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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001226 
 
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, JULY 8, 2008 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Suspects in Dink Murder Trial Turn on Each Other 
All papers report on the continuing trial against the suspects 
accused of assassinating Hrant Dink, editor of the Armenian-Turkish 
publication Agos.  Dink was shot dead outside the offices of Agos in 
Istanbul in January 2007.  Ogun Samast and Yasin Hayal were later 
arrested on charges of murder.  The first five hearings were closed 
to the media because suspect Samast was a minor at the time.  One of 
the now 19 defendants charged in connection to the murder said he 
informed the gendarme at least four times that Yasin Hayal, a key 
suspect in the plot, planned to have Dink killed.  Samast, the prime 
suspect in the murder trial, told the court Hayal asked him to kill 
Agos daily's security guard and other employees as well -- a charge 
Hayal denied. 
 
European Parliament member Cem Ozdemir and several other 
international figures attended the hearing as observers.  Ozdemir 
told reporters before the hearing, "Hrant Dink's vision of a 
democratic, secular and European Turkey has not yet materialized." 
The trial began in July 2007.  Prosecutors have demanded a prison 
term of 18 to 24 years for Samast because he was underage at the 
time of the murder.  However, life sentences are being sought for 
the two key suspects, Hayal and Tuncel, for inciting murder. 
 
 
'Operation Ergenekon' Reveals another Coup Attempt 
All papers report a third coup plan, codenamed "Glove," was revealed 
by leftist  Taraf daily on Monday.  The plan was set to be 
implemented after two previous coup attempts failed in 2003 and 
¶2004.  The document was found in retired General Sener Eruygur's 
office during searches related to the Ergenekon case.  The "Glove" 
plan aimed at "reshaping the parliament, the military, the 
bureaucracy, and local governments," while "rewriting the 
constitution, the entire legislation and the National Security 
Policy Document."  Operation Glove hoped to secure media support and 
fund certain media efforts to harm liberals and mobilize the public 
to support the military. 
 
Islamist-oriented Zaman claims the documents seized last week in the 
Ergenekon investigation revealed that the group was planning a bomb 
attack in Istanbul's Taksim Square to stir chaos that would 
eventually lead to military intervention.  Zaman recalls that a 
scenario discussed at a Hudson Institute meeting on June 13, 2007 
described a bomb attack killing at least 50 people in Istanbul.  The 
paper adds the conspirators were also plotting to murder prominent 
figures such as chief prosecutor Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya and top 
military officers. 
 
According to a confiscated diary allegedly belonging to Naval 
Commander Admiral Ozden Ornek, Retired General Eruygur was allegedly 
a key accomplice in the plan, along with three other force 
commanders.  The diary also detailed failed attempts to oust the 
AKP.  Ornek has always insisted that the journal does not belong to 
him.  On Monday, Admiral Ornek once again rejected allegations that 
he was the author of the diary, which was published by Nokta weekly. 
 
 
Meanwhile, CNN Turk reports State Department Spokesman Sean 
McCormack called the Ergenekon investigation, "an internal matter 
for Turkey," during the daily press briefing yesterday. 
 
Editorial Commentary on Ergenekon, Turkey's Political Crisis 
 
"The Diary of a Coup" 
Melih Asik wrote in mainstream Milliyet (7/8):  "Retired Admiral 
Ozden Ornek denied accusations that the so-called 'coup diary' 
belongs to him.  He also noted that only Alper Gormus of Nokta 
magazine has attributed the diary to him.  Some question Ornek's 
denial suspiciously by asking, 'Why didn't the Admiral deny the 
 
ANKARA 00001226  002 OF 003 
 
 
allegations earlier, why did he wait this long?'  As a matter of 
fact, Admiral Ozden denied the allegations in Nokta only one week 
after Gormus' original claim.  In addition, there is no evidence or 
court decision that proves the diary belongs to Admiral Ozden. 
However, AKP supporters continue to accuse certain retired generals 
of being coup conspirators.  Their intention is not to tell the 
truth, but to corner the military and remove all obstacles from 
their path to a religious coup." 
 
"Overcoming This Crisis" 
Yilmaz Oztuna commented in conservative-nationalist Turkiye (7/8): 
"Turkey will overcome this crisis.  However, during the process it 
will be important not to damage national institutions, the state and 
democracy.  The state and democracy should show its power.  Ataturk 
established the Turkish Republic together with the Turkish 
Parliament.  The Turkish military established the Turkish State 
after saving the country from enemy invasion.  Therefore, the 
Turkish military, as well as the Turkish Parliament, should be kept 
away from any harm.  The Judiciary evaluates cases on behalf of the 
Turkish people and their decision should definitely be obeyed.  The 
Turkish state has the ability to maintain stability and we hope to 
see stability emerge from this crisis as soon as possible, without 
damaging national institutions and without dishonoring Turkey's 
standing in the world during this day and age." 
 
"The Future of the Parliament" 
Muharrem Sarikaya commented in mainstream Sabah (7/8): "Because the 
Constitutional Court is deciding whether or not to close the ruling 
party, the ruling party wants to keep the Parliament open until the 
resolution of the case.  However, MHP Leader Devlet Bahceli allowed 
all but one of his deputies to go on vacation and CHP Leader Deniz 
Baykal will not demand that all CHP deputies remain in Parliament. 
While the Constitutional Court also considers the closure case 
against the DTP and the DTP holds its Party Congress this weekend, 
it is natural that the DTP will be occupied with other things 
outside the Parliament.  Therefore, only the AKP deputies remain in 
Parliament this summer.  However, as long as the Parliament remains 
open an additional problem emerges for the AKP.  Former Deputy Prime 
Minister Abdullatif Sener is actively seeking 20 deputies to join 
his newly formed political party.  In order for his party to run in 
the elections, he needs at least 20 deputies to support him in order 
to meet the threshold.  Sener expects a number of his old friends 
from the party to join him and he can recruit from the AKP deputies 
that are present in Parliament.  For this reason, it seems unlikely 
that keeping the Parliament open will decrease tensions.  Instead, 
it is likely that keeping the Parliament open will aggravate 
tensions." 
 
Fried: We Don't Want a Divided Island 
Mainstream Milliyet, CNN Turk and NTV carried straightforward 
coverage of Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs 
Dan Fried's comments in Nicosia after meeting Turkish and Greek 
Cyprus leaders, "We don't want a divided island."  Mainstream 
Milliyet notes Fried emphasized the U.S. had "no special plan" for 
the island, and called for a "bi-zonal, bi-communal federation and 
one nation, one citizenship in Cyprus." 
 
Babacan Meets Ahmadinejad in Malaysia 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman and others 
report Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, who is attending the 
'D8-Developing 8' meetings in Malaysia, met Iranian President 
Ahmadinejad to discuss developments in Iraq and the fight against 
the PKK.  In his talk with Babacan, Ahmadinejad reportedly praised 
Ankara's position on the controversy regarding Iran's nuclear 
program.  Prime Minister Erdogan was expected to attend the D-8 
summit but changed his plans due to the ongoing investigation into 
the Ergenekon group, according to papers. 
 
Will Turkey Join the Mediterranean Union and the Black Sea Union? 
CNN Turk reports European lawmakers called on the EU to establish a 
 
ANKARA 00001226  003 OF 003 
 
 
Black Sea Union that includes Turkey.  Meanwhile, Islamist-oriented 
Zaman writes in "Paris' Eyes Are on Turkey," that "The French are 
confident Turkey will join the Mediterranean Union," but that 
"Turkish leaders are carefully evaluating the option," but such a 
union, "would not be accepted by Turkey as an alternative to full 
membership in the EU."  Sami Kohen of mainstream Milliyet writes 
Turkey would play a role in "a Mediterranean Union that targets 
issues such as the environment, energy, commerce, terrorism, and 
illegal immigration."  In addition, Kohen comments, "The 
Mediterranean Union and the EU can work together and cooperate in a 
number of fields," which he feels, "would create an atmosphere that 
could facilitate a solution to the problem," of Turkey's EU 
accession. Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet writes in, "Ankara Cannot 
Get a Guarantee from Paris," that "last year Germany, Spain, and 
France signed an agreement in Rome stating that a country's 
membership to the Mediterranean Union will not impede that country's 
negotiations for full EU membership," however the paper notes, 
"Ankara does not find this to be a sufficient guarantee." 
 
TV News: 
CNN Turk 
 
Domestic News 
 
- Leading AKP figures say former Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif 
Sener should resign from the AKP since he is preparing to form a new 
political party. 
 
- On Monday, three people died of the "Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic 
Fever," a tick borne viral disease, in the provinces of Bursa, 
Canakkale and Amasya. 
 
- Turkey is ranked 55th in the IMF list of countries with the 
highest per capita income. 
 
International News 
 
- NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said the EU should 
extend its defense ties with Turkey to help ease European 
cooperation with NATO. 
 
- On Tuesday, the European Court of Human Rights will announce its 
ruling regarding Turkey's 10-percent election threshold. 
WILSON