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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001029 
 
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, JUNE 3, 2008 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Turkey to Ratify Kyoto Protocol 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Taraf, Cumhuriyet, Referans, 
Zaman and others report 
Government Spokesman Cemil Cicek said the Turkish government has 
adopted, in principle, the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. 
Cicek said after the Council of Ministers' meeting on Monday, a 
proposal to ratify the Protocol would be submitted to the 
parliament's approval soon.  "In the post-Kyoto agreement era, 
Turkey needs to participate in the process to voice its concerns," 
emphasized Cicek.  Parliament's Environment Commission chairman 
Haluk Ozdalga said the proposal would be passed with support from 
all parties.  "Turkey has no emission reduction obligations, and it 
will not be obliged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions until after 
2012," Ozdalga stated.  He added the Protocol falls under EU 
environmental legislation, and Turkey would face pressure from the 
EU to ratify it during membership negotiations. 
 
FM Babacan Leaves for U.S. 
Sabah, Star, Zaman, Aksam, Turkiye:  Papers report that Foreign 
Minister Ali Babacan left for the U.S. on an official visit 
yesterday.  Mainstream Sabah reports that Babacan will meet with 
Vice-President Cheney and Secretary Rice tomorrow.  The AKP closure 
case will be on the agenda during his meeting with Secretary Rice, 
notes Sabah.  Conservative-nationalist Turkiye and tabloid Aksam 
report that Babacan will meet with Secretary of Energy Bodman and 
Secretary of Treasury Paulson as well.  Anatolian Agency reports 
that after completing his program in Washington DC, Babacan will 
proceed to New York to attend an international conference on AIDS on 
June 10th and 11th, and to Paris, France to attend an international 
conference on Afghanistan on June 12th. 
 
Meanwhile, Islamist-oriented Zaman reports that U.S. State 
Department Spokesman Sean McCormack said on Monday at a press 
conference that Turkey's mediation between Syria and Israel was 
worthy of praise. 
 
Turkiye reports that President Gul will travel to Japan tonight to 
boost the economic relations between the two countries, together 
with State Ministers Kursad Tuzmen and Mehmet Simsek, as well as 100 
businessmen.  The paper notes that Gul will be the first Turkish 
President to visit Japan. 
 
Former U.S. Officials Join Brookings-TUSIAD Conference in Istanbul 
 
Milliyet, Radikal and Yeni Safak report former diplomats and experts 
including Senator Barack Obama's foreign policy advisor Philip 
Gordon, John McCain's advisor Richard Burt, former U.S. Ambassador 
to Turkey Mark Parris, and Brookings Institute chair Strobe Talbott 
participated in the Brookings Institute-TUSIAD conference held in 
Istanbul on "U.S. Presidential Elections and Its Effects on 
U.S.-Turkey Ties."  Both Gordon and Burt said the AKP's closure 
would not end Turkey-U.S. ties, but it may jeopardize political and 
cultural relations.  Gordon said Obama, as well as many Democrat 
lawmakers, supported a Congressional adoption of Armenian 'genocide' 
allegations.  He warned Turks now to begin to think what to do if 
the bill is passed.  Parris told the conference Turkey had 
significant interests in several regional matters.  "No matter which 
candidate is elected the U.S. President, Turkey's importance will 
continue.  Turkey is never neglected," said Parris. 
 
Poll: AKP, CHP Losing Votes 
Liberal Radikal reports on a public opinion survey commissioned by 
Credit Suisse and conducted by A&G Research Company which shows 
Turkey's ruling AKP has begun to lose support in recent months.  The 
AKP had 54.2 percent of votes in January 2008, and the CHP 13.7.  If 
elections were held today, the distribution of votes among political 
parties would be as follows: Undecided 29.3 percent, AKP 28.1, CHP 
13.7, MHP 12.1, DTP 4.6, and DSP 2.2.  After the "undecided" votes 
 
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are distributed among parties, the percentages would be: AKP 39.7, 
CHP 19.4, MHP 17.1, DTP 6.5, and DSP 3.1.  The poll was conducted 
May 24-25 with one-on-one interviews with 2,386 adults, including 
1173 women, in 33 provinces across Turkey. 
 
France Opens a Diplomatic Representation in Erbil 
Sabah, Hurriyet, Zaman, Milliyet and others:  Papers report that 
French Foreign Minister Kouchner attended the opening of the French 
Diplomatic Representation in Erbil town of northern Iraq.  Kouchner 
met with KRG President Massoud Barzani and at a joint press 
conference, Kouchner said that France will increase relations with 
the Kurdish Administration and will support the Kirkuk referendum. 
 
 
The Floating Guantanamo 
All news outlets feature extensive coverage of The Guardian's story 
which claims U.S. naval ships are being used as floating prisons. 
Mainstream Milliyet carries the headline, "Decorated Prisons," and 
notes, "thousands of terror suspects have passed through secret 
interrogations on up to seventeen U.S. war ships."  Mainstream Sabah 
writes, "Countless Numbers of Ghost Suspects Were Tortured In 
International Waters."  Liberal Radikal carries the front page 
headline, "Bush Said This Type of Punishment Was Finished, But Now 
Ships Are Transformed Into Prisons."  Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet 
calls the ships, "America's Torture Ships."  Leftist Taraf notes, 
"It's Not A Naval Ship, It's a Torture Center."  In "The U.S.'s 
Floating Prisons," far right Ortadogu reports, "the USS Ashland 
warship was used by the CIA and FBI in an organized and systematic 
operation to capture suspects from Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia," 
and "close to 100 people have completely disappeared from these 
ships." 
 
Shops Selling Ladies' Lingerie in Malatya Received Threat Letters 
Sabah, Milliyet, Vatan, Cumhuriyet and others:  Papers report that 
ladies' lingerie shops in Malatya received threat letters delivered 
under their shop doors.  The letters warned the shop owners to 
remove the underwear from their windows because such displays were 
against the ethical principles in Turkey.  The letters were signed 
by the "Sensitive Women of Malatya." 
 
TV News: 
CNN Turk 
 
Domestic News 
 
- Government Spokesman Cemil Cicek said the government prepared an 
'emergency plan of action' to meet the water needs of 81 provinces, 
and that seven provinces in Turkey urgently need water. 
 
- On June 5th, the Constitutional Court will address the CHP 
application to annul AKP-MHP sponsored headscarf reforms which were 
passed by parliament. 
 
- Conscientious objector Halil Sevda has been sentenced to 
five-month in prison for making a call to "reject compulsory 
military service" in a press statement he read in support of the 
Israeli conscientious objectors during Israel's 2006 invasion of 
Lebanon. 
 
International News 
 
- International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors will travel to Syria 
this month to investigate allegations that a site bombed by Israel 
in September was a secret nuclear installation. 
 
- President Ahmadinejad will arrive in Rome this week to participate 
in a UN FAO summit on the global food crisis.  Pope Benedict XVI has 
cancelled previously scheduled meetings with world leaders who are 
attending the conference in order to avoid an encounter with the 
Iranian President. 
 
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- In an interview with Germany's Der Spiegel magazine, 
Nobel-prizewinning Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk said soccer in 
Turkey serves nationalist and xenophobic thinking, but he would 
still support the country's team at the Euro 2008 soccer 
championship. 
 
WILSON