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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001965 
 
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 
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2008 
 
In Today's Papers 
Q Steps toward Rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia 
Q Erdogan's Brotherly Advice for Obama 
Q G20 Approaches Amid Optimism and Cynicism 
Q Ergenekon Suspect Interrogated Regarding U.S. Consulate Attack 
Q Regional Energy Summit in Baku 
Q Another Turkish Ship Hijacked by Somali Pirates 
 
 
Cartoon from today's mainstream Sabah, depicting 
U.S. President George Bush escaping from the '2008 Economic Crisis' 
 
and leaving President-elect Barack Obama to deal with it. 
 
Steps toward Rapprochement Between Turkey and Armenia 
     Hurriyet, Milliyet, Taraf, Zaman, Yeni Safak and Radikal carry 
Foreign Minister Ali Babacan's announcement to the press about an 
upcoming visit from the Armenian Foreign Minister to Ankara. FM 
Babacan said, "Turkey should not wait for another football match to 
meet (with Armenian officials."  Babacan added, "There will be 
intense diplomatic contacts in the Caucasus in the days ahead. 
Islamist-oriented Zaman reports Babacan confirmed that Georgian 
Foreign Minister Eka Tkeshelashvili "Tbilisi has decided to join the 
Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform." 
 
Erdogan's Brotherly Advice for Obama (Milliyet) 
News outlets today cover Prime Minister Erdogan's interview in the 
New York Times in which he offered some advice to the U.S. 
president-elect and offered to facilitate talks between the U.S. and 
Iran.  Mainstream Hurriyet carries the headline, "Keep Your Spine 
Strong and Don't Pick Fights," and notes, "because Barack Obama did 
not agree to meet with Erdogan during the G20 Summit, a trusted 
source told Hurriyet that relations between Obama and Ankara have 
gotten off to a bad start."  Mainstream Milliyet reports in 
"Brotherly Advice," that "the Prime Minister with six years of 
experience had some suggestions" for the president-elect, but the 
New York Times noted Erdogan's administration "drew reactions after 
inviting the likes of Hamas to meetings in Ankara."  Mainstream 
Sabah calls Erdogan's offer to mediate between the U.S. and Iran, 
"an official statement from the Prime Minister." 
Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet's tone indicates a sense the PM has 
bitten off more than he can chew with this mediation offer, "Erdogan 
wants to be the mediator between the U.S. and Iran," as "Iranian 
officials accuse the IAEA of double standards in the latest IAEA 
report on Iran's nuclear activities." 
 
Editorial Commentary on New U.S. Administration 
 
    Tamer Korkmaz wrote in Islamist oriented Yeni Safak: 
"Traditional U.S. dominance in the Middle East has diminished 
significantly since Turkey has emerged as a regional power.  Because 
of this, the U.S. had to suspend its Greater Middle East Project. 
The new American administration under Barack Obama's leadership may 
or may not bring hope to the region.  Given the current staffing 
pattern, Obama is already surrounded by a pro-Israeli team, 
including Rahm Emanuel.  It will be a complete loss for America if 
the pro-Israeli voice in the new administration prevails and if 
Obama fails to bring concrete change to the Middle East.  Unless 
fundamental steps are taken, the United States' image under Obama 
could even fall behind the level of the Bush administration's 
time." 
 
    Fikret Ertan wrote in Islamist-oriented Zaman: "The solution to 
the war in Afghanistan lies not only in a military approach, but the 
Afghan military must be strengthened, intelligence agencies and 
collection activities must be developed, infrastructure development 
work and more development personnel are necessary, and the Afghan 
government must be able to better protect these works.  We think 
that it is important to covey these ideas to the new American 
administration." 
 
ANKARA 00001965  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
     Ismet Berkan wrote in liberal Radikal:  "Recently, Yeni Safak 
columnist Fehmi Koru said on television that Erdogan came to power 
like Obama, but governed like Bush.  While Erdogan responded, "We 
are neither Obama or Bush, we are ourselves," this is the latest 
example of criticism against the PM from these ranks.  At the same 
time, what has happened in the U.S.?  The day after Obama was 
elected, he held a press conference where he said he'd get a dog for 
the girls, and now everyone wants to know about the dogs.  He made a 
comment that most dogs that are adopted from the pound are "mutts 
like me."  What a witty comment.  Due to these distinct differences 
in Erdogan's and Obama's approaches to the media, from now on, we 
can compare the tone and the approach of both Erdogan and Obama to 
the media." 
 
G20 Approaches Amid Optimism and Cynicism 
Media outlets are mixed in their views of the efficacy of the 
upcoming G20, but some note the summit could bring some calm to 
volatility in the Turkish market, while others continue to deny any 
problems exist at all in the Turkish economy as a result of the 
global crisis.  Mainstream Hurriyet reports on its website, "The G20 
summit will be held during Bush's "lame duck" period. His 
administration is seen as partly responsible for the current global 
financial crisis. Because Bush is considered to have lost his 
credibility on economic matters, his pledges may not be taken 
seriously at the G20 summit."  Liberal Radikal notes, "World leaders 
want to meet with Obama during their visits to the U.S. for the G20 
Summit, but Obama will not meet with them because he's busy in the 
process of establishing a new government," but "the whole world is 
wondering what path the new government will take to address the 
economy."  In "Hope is in Washington," columnist Bilal Cetin of 
mainstream Vatan hopes the G20 summit will soften Erdogan's approach 
to an agreement with the IMF, "so that the economic bureaucracy will 
look more positively at an agreement with the IMF and a swap 
agreement with the Fed," in order to "strengthen the hand against 
reckless speculation and ease the psychological effects of the 
current markets."  Meanwhile, Islamist-oriented Zaman does not 
mention a need for Turkey to consider a different economic course 
after the G20 and in fact continues to support the government's 
economic approach, "Despite the global economic crisis, foreigners 
continue to trust and invest in Turkey's economy," at "a level of 
development that is not seen even in Europe." 
 
Editorial Commentary on G-20 Summit 
 
    Erdal Saglam wrote in mainstream Hurriyet: "Good news from the 
upcoming G-20 summit is critically important for the entire world, 
but as far as Turkey is concerned it is even more important to us 
than any other country.  Domestic markets are completely dependent 
on the potential for good news from the G-20.  Since the global 
crisis has not yet come to a complete end and more fluctuations are 
expected, Turkey is doomed to suffer seriously, especially if the 
G-20 summit fails to achieve any concrete results." 
 
    Bilal Cetin of mainstream Vatan writes in "Hope is in 
Washington" that he hopes the G20 summit will soften Erdogan's 
approach to an agreement with the IMF, "so that the economic 
bureaucracy will look more positively at an agreement with the IMF 
and a swap agreement with the Fed," in order to "strengthen the hand 
against reckless speculation and ease the psychological effects of 
the current markets." 
 
'Ergenekon' Suspect Interrogated over U.S. Consulate Attack 
  Media outlets report the Istanbul Prosecutor's Office interrogated 
Erol Olmez regarding the bloody terror attack on the U.S. Istanbul 
Consulate in July.  Bulent Cinar, one of the three assailants killed 
in the attack on the consulate, had a history of phone calls with 
Olmez, who is being held on charges related to the Ergenekon 
investigation. 
 
 
ANKARA 00001965  003 OF 003 
 
 
Regional Energy Summit in Baku 
    Islamist oriented Yeni Safak reports President Gul will attend 
this week's Energy Summit in Baku.  "Upon an invitation from 
Azerbaijani President Aliyev, President Gul leaves today for Baku to 
attend the Energy Summit today and tomorrow" the story says. 
Minister of Energy Hilmi Guler will accompany to the president and 
the party will return from Baku on November 14. 
 
Another Turkish Vessel Hijacked by Somali Pirates 
   Media outlets report the 'Karagol,' a Turkish-flagged tanker with 
14 Turkish crew members, was 
   hijacked Wednesday by Somali pirates off the coast of Yemen. 
Kemal Yardimci, a ruling AKP MP from Istanbul, co-owns the ship. 
The Karagol was sailing to Mumbai with 4,500 tons of chemical 
substances on board when it was seized.  Yardimci said "the pirates 
are unlikely to sell the oil products the vessel is carrying," and 
he expects the hijackers to demand ransom.  Following the hijacking, 
Ankara contacted NATO's British warships in Dubai, and asked them to 
intervene, according to papers. 
 
Freedom of Press/Accreditation Issue 
 
  Mehmet Ali Birand wrote in mass appeal Posta: "There is no excuse 
for the prime ministry's decision to cancel press accreditations for 
seven journalists. There is an impression in Turkey that every 
institution seeks its own journalists and thus, an accreditation 
fury is going on. The military keeps accredited journalists out of 
its base while the prime ministry cancels journalists' accreditation 
because they "do not follow the rules."  After spending 25 years of 
my life abroad as a journalist I know very well how common standards 
of accreditation are administered. In the United States and Europe, 
for example, accreditation is not used as discrimination. There is 
only one rule - a journalist must prove his or her bona fides.  The 
only evidence needed to prove a journalist's bona fides is a letter 
from the media outlet for which they work." 
 
TV News:  CNN Turk 
 
Domestic News 
 
- The prime ministry's Inspection Board blames the police and the 
gendarme for failing to take the necessary measures to prevent the 
killing of Turkish Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. 
 
- State-owned broadcaster TRT said test Kurdish language broadcasts 
would be launched in January. 
 
- Children who participated in protests against police in the 
southeastern city of Hakkari will be offered badminton training by 
the Turkish Badminton Federation. 
 
International News 
 
- Crude oil prices lose ground and trade below USD 58 a barrel. 
 
- The head of UNAIDS says millions of people suffering from HIV/AIDS 
will die if major donors cut funding due to the global financial 
crisis. 
 
- The Dutch Justice Ministry considers raising the penalty for human 
trafficking. 
 
WILSON