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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 001904 
 
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, NOVEMBER 3, 2008 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Prime Minister Erdgoan's Visit to Hakkari Greeted with Protests 
All papers:  Protests by DTP members during PM Erdogan's visit to 
Hakkari on Sunday turned into clashes with police.  Demonstrators 
chanted pro-PKK slogans, fought with the police and stoned 
journalists.  During his speech in Hakkari, PM Erdogan said "One 
state, one flag, and one nation.  Those, who are against these 
values have no place in Turkey.  They can go anywhere they want." 
PM Erdogan harshly rejected allegations that the PKK's jailed leader 
Abdullah Ocalan was tortured in prison on Imrali Island. 
Islamist-oriented Zaman reports the PM said, "These torture 
allegations were deliberately made in order to confuse voters on the 
eve of the municipal elections.  Mainstream Sabah and others report 
that a large quantity of arms and munitions were captured in an 
operation in the Yuksekova district of Hakkari.  The captured 
materials include 20 kg of TNT, 20 hand grenades and a rocket 
launcher.  During the same time of the protests in Hakkari, a 
demonstration was also staged in Istanbul.  Demonstrations occurred 
in Taksim, Tarlabasi, and Dolapdere.  In Istanbul's Taksim Square, 
police stopped DTP members from making a press statement in support 
of the DTP's sit-in protests in Diyarbakir.  Leftist-nationalist 
Cumhuriyet reports that 27 people were detained during the 
demonstrations and two people were injured during the clashes. 
 
Meanwhile, thousands of DTP supporters staged a sit-in in Diyarbakir 
on Saturday to denounce government policies in the region and the 
alleged mistreatment of jailed PKK leader Ocalan. 
 
Editorial opinion on PKK/DTP and Kurdish Issue 
Fehmi Koru wrote in Islamist leaning Yeni Safak: "While the Kurdish 
problem has become an accepted reality, we need political actors who 
will contribute to the solution process.  However, the DTP is 
choosing to play outside the rules by engaging in and organizing 
chaos in the southeast.  The DTP must act with civility if they are 
really sincere about finding a solution to the Kurdish issue." 
 
Okay Gonensin wrote in mainstream Vatan:  "The DTP's recent 
pro-Ocalan protests crossed the line regarding the freedom of 
expression.  In the past, from time to time, DTP leaders have called 
for a cease fire.  However, recently they are acting as if they are 
trying to escalate domestic tensions, and they have not tried to 
keep their actions within the boundaries of democracy.  The more the 
democratic process retreats, the more the PKK advances.  There are 
people who are trying to block the democratic process.  The DTP's 
recent incidents place the DTP right in the middle of this bloody 
equation.  From the angle of the DTP, this approach is political 
suicide, because the DTP is not acting like a democratic political 
party.  Instead, they are acting like the administrators of PKK 
strategies, which means the party is committing suicide." 
 
Ambassador Wilson's Interviews with Milliyet and Radikal. 
Murat Yetkin of Radikal carried an interview with Ambassador Wilson 
in the Sunday edition.  His interview was carried on the front page 
under the headline, "The Turning Point was November 5, 2007." 
Yetkin's interview highlighted Wilson's take on the meeting between 
Erdogan and Bush, "To my observation, President Bush felt convinced 
the PKK was an obstacle to the role Iraq's neighbors could play in 
contributing to success in Iraq.  Afterwards we, along with our 
Turkish government and military colleagues, worked on the details 
for intelligence sharing mechanism between the two militaries, which 
put the bilateral military relations back on track again."  In 
addition, Yetkin notes, "The U.S. feared Turkey may decline to 
contribute to the security in Iraq as long as terror attacks were 
launched against Turkey from northern Iraq."  Meanwhile, Semih 
Idiz's interview in Milliyet was entitled, "After September 11th, We 
Gained a Better Understanding of Turkey," and highlighted Wilson's 
comment that, "Turkey is a democratic, stable, strong and 
self-reliant country where the majority of the population are 
Muslims.  We realized this better after the Cold War and especially 
 
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after the September 11 attack." 
 
Turkish Press Predicts an Obama Victory 
Most media outlets continue to report an Obama victory as 
inevitable, but several note the potential for a "Bradley Effect" 
and some note how an Obama victory will impact Turkey. 
Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak reports, "Obama continues to lead the 
polls, but the racism factor still creates fears."  Liberal 
Radikal's front-page banner headline reads, "The Polls Declare a 
President - Obama!"  In, "The Struggle between the Old and the New," 
mainstream Milliyet reports, "This election brings to the stage the 
struggle between the traditional politics McCain represents and 
Obama's innovative new message."  In "The Advocate of Change," 
mainstream Hurriyet reports, "Obama does not just promise new 
political policies, but brings the promise of his life story and his 
identity." 
 
Huseyin Bas of leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet writes, "It looks like 
the Democrats will win the election and if Barack Obama can succeed 
in placing some limits on the reckless capitalist system that Bush 
created, he will be on the right path.  Ali Aslan of 
Islamist-oriented Zaman writes, "Obama and Erdogan can work together 
to promote strategic cooperation and strengthen bilateral ties 
between Turkey and the U.S., unless either side wastes time with 
less important issues like the Armenian genocide claims."  Far Right 
Ortadogu reports in "The Ace up His Sleeve is The Armenians," that 
"Obama promised to recognize Armenian Genocide Claims," with 
"complete support."  Ortadogu notes "it is important that he renewed 
this promise on October 31st after meetings with Professor 
Davutoglu," who met with the Obama campaign last week and warned the 
campaign about the damage a recognition of Armenian Genocide Claims 
could cause to relations with Turkey. 
 
Editorial opinion on U.S. Elections 
Ceyda Karan wrote in liberal-intellectual Radikal: "Those who are 
looking at the American elections through the lens of Turkish 
foreign policy prefer a Republican administration in the White 
House.  However, given Ankara's current concerns, including Armenian 
genocide claims, stability in Iraq and the Caucasus, there is no 
strong indication of a smooth relationship with Washington under 
McCain.  Turkey must not adopt exaggerated expectations or view the 
elections in only black and white.  After all, Washington's policies 
will be shaped by the changing political landscape, as well as by 
new political actors." 
 
Omer Taspinar commented in mainstream Sabah:  "Obama is running 
towards victory because Americans seek a radical change and Obama is 
the choice for change.  During his election campaign, Obama called a 
McCain presidency "a continuation of the Bush administration." 
McCain strengthened this allegation by pledging that U.S. forces 
will remain in Iraq for a hundred years if necessary.  As the global 
economic crisis deepens, Obama's calls for change have resonated 
with the American public.  Obama is a better choice for Turkey as 
well, as long as we look at the issue from a wider angle instead of 
only from the angle of the Armenian issue.  If we continue 
diplomatic and political dialogue with Yerevan, that issue will 
resolve itself.  Let's be brave enough to wait for Obama by looking 
at these developments from a broader perspective." 
 
U.S. Pledges Support for Turkey's Nuclear Program 
Acting Deputy Secretary of Energy Jeffrey Kupfer led a U.S. 
delegation to Istanbul in order to meet with Prime Minister Erdogan 
and his top officials in energy, treasury and foreign affairs, along 
with other business officials from the banking and energy sectors. 
Mainstream Hurriyet quotes the Kupfer in the headline, "We are ready 
to contribute to Nuclear and Renewable Energy Projects" in Turkey. 
Islamist leaning Yeni Safak quotes Kupfer in the headline, "We 
support Turkey's Energy Policy." Regarding Turkey's nuclear energy 
bids, Kupfer was quoted as saying "the government sees the need to 
improve the bidding process and appears open to cooperation." Kupfer 
 
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said his contacts with government officials were "very constructive, 
useful and encouraging." 
 
Turkey Launches Unmanned Plane Project 
Liberal Radikal reports that a Turkey-manufactured unmanned plane 
project is about to be finalized.  Radikal reports this development 
means, "Turkey will be independent in gathering intelligence" 
against the PKK.  Three planes are expected to do test runs in early 
2010, and the program is expected to be fully operational in 
September 2011.  Meanwhile, in order to meet the current need, 
Radikal also reports that the Turkish Army ordered 10 unmanned 
"Heron" planes from Israel, and the acquisition of two Herons will 
be finalized before the end of this month. 
 
The Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson Reveals the Horror in Orphanages 
in Ankara 
Sabah, Milliyet and Vatan report that the Duchess of York, under 
disguise, entered the Saray orphanage in Ankara and took photographs 
in order to document the orphans' living conditions.  Upon her 
return to the UK, she wrote an article in "The Daily Mail" that 
detailed how badly the children were treated there.  She noted, "The 
corridors of the orphanage were terribly smelly.  I saw many 
children who were tied to their beds or whose hands were tied to the 
walls.  Is this the Turkey the UK is supporting in its bid for EU 
membership?" 
 
A Karabakh Agreement. 
Media outlets report with a tinge of resentment toward Russia that a 
peace agreement in principle has been reached in the Karabakh 
crisis.  Turkey had initiated itself as the regional mediator of the 
Caucasus through the Caucasus Platform proposal, so Russia is seen 
as usurping Turkey's role as a mediator, and thinly-veiled criticism 
notes that one peace agreement 'by the hand of Russia' is not enough 
to solve the problem.  In "The Caucasus Spring," mainstream Hurriyet 
reports, "President Gul's soccer diplomacy set the stage for 
positive developments in the Caucasus," as "Russia has followed 
Erdogan's and Gul's lead to address problems in the Caucasus." 
However, "Medvedev's efforts are undertaken on the part of countries 
in the Caucasus Pact," which "Turkey created in order to cool 
tensions in the region after the crisis between Russia and Georgia." 
 Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak's headline reads, "An Azeri-Armenian 
Agreement by the Hand of Russia."  Leftist-oriented Cumhuriyet 
reports, "A Karabakh Declaration from Above."  Liberal Radikal 
writes in, "A Moscow Proclamation for Peace in the Mountains of 
Karabakh," that "Russia, by bringing Aliyev and Sargsyan together 
for a peaceful solution, gave the message 'The Power of the Caucasus 
is Mine.'" Mainstream Milliyet reports in "The First Signing for 
Karabakh," that "for the first time in 14 years, a document has been 
signed with the goal of finding a peaceful solution to one of the 
most complex ethnic misunderstandings." 
 
 
TV News: 
CNN Turk 
 
Domestic News 
 
- DSP leader Zeki Sezer says that candidates of the DSP and the CHP 
should not run against each other in the upcoming municipality 
elections. 
 
- Three cars were burned by arsonists in Istanbul, while a 
municipality bus was damaged by a Molotov cocktail. 
 
International News 
 
- Public opinion polls show Barack Obama 7 points ahead in the 
presidential race. 
 
- The Iraqi government will sell former Dictator Saddam Hussein's 
 
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luxury yacht. 
 
- Washington rejects the allegations of Bolivian President Morales 
that a U.S. government agency was backing criminal groups trying to 
undermine his leftist government. 
 
WILSON