VZCZCXRO9338
OO RUEHDA
DE RUEHAK #1215/01 1851338
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 031338Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6756
RUEKJCS/CJCS WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC//PA
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU
INFO RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 9001
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 4434
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 3055
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 6706
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 6539
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3117
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 001215 
 
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 
THURSDAY, JULY 3, 2008 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Ergenekon Investigation Reveals Plans for a Coup to Begin July 7 
Sabah, Vatan, Radikal, and Yeni Safak report documents seized during 
searches of Gendarme Commander Sener Eruygur's office indicate plans 
to stage a military takeover on July 7, 2008.  The plan allegedly 
begins with organized illegal protests in 40 cities across Turkey on 
July 7.  At the rallies, demonstrators would voice support for the 
judiciary and call for the closure of the ruling AKP.  In addition, 
armed clashes would be instigated between the police and protestors. 
 In an effort to escalate the national crisis, thirty assassins 
would coordinate assassinations against prominent figures.  Finally, 
concerns raised about the economy would lead to the collapse the 
government. 
 
Within this framework, Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO) Chairman 
Sinan Aygun was to express concern about the Turkish economy and 
encourage the formation of a new party as an alternative to the AKP. 
 Cumhuriyet daily's Ankara bureau chief Mustafa Balbay and the 
Tercuman daily's chief editor Ufuk Buyukcelebi were in charge of 
coordinating the media effort.  The High Military Council (YAS) 
meetings scheduled for August 1-4 would be postponed in order to 
ensure the rise of officers close to the Ergenekon network and block 
the promotion of officers from a rival group dubbed the "NATO 
Group." Mainstream Sabah reports that once these events create 
sufficient chaos, the military would be called in to take over and 
restore order.  Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak claims Sinan Aygun 
would become the new prime minister after the military takeover and 
former deputy PM Abdullatif Sener the new president. 
 
On July 1, Turkey detained more than 20 people as part of a 
long-running investigation into the underground ultra-nationalist 
Ergenekon gang.  Among those detained were two retired generals, two 
journalists and the head of the Ankara Chamber of Commerce. 
 
Tamer Korkmaz of Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak calls the Ergenekon 
arrests, "A coup against the coup plotters."  Huseyin Gulerce of 
Islamist-oriented Zaman writes, "The Untouchables have now been 
touched," as "this investigation is a milestone in Turkey's 
advancement toward democracy."  Ismet Berkan of liberal Radikal 
notes, "Regardless of the results of this investigation, for the 
first time, those who plot a coup are being charged, which uplifts 
Turkey's democratic standards."  Ertugrul Ozkuk of mainstream 
Hurriyet writes, "I have severe concerns that the Ergenekon 
investigation is being promulgated by a certain ideology," and, "If 
Turkey's EU criteria are so important, then why have people been 
detained for 11 months without any charges filed against them?  Is 
this in line with EU criteria?" 
 
General Basbug and PM Erdogan Deny They Discussed Ergenekon 
All papers report that Land Forces Commander General Ilker Basbug 
denied allegations that PM Erdogan and he talked about the Ergenekon 
investigation during their meeting on June 24.  General Basbug added 
"Turkey is going through difficult days. All of us must act with 
more common sense, more care and more responsibly."  The Prime 
Ministry also issued a statement ruling out allegations that the 
issue of detentions were not taken up at the June 24 meeting between 
the PM and the Land Forces Commander. 
 
EU Commission Warns Ergenekon Investigation about International 
Standards 
Mainstreams Hurriyet and Milliyet report that the EU Commission 
stressed that the Ergenekon investigation is being followed closely 
and the EU expects that the highest international standards should 
be applied during the police investigation and the course of the 
trials. 
 
Editorial Commentary on "Ergenekon" Arrests and AKP Closure Case 
 
Irfan Yildirim wrote in Islamist leaning Zaman: "Some of the media 
 
ANKARA 00001215  002 OF 003 
 
 
reacted harshly against the Ergenekon-related arrests, which brings 
up the urgent need to discuss the connection between the coup 
plotters and the media. Some retired generals and retired 
prosecutors write for a certain newspaper.  This by itself indicates 
Turkey's deep-rooted problems with democracy.  The pro-coup figures 
operating in the media must be discussed extensively until their 
links are eliminated.  There is also a need to create public 
awareness so that neither the judiciary nor the AKP feels alienated 
in this Ergenekon investigation against the coup plotters." 
 
Cuneyt Ulsever wrote in mainstream Hurriyet: "I share the 
presumption that the two generals detained were considering plans to 
overthrow the AKP, if they had the resources and the capability. 
Yet, such a strong conviction needs to be justified by strong 
evidence.  If the indictment has strong proof in this nature, our 
democracy will gain enormous momentum.  However I cannot help but 
smell politics in all of those detentions.  The lack of an 
indictment for the last 11 months and the way the arrests were 
carried out are questionable." 
 
Semih Idiz wrote in mainstream Milliyet: "Very interestingly enough, 
the AKP's number two asked for respect for the judiciary following 
the Ergenekon case detentions.  This very same name was furiously 
criticizing the judiciary on the closure case.  How can the 
judiciary be impartial regarding Ergenekon while it is allegedly 
biased in the closure case?  We want to believe the supremacy of law 
will prevail.  Otherwise the whole issue will come down a struggle 
between good judges and bad judges, in which case democracy will be 
the loser." 
 
'Sivas Victims' Commemorated 
All papers report the 15th anniversary of the "Sivas incident" was 
marked Wednesday with ceremonies in Sivas as well as other major 
cities of Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir.  On July 2, 1993, 37 
intellectuals, poets and writers were burned to death by a 
fundamentalist mob in the Madimak Hotel in Sivas.  Around 50,000 
rallied in Sivas yesterday, protesting the killings and the inaction 
in investigating the perpetrators over the last 15 years.  The group 
also called for turning Madimak Hotel into a museum honoring those 
who lost their lives.  More than 20 CHP lawmakers, the pro-Kurdish 
DTP deputy group Chief Emine Ayna and other political parties 
participated in the demonstrations yesterday outside the parliament 
and labor unions. 
 
TV Highlights 
CNN Turk 
 
Domestic News 
 
- A draft asking for the transfer of the Turkish Central Bank 
headquarters from Ankara to Istanbul in two years was submitted to 
the parliament for approval. 
 
- In the southeastern border province of Sirnak, one soldier was 
killed by a landmine believed to have been planted by the PKK. 
 
- Visiting Russian Foreign Minister Segei Lavrov said Russia 
formally removed restrictions on Turkish fruit exports. 
 
International News 
 
- Prime Minister Erdogan cancelled his visit to Malaysia on July 
7-8.  President Abdullah Gul will represent Turkey at the D-8 
meeting in Malaysia. 
 
- Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari announced Jordan's King 
Abdullah II and Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan would visit Iraq 
soon. 
 
- Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told NBC TV Iran might 
 
ANKARA 00001215  003 OF 003 
 
 
consider the suggestion of Secretary Rice on opening U.S. interest 
office in Tehran. 
 
WILSON