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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001839 
 
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, OCTOBER 21, 2008 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
 
The Ergenekon Trial Begins 
All papers give front-page and extensive coverage to the first day 
of the Ergenekon trial yesterday in Silivri, Istanbul. The general 
tone of papers is that there was chaos and disorganization because 
the room where the hearing took place could not fit all of the 
suspects and lawyers. The head judge of the court, Koksal Sengun, 
postponed the hearing to Thursday and decided that those suspects 
who are in jail and those who are not will give statements in 
seperate hearings and that each suspect will be defended by a 
maximum of three lawyers. Lawyers reacted to the first decision 
saying that this will not be a fair trial unless one suspect hears 
the statement of another one. Mainstream Milliyet notes that "[The 
case] Began with Chaos" in its headline. Mainstream Aksam's headline 
is, "The First Day is a Fiasco." Islamist-oriented Zaman claims that 
"the supporters of the suspects in jail tried to block the 
activities of the court delegation from outside and inside. 
Protestors belonging to the Ataturkist Thought Association and the 
Labor Party protested with flags with iron bars in front of the 
Silivri Prison." Radically Islamist Vakit reports that "The Gang 
Still Seeks Chaos.". 
Editorial commentary on The Ergenekon Trial 
Cuneyt Ulsever commented in mainstream Hurriyet: ''The Ergenekon 
trial began with chaos, just as the case has created chaos in 
Turkey. This is a strange country. To tell you sincerely, I am very 
confused about the trial. Some of the elements of the trial make me 
think that Turkey will finally confront itself and that the last 
obstacles to the rule of law will be abolished. Some other elements 
make me think that some people will go too far to include everyone 
against the government in this business. On the other hand, I have 
doubts on how seriously the evidence will be scrutinized.'' 
Ergun Babahan wrote in mainstream Sabah:  "On March 16, 1978, seven 
students from Istanbul University were killed in a bomb attack and 
many others were injured.  That incident led to an atmosphere that 
resulted in a coup.  Just like the Dink murder, it was a massacre 
conducted with the support of state officials and the murderers were 
never found.  Yesterday, all the news agencies reported that the 
court case on the March 16th incident had closed due to statute of 
limitations.  The Ergenekon case represents the re-opening of the 
March 16th case but with different suspects.  That is why the 
Ergenekon case is very important for me and I am following it 
closely.  I want everyone to understand that in this country no one 
will be allowed to conduct illegal acts and that anyone acting 
illegally will be tried and punished.  I want no one to dare to play 
with people's lives in the name of patriotism for their own 
political aims.  Unfortunately, yesterday's trial started in a 
chaotic atmosphere.  However, this doesn't minimize the trial's 
meaning and importance." 
Fikret Bila wrote in mainstream Milliyet:  "The Ergenekon trial 
started yesterday in chaos.  This trial is creating political 
polarization.  The picture outside the court was important - there 
were groups of demonstrators against the case from the Labor Party 
and Ataturk's associations while the Kurdish party DTP, Socialist 
Democracy Party, and Ozgur-Der members were protesting the 
afore-mentioned protestors.  This atmosphere carries the risk that 
this case can create a political polarization between Turks and 
Kurds.  Despite the political polarization and the arguments, the 
court should obey the judicial rules and find the facts.  The 
judiciary has a very difficult job here, but it is necessary to 
trust the judiciary." 
Barzani's Statements 
Mainstream Hurriyet and mainstream Sabah report on statements by 
Massoud Barzani, leader of the regional Kurdish administration in 
northern Iraq, to the press yesterday in Erbil. Barzani reportedly 
told the press that "We have torn down the walls between Turkey and 
us, melted the ice and opened a new page on our relations. Turkey 
took a step to improve relations. The road for dialogue is open." He 
allegedly stated that he could not give any details on the content 
 
ANKARA 00001839  002 OF 003 
 
 
of the meeting with the Turkish delegation and that the meetings 
will continue and "they will also take place in Turkey." 
 
PM Erdogan: "The Public cannot be intimidated by Terrorism" 
Vatan, Radikal, Sabah, Turkiye, Zaman, Milliyet and others:  PM 
Erdogan addressed residents of Diyarbakir yesterday and said 
"despite terrorism, we will continue our reforms of public services, 
investments and democratization."  Islamist oriented Zaman reports 
that participating in the opening ceremony of the new education year 
at the Dicle University in Diyarbakir, PM Erdogan harshly criticized 
the terrorist organization and its supporters.  Erdogan said 
"Venders closed up their shops because of PKK threats.  The PKK 
terrorist organization is sabotaging the development process in the 
southeast.  There will be no investments in places where security is 
not established."  Mainstream Vatan reports that many shops in 
Diyarbakir were closed yesterday to protest both the visit of 
Erdogan and the allegations Abdullah Ocalan was tortured in Imrali 
prison. 
 
Meanwhile today's papers report about the PKK supporters' protests 
in different parts of Turkey.  Mainstream Sabah reports that 
outlawed protests were held yesterday in Hakkari, Van, Sanliurfa, 
Tunceli, Adana, Igdir and Bingol.  One protestor died yesterday 
during clashes with the police in Dogu Bayazit, Agri.  Many shops 
pulled down their shutters in Diyarbakir, Batman, Hakkari, 
Yuksekova, Cizre, Nusaybin and Kiziltepe. 
 
Editorial Commentary on the PKK Demonstrations 
Murat Yetkin wrote in liberal-intellectual Radikal: ''Our reporter 
who followed Prime Minister Erdogan's visit to Diyarbakir yesterday 
said that he had never seen such tension in the city before.  Smoke 
from tire fires set by PKK members rose to the sky, most shops were 
closed, and some restaurant owners told our reporter and his other 
colleagues that they could not serve them food because they were 
afraid. During the same hours one person died in clashes between the 
police and PKK demonstrators in Dogubeyazit. There were protests not 
only in Diyarbakir or Dogubeyazit, but in all cities and towns whose 
municipalities are run by the DTP or in western provinces where the 
DTP is organized due to immigration from the east. The reason for 
the demonstrations was the fact that Abdullah Ocalan is being kept 
in prison. This is the number one subject on the DTP's agenda at the 
moment. The PKK has threatened to end PJAK's attempts to damage the 
regime in Iran if the U.S. does not stop sharing intelligence with 
Turkey.  Since U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European 
Affairs Dan Fried is in Ankara today, we can ask him about this." 
 
 
TV News: 
CNN Turk 
 
Domestic News 
 
- Former DTP leader Nurettin Demirtas was sentenced to 15 months in 
prison on charges of spreading terrorist propaganda. 
 
- Ali Askin, the vice-chairman of AKP branch in Tunceli, who was 
abducted by PKK terrorists on September 14, was set free. 
 
- Constitutional Court president Hasim Kilic said the detailed 
ruling of the AKP closure case will be announced before Friday. 
 
- The National Security Council will convene today to discuss the 
PKK, terrorism and the developments in northern Iraq 
 
- During an Economy Coordination Committee Meeting, participants 
agreed that several steps should be taken in order to minimize the 
impacts of the global economic crisis on Turkey. State Minister 
Nazim Ekren said that global and national developments have started 
to affect Turkey's economy. 
 
 
ANKARA 00001839  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
International News 
 
- 17 prisoners died in a jail riot in Mexico. 
 
- U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Dan Fried said Russia is not 
complying with the agreement to return to its positions before the 
outbreak of hostilities with South Ossetia and Abkhazia. 
 
- EU Enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn says next year Serbia might 
be given the status of EU candidate country. 
WILSON