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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001871 
 
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, OCTOBER 27, 2008 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Prime Minister Responds to Business Community's Support for IMF 
Agreement 
 
All papers highlight Prime Minister Erdogan's strong remarks against 
suggestions from the business community that Turkey seek a credit 
agreement with the IMF in order to avoid further repercussions from 
the global financial crunch.  The prime minister addressed the issue 
during a local party branch meeting in Ankara on Sunday.  Erdogan 
said, "We are not going to act under somebody's instruction," in 
response to calls from domestic business circles, including TUSIAD, 
to sign an agreement with the IMF.  Erdogan continued by saying, 
"During a crisis, we will not bury the future in darkness by bowing 
to the demands of the IMF.  If IMF officials reach an agreement with 
us about the budget within a framework of flexibility, then we will 
go ahead. But if the IMF adopts an approach of squeezing our neck, 
we'll not accept that, no matter what the price will be." 
 
Mainstream Milliyet's front-page banner headline quotes the PM, "Am 
I Going to Let Someone Tell Me to make a Deal?" Business daily Dunya 
and Islamist-leaning Zaman both note Erdogan's statements in their 
banner headlines, which read, "We Will Not Bow to the IMF and Darken 
our Future."  Zaman also claims on its front page, "The IMF is 
strengthened by the Global Crisis."  Mainstream Vatan carries the 
headline, "Erdogan Sends a Message to the IMF and the Business 
World."  Liberal Radikal reports, "Erdogan Makes an Interesting 
Statement - "We Will Talk with the IMF, but We Will Not Be Pressured 
by the IMF." 
 
Widespread Protests Regarding Kurdish Rights Organized by DTP 
 
All papers report on the continuing protest marches organized by 
pro-Kurdish DTP all over Turkey.  Police are intervening in the 
marches and detaining protesters because the protests are being 
staged without the permission of the municipalities.  Papers report 
the theme of this weekend's protests was "Neither Ergenekon, nor the 
AKP:  A Democratic Republic is the Solution." Papers report clashes 
erupted between demonstrators and the police, as the police 
attempted to breakup the illegal rallies.  Radikal reports "There 
were clashes in every city where DTP members organized, including 
Istanbul, Diyarbakir, Hakkari, Siirt, Gaziantep, and Sanliurfa." 
Many DTP parliamentarians attended the rallies, and DTP leader Ahmet 
Turk was quoted in papers as saying "Turkey should look for a 
settlement from within Turkey and not with the help of northern Iraq 
and the United States." 
 
During his party meeting, PM Erdogan reacted to the ongoing 
demonstrations by blaming the DTP for politicizing ethnic identity. 
Erdogan said, "The (PKK) terrorist group and its political party 
(DTP) are unfortunately politicizing identity instead of thinking 
about ways to serve the region's interests.  They believe they can 
obtain votes through terror and threats, but this approach cannot go 
on any longer.  People are isolating themselves more and more from 
the terrorist organization." 
 
Editorial Opinion on PKK-Kurdish Problem-DTP Closure Case 
 
Oral Calislar wrote in liberal-intellectual Radikal: "The issue of 
the southeast cannot only be explained through economic problems and 
cannot be resolved through a single focus on development.  The 
identity issue is more important than development, which means more 
democracy is the key.  No progress on the Kurdish problem can be 
achieved unless serious steps are taken toward enhancing democracy. 
After 25 years, have we still failed to learn this lesson?" 
 
Yasin Aktay wrote in Islamist leaning Yeni Safak: "When addressing 
the Kurdish problem, it is important to recognize the fact that 
Kurdish identity should be treated separately from the problem of 
the PKK and terrorism.  Certainly, it is important that the 
 
ANKARA 00001871  002 OF 003 
 
 
government makes economic investments in the region, but attention 
to the issue of Kurdish identity will be necessary in order to 
finish off the PKK problem." 
 
Hasan Bulent Kahraman wrote in mainstream Sabah:  The main issue in 
Turkey is not with the Kurds but with Kurdishness.  In many 
countries with a dominant ethnic group, other ethnic identities are 
recognized.  However, this identity is not a political identity but 
a cultural identity.  For example, the U.S. is a federal state, but 
America's diverse ethnic groups do not exist in separate autonomous 
regions.  The U.S. system allows ethnic groups to express their 
identities in public without being politicized.  Thus, Turks and 
Kurds should realize that the issue is not only about the Kurds, but 
Kurdishness." 
 
Taha Akyol wrote in mainstream Milliyet:  "Closing the DTP will 
benefit no one.  Everywhere in the world, ethnic nationalist 
movements have gone through processes where the fanatics and the 
moderates had to be separated from one another.  In each case, the 
moderates were the ones who ultimately sought solutions.  The DTP 
was established by the political wing of the PKK.  If the DTP is 
closed, the path of the moderates will be fully blocked.  Turkey 
should realize by now that it is wrong to ban political parties." 
 
 
Turkish Airlines Begins Flights to Baghdad 
Sabah, Milliyet, Vatan, Radikal, Yeni Safak, Hurriyet, Zaman, and 
others:  Turkish Airlines, which stopped its Istanbul-Baghdad 
flights during Gulf war in 1991, has resumed flights between the two 
cities.  The flights are scheduled to operate three times a week on 
Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, reports mainstream Sabah. Tickets 
are expected to run between 2,000 YTL and 4,000 YTL due to high 
insurance costs. 
 
Four More People Detained in Ergenekon 
All papers:  One person in Ankara and three in Istanbul were taken 
into custody yesterday within the scope of Ergenekon probe. 
Islamist-oriented Zaman reports that Merdan Yanardag, who was 
detained in Ankara and transferred to Istanbul, is known as former 
Kanal Turk owner Tuncay Ozkan's aide.  Yanardag, who who used to 
host a TV program on Kanal Turk, also served as the editor-in-chief 
of the pro-PKK Ozgur Gundem newspaper.  Tuncay Ozkan's driver and 
secretary are also among the suspects who were taken into custody. 
Mainstream Milliyet reports that the chairman of the 
Baden-Wurttemberg Turkish Society Gokay Sofuoglu claimed that 
Yanardag was detained in order to prevent his participation at a 
conference in Stuttgart this week about Fethullah Gulen. 
 
General Odierno Visited Turkey 
Weekend papers:  Sunday's mainstream Vatan and Hurriyet reported 
that the Commander of U.S. forces in Iraq General Odierno came to 
Ankara to meet Turkish Deputy Chief of General Staff Hasan Igsiz to 
discuss the fight against terrorism.  Mainstream Sabah cites the 
U.S. Army statement which said General Odierno came to Turkey to 
meet with Turkish General Igsiz.  According to the statement, 
Odierno promised to give Turkey technical support and continue the 
intelligence-sharing mechanism in order to prevent new PKK attacks 
 
Massoud Barzani Headed to the U.S. 
News outlets note that Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government President 
Massoud Barzani is headed to Washington for meetings following his 
trip to Tehran last week.  Leftist Taraf reports, "After completing 
his meetings in Tehran, Kurdish Regional Government President 
Massout Barzani will go to Washington to meet with President Bush 
and watch the elections."  Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet reports 
"Barzani's meetings in Washington are sending an important message 
to Ankara," as "first he will meet with Secretary Rice, then 
President Bush, and then he is expected to meet with the foreign 
affairs advisors for both Presidential candidates Barack Obama and 
John McCain."  Mainstream Milliyet notes, "Barzani will meet 
 
ANKARA 00001871  003 OF 003 
 
 
officials at the highest levels of the U.S. government." 
 
U.S. Strikes Syria. 
Mainstream Hurriyet reports, "The U.S., For the First Time, Strikes 
Syria," and connects the incident to a cross-border strike in 
Pakistan, where "20 people were killed," as "the tension with 
Pakistan grows."  Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak reports, "Syria's El 
Dunya television station reports a U.S. helicopter struck a building 
under construction in the Ebu Kemal region of Syria, close to the 
border with Iraq."  Yeni Safak says those who were killed "were 
workers constructing the building," and they were "all civilians." 
Liberal Radikal reports, "Two U.S. helicopters reportedly bombed a 
building 17 km into Syrian territory," but "the U.S. command has not 
made any comment about the incident."  Islamist-oriented Zaman 
reports "State-owned official news agency SANA reports that four 
U.S. helicopters bombed the Ebu Kemal region and killed two 
construction workers, one father and his four sons."  Zaman also 
reports, "The U.S. accuses Damascus of failing to acknowledge that 
money and weapons are being supplied to militant groups in Iraq from 
this border region with Syria."  Mainstream Milliyet reports, "Eight 
civilians were killed by four U.S. helicopters," as "all of those 
who were killed were construction workers." 
 
 
TV News: 
CNN Turk 
 
Domestic News 
 
The Council of Ministers will be briefed by the General Staff today 
regarding terrorism. 
 
Salih Uzun was elected chairman of the ANAVATAN party yesterday. 
 
Numan Kurtulmus replaced Recai Kutan as chairman of the Saadet 
Party. 
 
FM Babacan visits Afghanistan. 
 
Despite heavy rains in Istanbul this weekend, the Istanbul Marathon 
was a great success. 
 
 
International News 
 
Massoud Barzani will meet with U.S. President Bush and other U.S. 
officials in Washington on Wednesday. 
 
50 people are reported dead in floods in Yemen. 
 
Iranian President Ahmadinejad says he is suffering from simple 
exhaustion. 
 
Israel heads toward early elections after ruling party leader Livni 
drops efforts to form a government. 
 
 
WILSON