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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001283 
 
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 
WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 2008 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Erdogan-Baykal Duel of Words over 'Ergenekon' Investigation 
All papers report Prime Minister Erdogan and the main opposition CHP 
leader Deniz Baykal lashed out at each other during their party 
group meetings in the parliament over the 'Ergenekon' investigation. 
 Baykal told his party group the prosecutor's case in the Ergenekon 
probe appeared to be similar to an indictment which had been filed 
by Prosecutor Ferhat Sarikaya on the Semdinli incident (in which, in 
November 2005, two military officers were caught red-handed bombing 
a bookstore in the town of Semdinli in the border province of 
Hakkari in southeast Turkey).  He claimed a "false atmosphere" was 
created in the country before the indictment was unveiled.  Baykal 
also slammed the prosecutor for "shaping the charges after finding 
some suspects."  He also demanded evidence linking the Ergenekon 
suspects -- retired generals, daily Cumhuriyet editors Ilhan Selcuk 
and Mustafa Balbay, and Ankara Chamber of Commerce president Sinan 
Aygun -- to the attack on the Council of State.  "If there is no 
evidence, you should step down at once," stressed Baykal.  Baykal 
said Erdogan was acting as a prosecutor in the Ergenekon lawsuit, 
adding, he thus had to play the role of attorney.  Erdogan, in 
reply, told his party group yesterday, ""I'm glad Baykal calls me 
the prosecutor of the case, because prosecutors are there for the 
people.  Our main concern is to defend the rights of people." 
Erdogan added Turkish people were fully aware of which party was 
standing in defense of the Ergenekon suspects and which against 
them. 
 
Meanwhile, papers also report the military prosecutor has rejected 
press reports of a separate military investigation.  The military 
prosecutor said he had checked with Prosecutor Oz to see whether any 
of the state's documents somehow fell under the jurisdiction of 
military courts. 
 
Turkish Papers' Coverage of Ongoing 'Ergenekon' Investigation 
Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak claims 'Ergenekon' was allegedly 
manipulating diverse groups, including far right, left, and 
fundamentalist ones, and only the top leaders of the organization 
were aware of the links between these groups.  The paper claims 
numerous documents on unresolved murders, such as the killing of 
Professor Ahmet Taner Kislali and journalist Ugur Mumcu, have been 
found within the framework of Ergenekon investigation.  Mainstream 
Milliyet reports the indictment charges the Ergenekon network with 
plotting a coup against Bulent Ecevit's coalition government. 
Islamist-oriented Zaman says Ergenekon might be involved in drug 
trafficking to raise funds.  On the other hand, Radikal, notes "the 
financial sources of the Ergenekon network couldn't be found; it is 
not clear how operations are conducted." 
 
Editorial Commentary on Ergenekon Indictment 
 
"About to Miss an Important Chance" 
Mehmet Y. Yilmaz wrote in mainstream Hurriyet (7/16):  "PM Erdogan 
has started to defend the Ergenekon indictment and doesn't seem 
bothered that people have begun to call him the 'Ergenekon 
prosecutor.' In his opinion, he is defending the rights of the 
people.  Both the ruling party leader and the opposition leader seem 
to have assumed odd stances as the former poses as the prosecutor 
while the latter poses as the lawyer.  This indictment includes some 
very serious charges which can have a direct impact on the country's 
future, and an extensive investigation as well as punishment, if 
there is a crime, is very important.  It will only harm such an 
important case when politicians debate over this indictment.  Such 
efforts will only create mistrust and eventually damage the 
credibility of Turkish judiciary.  Already there are some who 
believe that the Ergenekon case was an order from the government to 
take revenge for the closure case.  I am worried that given all of 
these factors, we will miss the chance for rooting out the illegal 
gangs within the state system." 
 
 
ANKARA 00001283  002 OF 003 
 
 
"The Opposition Leader Should not Rush to Comment" 
Fehmi Koru wrote in Islamist-leaning Yeni Safak (7/16): "CHP leader 
Baykal continues to act like a lawyer for the Ergenekon suspects. 
The way he characterized the indictment and hinted that he does not 
believe in the existence of an illegal organization shows his 
lawyerly attitude.  Even though the content of the indictment has 
not yet been made public, stories in the press indicate it contains 
some serious allegations related to Ergenekon, including some 
unsolved assassinations and bomb attacks.  We will have to wait for 
the court's verdict. When Italy went through a similar judicial 
process, many famous figures such as high ranking officers, 
businessmen and parliamentarians were brought to trial.  And when 
all of this happened, Italians were also wondering if such important 
and famous figures could possibly have been involved in criminal 
acts.  My advice is that CHP leader Baykal should be patient for the 
end of the process and not risk his political credibility by rushing 
to comment on before a verdict comes out." 
 
US Consulate Attack 
Milliyet, Radikal:  Mainstream Milliyet reports that the Istanbul 
Chief Prosecutor's office stated that no Al-Qaeda connection has 
been found in the US Consulate attack investigation.  Yesterday, two 
more suspects were released.  Milliyet also reports that one of the 
suspects killed during the attack, Erkan Kargin, reportedly was 
schizophrenic and had been treated for the illness for two years. 
Liberal Radikal's headline on the issue reads "CIA Insists on 
Al-Qaeda Connection."  The paper notes that US intelligence met with 
the Turkish intelligence the other day to find the Al-Qaeda 
connection of the Consulate attackers.  It was learned that some of 
the members of the US delegation were CIA agents who had experience 
with Guantanamo interrogations.  Meanwhile, reportedly, many US 
citizens sent messages to US Ambassador Ross Wilson asking how they 
could help the families of the policemen martyred in the attack. 
 
Abduction of Germans Show 'Leadership Fight' within PKK 
Radikal, Cumhuriyet, Zaman and others report the cause of the 
abduction of three German mountaineers in Mount Agri (Ararat) in 
eastern Turkey appears to be an ongoing "leadership struggle" within 
the PKK.  Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet writes in "Dr. Bahoz 
Kidnapped the German Mountaineers," that "the abduction was ordered 
by the PKK's Syrian-heritage leader Fehman Hussein, known by the 
codename 'Dr. Bahoz Erdal.'" PKK leader Murat Karayilan is furious 
over the kidnapping since the most recent "PKK Congress" decided not 
to take civilians as hostages, radio communications revealed.  PKK 
members have been recorded as saying in the radio communications, 
"The Syrian overstepped the line" and "Dr. Bahoz signed the decree 
for his own execution."  They also expressed worry that Germany 
would "not forgive this time."  Meanwhile, mainstream Milliyet says 
in "Germany Wiretaps PKK," that "the crisis management desk in 
Germany analyzes the dialogue between the PKK members, and continues 
its efforts for the release of the abducted Germans."  Hussein and 
Karayilan have long been at loggerheads over the control of the 
group, and there have been several reports of assassination attempts 
against each other.  The PKK is planning to convene a congress soon, 
and Hussein is prepared to use the German hostages as a bargaining 
chip against those who want him expelled from the PKK, comment 
papers. 
 
TV News: 
NTV 
 
Domestic News 
 
- The Turkish General Staff (TGS) says on its webpage from June 
11-14, 22 PKK terrorists, including a senior PKK member, were killed 
in operations in the Kato Mountains in Sirnak province. 
 
- Labor unions KESK and BASK staged protests against insufficient 
pay hikes offered by the government. 
 
 
ANKARA 00001283  003 OF 003 
 
 
- Sale of assets to foreigners resumes following the publication of 
the related constitutional reforms in the Official Gazette. 
 
International News 
 
- Two Turkish civil engineers, Gokhan Gul and Erhan Gunduz, have 
been abducted by gunmen in Herad west of Afghanistan. 
 
- The United Nations began withdrawing non-essential staff from the 
Sudanese region of Darfur. 
 
- The first footage showing an interrogation at Guantanamo Bay is 
released by the lawyers of Omar Khadr, a Canadian teenager detained 
in 2002 by US forces. 
 
WILSON