the pangs of a 
developing democracy."  Ali Sirmen of Cumhuriyet calls the 
statements "a judicial coup attempt," and Hikmet Bila of the same 
paper notes, "The court should take sides in favor of the 
constitution."  Ihsan Dagi of Islamist-oriented Zaman writes, "A 
group of supreme judges is trying to settle a score with the 
national will and with democracy." 
 
Editorial Commentary on Government-Judiciary Conflict 
 
"Counter Statement" 
Ahmet Hakan writes in mainstream Hurriyet (5/23):  "I ask the nation 
to evaluate yesterday's statement from the Court of Appeals 
(Yargitay).   Should state institutions negotiate with each other to 
resolve their internal disputes?  Or, should they issue public 
statements, one after another, to force the public into their 
disputes?  What can the public do?  Will they stop voting for the 
AKP and instead vote for Yargitay?  In that case, what will the 
CHP's function be? Or, is it possible for the CHP to dissolve itself 
and join Yargitay?  Anyway, let's put all these questions aside and 
try to be satisfied by complaining to the nation that these 
institutions are forcing us to ask such nonsense questions.  I leave 
 
ANKARA 00000982  002 OF 003 
 
 
it to the great Turkish nation to recognize that Yargitay's recent 
statement could only be written by the main opposition party CHP. 
The insane Yargitay has begun a secularist Jihad against the 
religious government." 
 
"Yargitay's Authority" 
Melih Asik wrote in mainstream Milliyet (5/23):  "Government 
Spokesman Cemil Cicek declared, 'Yargitay doesn't have authority to 
speak for the nation.'  Why?  Is there a rule that prohibits 
Yargitay from issuing statements? If there is true democracy in this 
country, then it is natural for the Court to warn the nation about 
threats to the judiciary.  If universities, intellectuals, 
opposition parties and institutions protected the judiciary from the 
government's attacks, Yargitay would not feel the need to issue such 
a statement.  The government's reaction to this statement was 
nothing but a bouquet of rage.  The AKP government has engaged in 
"Operation Pressure," against the judiciary for months. AKP deputies 
have urged the European Council to intervene in Turkey's judiciary. 
The EU's third class officials have arrogantly talked down to the 
Turkish judiciary.  In turn, everyone in Turkey has been pressuring 
the judiciary.  Now, why are none of these activities declared 
anti-democratic?  Is this what you call democracy?" 
 
"Yargitay Statement" 
Tamer Korkmaz commented in Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak (5/23): 
"The Yargitay statement proves the judiciary is politicized.  This 
statement has no judicial or legal binding.  Yargitay stated their 
initiative was in the name of the "status-quo," i.e. the shadow 
government.  The Yargitay wanted to influence the Constitutional 
Court's decision regarding the AKP closure case.  The latest efforts 
from Yargitay and Danistay should not confuse anyone.  It is 
impossible for Turkey to go back to the days where the shadow 
government ruled the country; the status-quo shadow government has 
already lost its sovereignty in Turkey." 
 
Babacan: Syria-Israel Peace Talks to Continue Periodically 
Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak reports Foreign Minister Ali Babacan 
said Thursday peace talks between Syria and Israel would "continue 
periodically."  Babacan described the indirect peace negotiations 
between Syria and Israel, held in Istanbul under Turkey's 
sponsorship, as "satisfactory" for the two sides.  He told a joint 
press conference with the visiting foreign minister of Burkina Faso 
in Ankara a "common ground" had been reached and that this would 
allow the negotiations to continue.  Mainstream Sabah quotes Babacan 
as saying the basic philosophy of the meetings was "peace for land" 
or "land for peace."  "The Israeli-Syrian leg of the Middle Eastern 
peace process officially resumed after 13 years and the talks will 
continue under Turkey's supervision," Babacan reportedly said. 
 
Barzani Hopes Turkey-Iraq Official Talks to Continue 
Milliyet, Sabah, Zaman and Cumhuriyet report Nechirvan Barzani, the 
Prime Minister of the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) in northern 
Iraq, said they would not allow terror organizations to use the 
Iraqi territory for operations against Turkey.  Barzani, who is 
visiting Washington, told a group of Turkish journalists at the U.S. 
Congress he hoped talks with Turkish officials held in Baghdad on 
May 1 would continue.  He stressed they would continue their 
measures against the PKK.  "Turkey's demand that Iraqi territory not 
to be used against Turkey is a righteous one," said Barzani. 
 
Meanwhile, leftist Taraf, nationalist-oriented Cumhuriyet and 
liberal Radikal report, "KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani 
attended a reception in Washington hosted by the U.S.-Kurdish 
Friendship Group in the U.S. Congress."  The newly formed caucus is 
co-chaired by Tennessee Democrat Lincoln Davis and South Carolina 
Republican Joe Wilson.  Barzani highlighted that the group's 
establishment was "an important event."  Liberal Radikal points out 
the reason for the U.S.-Kurdish Friendship, that the Kurds are "the 
U.S.'s most loyal allies in Iraq." 
 
 
ANKARA 00000982  003 OF 003 
 
 
Turkey Joins Joint Strike Fighter Production 
Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet reports Turkish Parliament has 
adopted Thursday a bill on approval of an international agreement 
regarding Turkey's participation in production of Joint Strike 
Fighter (JSF) warplanes.  The law foresees that Turkey would become 
a partner of a most important defense project worth USD 250 billion. 
 JSFs will replace F-4 and F-16 fighter jets which are to conclude 
their technical lifespan by 2010. 
 
HRW Report: Turkey's Gays, Lesbians Have No Rights, No Law 
Leftist Taraf cites excerpts from the New York-based Human Rights 
Watch report on the widespread violence used against gays, lesbians, 
and transvestites in Turkey.  The 100-page report, titled "We Need a 
Law for Our Liberation," points to the biased and prejudiced 
attitude by police, military, judiciary, and health workers against 
marginalized groups in Turkey.  It calls on international health 
organizations and the European Union to put pressure on Turkey, 
stressing, "Turkish laws are insufficient in protecting homosexuals, 
and the existing legislation cannot be enforced due to 
discrimination and prejudice."  The report was written after four 
weeks of field research in each of the cities of Ankara, Istanbul, 
and Izmir in 2003, and in Ankara, Istanbul, and Van in 2007. 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV 
 
Domestic News 
 
- The Greek military general staff chief General Dimitrios Grapsas 
is scheduled to pay an official visit to Turkey from May 25-28 at 
the invitation of his Turkish counterpart, General Yasar Buyukanit. 
 
 
- The Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) criticized in a statement the 
advertisement on the Kurdish question placed by the Kurdish 
Institute in Paris in Le Monde and International Herald Tribune. 
The MFA statement said the ad "was putting forth conditions to end 
the activities of the terrorist PKK." 
 
- Health Minister Recep Akdag said contaminated water resources 
caused the diarrhea epidemic in the central Anatolian province of 
Aksaray.  At least 8,500 people were hospitalized on complaints of 
diarrhea in Aksaray and the nearby province of Konya over the past 
week. 
 
International News 
 
- Syrian Information Minister Muhsin Bilal told al-Jazeera 
Television on Thursday they had received guarantees from Israel via 
Turkey for a full withdrawal from the Golan Heights. 
 
- Former Kurdish lawmaker Leyla Zana said in a speech addressing the 
British parliament the PKK's struggle was an "insurance policy for 
the Kurdish people." 
 
- General David Petraeus said the U.S. should counter Iran's rising 
influence by increasing diplomatic and economic pressure on Tehran, 
while retaining possible military action as a "last resort." 
 
WILSON