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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001061 
 
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, JUNE 9, 2008 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Toptan Suggests 'Two-Chamber Parliament' System 
All papers reported over the weekend and today that Parliament 
Speaker Koksal Toptan told a Saturday morning press conference that 
the Constitutional Court's decision to scrap the AKP-MHP sponsored 
headscarf reforms means Turkey needs to reform its political system. 
 Toptan stressed the parliament holds the legislative power, and 
suggested the parliament consider drafting a new constitution and 
establishing a bi-chamber parliamentary system.  He said he plans to 
bring together the leaders of political parties represented in 
parliament to discuss these matters.  Toptan's proposal came as a 
"surprise" for the AKP, according to papers.  Papers report the AKP 
deputy chairman Dengir Mir Mehmet Firat said Turkey already tried 
this system before 1980 but abandoned it.  AKP deputy group Chief 
Nihat Ergun said the bi-house system could slow down the legislative 
process in Turkey.  Opposition MHP Secretary General Cihan Pacaci 
rejected Toptan's proposal, saying Turkey needs to reform its 
election system instead.  Opposition CHP leader Deniz Baykal said 
Turkey was experiencing "unsuitable conditions" for new 
constitutional reforms and warned that reform attempts could lead to 
deep divisions within the Turkish public.  CHP deputy group Chief 
Hakki Suha Okay said it was not for the Parliament Speaker to 
criticize the Constitutional Court decision; Okay criticized Toptan 
for not being "impartial."  Toptan stressed his proposal was not 
influenced by anybody.  Papers, however, note on Sunday that 
Toptan's press conference came after a meeting with Prime Minister 
Erdogan. 
 
Mainstream Milliyet commented over the weekend the AKP wants reforms 
to restrict the powers of the Constitutional Court.  In, "The AKP Is 
Negative to the Proposal for a Two-Chamber Parliament," mainstream 
Milliyet reports the reforms, nevertheless, will be part of a 
broader democratization package.  Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek 
and other leading AKP officials object to the reforms idea, saying 
the party should wait for the outcome of the lawsuit for closing 
down the ruling party, according to Milliyet and 
nationalist-oriented Cumhuriyet.  Mainstream Hurriyet claims 
although it was the AKP officials who pressed Toptan to intervene to 
reduce the tense environment, they did not agree with Toptan's 
formula re-instituting the senate.  A legal expert told the 
Islamist-oriented Zaman on Monday that a bi-chamber structure will 
not solve the problem and will only stall the legislative process 
and increase tensions.  Under the headline, "Real Democracy -- Right 
Now!" on its front page Monday, liberal Radikal says Turkey needs to 
introduce democracy without delay. 
 
On Monday, Erdogan will hold his weekly meeting with his party board 
to address his party group in the parliament Tuesday.  Mainstream 
Vatan expects Erdogan's speech at the party group meeting tomorrow 
to be a "democratic manifesto" in which the PM is expected to call 
on the political parties to work together to defend their "right to 
live," and underscore that the annulment of the headscarf reforms 
does not target merely the AKP. 
 
Editorial Commentary on the Constitutional Court Decision 
 
"About The System" 
Okay Gonensin wrote in mainstream Vatan (6/9): "The tradition 
continues: Ankara's politicians always start debates about checks 
and balances when they make a big mistake, and this time the same 
thing is happening.  The fact of the matter is that Turkey has a 
systematic problem which stems from a constitution that was shaped 
by the military in 1982.  Even though this constitution has been 
amended, time has proven that Turkey can no longer live with it. 
Interestingly enough, it was not until the AKP that a political 
authority showed a strong will to work toward a brand new 
constitution.  Although the ruling AKP had the courage and the 
wherewithal, the effort failed in the end due to a lack of vision 
and a lack of political experience.  Meanwhile, the opposition CHP 
 
ANKARA 00001061  002 OF 003 
 
 
is also a part of the problem because they also have no clear 
vision.  The AKP should start working towards a contemporary 
constitution that treats freedoms as a whole instead of focusing on 
only those freedoms related to the AKP's political roots.  A brand 
new and genuinely liberal constitution is what we need, along with a 
brand new law regarding political parties." 
 
"The Aftermath of the Decision" 
Yilmaz Oztuna wrote in conservative Turkiye (6/9):  "The 
Constitutional Court decision has almost divided the country's 
opinion into two - half of Turkey is pleased with it, while the 
other half is not.  The court decision is certainly subject to 
criticism but it must be applied as is.  The court decision, in 
light of the pending closure case, can also be interpreted as a 
decision against the ruling AKP.  It is also a warning to the 
parliament about the protection of the Turkish Republic.  The 
parliament chose to change the turban ban through a constitutional 
amendment and is now facing the consequences.  The current situation 
is complex because Turkey is in need of a completely new 
constitution.  By focusing on a certain issue, i.e. headscarf, the 
perception that the government has a specific agenda was enhanced. 
After all, the court's decision was political, and we will see the 
rationale when the detailed justification is issued." 
 
UN Iraq Envoy Unveils Kirkuk Report 
Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet and far right Ortadogu report the UN 
Special Envoy to Iraq Staffan de Mistura submitted his preliminary 
report on the disputed areas and borders in Iraq to the Iraqi 
President and the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG).  The regional 
Kurdish Parliament has convened an extraordinary session to discuss 
the report, which suggests the annexation of Kirkuk to four regions. 
 The report is far from meeting the expectations of the Kurds, who 
want all of Kirkuk to be tied to the Kurdish Administration, says 
Cumhuriyet. 
 
James Jeffrey To Be Nominated Ambassador To Turkey 
Hurriyet, Sabah, Radikal, Taraf, Cumhuriyet, Zaman and others gave 
positive, straightforward and widespread coverage of President 
Bush's announcement to nominate James Jeffrey as the next U.S. 
Ambassador to Turkey.  Papers say in order to be able to begin his 
mission in Turkey, Jeffrey's nomination needs to be approved by the 
U.S. Senate.  Jeffrey, who served three other assignments in Turkey, 
is currently the White House Deputy National Security Advisor.  He 
previously served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the 
State Department Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.  Earlier, he was 
the Deputy Chief of Mission in Baghdad and the U.S. Ambassador to 
Albania. 
 
PKK Target in Zap Struck in Nighttime Air Raid 
Bugun, Zaman, Yeni Safak, Star:  The Turkish General Staff web site 
stated that "Turkish F-16s hit a PKK/KONGRAGEL target in the Zap 
region of northern Iraq on June 7 at 22.30."  Islamist-oriented 
Zaman reports that F-16 planes took off from Diyarbakir air base and 
hit targeted radio stations and several PKK camps. 
 
TV News: 
CNN Turk 
 
Domestic News 
 
- One more worker has died in an accident at the Tuzla shipyards in 
Istanbul.  Shipyard workers are still planning to strike against 
unsafe working conditions at the shipyard on June 16.  During the 
past nine months, 26 workers have been killed in Tuzla shipyards. 
 
 
-  Prime Minister Erdogan will join the Turkish-Arab Economic Forum 
in Istanbul on June 12-13.  The Prime Ministers of Palestine, Qatar 
and Syria will also join the forum. 
 
 
ANKARA 00001061  003 OF 003 
 
 
- A report by Ankara Chamber of Trade (ATO) says over the last four 
years, the debts of the average Turkish family have increased 
seven-fold while their income increased only two-fold. 
 
International News 
 
- Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki promised the U.S.-Iraqi 
security pact would not negatively affect Iran. 
 
- Two people were killed and over 100 injured when a 6.5-magnitude 
quake hit southern Greece.  The Turkish Red Crescent sent 
humanitarian aid to the region. 
 
WILSON