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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 002078 
 
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, DECEMBER 3, 2008 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Afghan President Karzai and Pakistani President Zardari to Meet in 
Istanbul 
Media outlets report that on Friday, President Abdullah Gul will 
bring together Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistan's new 
President Asif Ali Zardari in Istanbul in an effort to improve ties 
and cooperation between the two countries.  A tripartite summit 
among the three presidents was held in Ankara in April last year. 
In the declaration released at the end of their meetings, Pakistan 
and Afghanistan had agreed to enhance relations on the basis of good 
neighborhood and respect for territorial integrity. 
The three countries also set up a joint working group which held its 
first meeting in Ankara in July 2007.  This week's meeting will 
focus on the fight against terror, drug smuggling and organized 
crime.  President Abdullah Gul said the meeting would be about 
"security in Asia, the future of Afghanistan and the friendly 
settlement of disputes between Afghanistan and Pakistan," papers 
report. 
 
Turkish Military Expels 5 Officers for Fundamentalist Islamist Ties 
 
 All papers highlight a statement issued by Turkish General Staff 
after the Supreme Military Council meeting, a supreme body headed by 
Prime Minister to regulate military promotions.  The statement 
announced the expulsion of 24 military personnel, including 5 
officers for ties with Islamic extremism.  The military says 19 
other officers were expelled for reasons related to drug addiction 
and ethics violations. 
 
Due to TGS's statement which clarified "the decision was approved 
through a majority of votes," papers speculate about who stood 
against the expulsions.  Radikal, Milliyet and Cumhuriyet are saying 
that like in previous meetings, PM Erdogan and Defense Minister 
Gonul were likely to have been against the expulsion decision. 
However President Gul has given a final approval, as papers noted. 
 
PKK Claims Responsibility for AKP Attack 
Papers report that a PKK-linked organization named "The 
Revolutionary Headquarters" claimed responsibility for yesterday's 
parcel-bomb attack against the AKP headquarters in Istanbul, Beyoglu 
district.  Last summer, the same organization claimed responsibility 
for the mortar attack on a military building in Istanbul.  Sabah 
says one suspect was taken into custody and police continue to 
investigate.  Meanwhile Prime Minister Erdogan visited the AKP site 
and said that 5 of the 10 wounded were released from hospital, but 
the two of the remaining are still in critical condition.  Erdogan 
denounced the attack by saying "there is no where to go, and nothing 
to gain through terror and violence" as highlighted in the papers. 
 
Tuzmen Predicts 'Difficult Year' for Turkey in 2009 
Media outlets report State Minister Kursad Tuzmen said 2009 would be 
a difficult year for Turkey.  Tuzmen predicts Turkey would be hit by 
the effects of "contraction and recession" from abroad.  "In 2009, 
we project a 17 percent decrease in exports and a 25 percent 
decrease in imports," he said.  Tuzmen added the AKP government will 
offer exporters incentives in order to encourage them to broaden 
their markets to Asia, the Middle East and Africa. 
 
On Tuesday, opposition CHP leader Deniz Baykal lashed out at the 
ruling AKP government, saying its failure to make a deal with the 
IMF prevented the government from releasing a package of economic 
measures.  Baykal argued Prime Minister Erdogan was "deeply 
confused" over economic issues, recalling it was only few months ago 
that Erdogan was totally against a deal with the IMF.  Opposition 
MHP leader Devlet Bahceli said the "illusory picture" drawn by 
Erdogan was evidence that "the PM is living on a different planet." 
Bahceli charged that the ruling AKP had destroyed the Turkish 
economy by selling the country's agriculture and national assets to 
pro-government groups through privatization.  "This crisis will 
 
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eventually send the AKP into the dark tunnels of history," Bahceli 
said. 
 
Papers report Turkey's elite business group TUSIAD Chairwoman 
Arzuhan Yalcindag publicly disagreed with Prime Minister Erdogan 
when he said the worst part of the economic crisis was over.  "The 
government is late in taking the necessary measures to cope with the 
crisis," Yalcindag emphasized, and she suggested that "a cut in 
value added tax rates could have a positive impact on Turkish 
markets."  Meanwhile, papers report rating company Moody's said 
Turkey would enter a recession in 2009 without an IMF deal that 
markets have been asking for.  Moody's official David Munves said 
"economic activities will start to recover in two years." 
 
"Will Hillary Clinton Be Good for Turkey?" 
Media outlets are asking if Hillary Clinton is going to be a 
Secretary of State that will 'be good' for Turkey, meaning will 
Clinton risk damaging relations with Turkey by supporting the 
passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution?  Liberal Radikal notes, 
"The Armenian lobby is very happy to see Hillary Clinton as 
Secretary of State."  In "Clinton Is Good Luck for Ankara," 
leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet reports, "Experts in Washington say 
that Clinton was the best pick for Turkey," even though, "the 
Armenians are also happy."  Mainstream Hurriyet reports, "For the 
first time, the U.S. President, the Vice President, and the 
Secretary of State all support the Armenian Genocide Resolution." 
 
CNN's Genocide Documentary 
Liberal Radikal reports in "Discomfort with CNN's 'Genocide 
Documentary,'" that, "the documentary is creating uneasiness in 
Turkey regarding its depictions of Armenian genocide claims."  CNN's 
Christiane Amanpour's documentary entitled "Scream Bloody Murder" is 
set to air on CNN International on December 5th and examines ethnic 
violence from the 20th century until present day in Darfur, Sudan. 
 
Ruling Party Disbanded in Thailand 
The top international story today focuses on the Thai constitutional 
court's decision to disband the ruling party and ban the prime 
minister from politics.  Turkish press pay close attention to this 
case due to the parallels to recent Turkish politics - this past 
summer the ruling party in Turkey was almost closed due to 
allegations the party had become a source of anti-secular 
activities.  While the Turkish constitutional court ruled against 
closing the ruling party, media note the Thai court did the 
opposite.  Secularist mainstream media cover the story in a 
sensationalist manner.  Meanwhile, Islamist media appears stunned by 
the court decision and focus more on the corruption charges against 
the Thai ruling party.  Mainstream Sabah reports in "A Judicial 
Coup," that the Thai prime minister "was banned from politics," as 
"the constitutional court decision to disband the ruling party stirs 
up the country."  Liberal Radikal reports in "Judicial Sauce (Is 
Poured) on the Crisis in Bangkok," that, "demonstrators received 
good news from the court yesterday," as "the prime minister was 
banned from politics for five years due to charges of electoral 
corruption."  Mainstream Vatan reports, "It Wasn't The People Who 
Overthrew The Government, It Was the Judges Who Overthrew the 
Government!"  Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet reports simply, "The 
Court Overthrew the Government."  Sami Cohen of mainstream Milliyet 
notes, "This Time the Court Overthrew the Government," and "the 
prior coup was orchestrated by the military," military coups are 
also a part of Turkey's recent political history.  Islamist-oriented 
Zaman carries a wire report under the simple headline, "In Thailand, 
The Ruling Party is Closed."  Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak carries 
the banner headline, "They Closed the Party," due to "corruption 
during the elections." 
 
Editorial Commentary on Domestic Turkish Politics 
 
Hasan Cemal wrote in mainstream Milliyet: "Given the current phase 
of the global financial crisis, the timing of local elections is not 
 
ANKARA 00002078  003 OF 004 
 
 
good for the AKP and Prime Minister Erdogan.  Inevitably the 
economic crisis will deepen during the next couple of months with 
growing unemployment and a decline in economic wealth - this will 
create a nightmare situation for the ruling party.  The month of 
February is the best time to make a better judgment about the impact 
of the economic crisis on the government's approval rating." 
 
Fehmi Koru wrote in Islamist oriented Yeni Safak: "Among Turkish 
intellectuals, there is a tendency to draw an analogy between the 
behaviors of politicians abroad and here in Turkey.  When Indian 
government officials resigned after the terrorist attack, many 
papers presented it as an example of responsible behavior.  When 
President Bush wanted a war in Iraq, there were many leaders in this 
country who strongly defended his thesis.  Have they ever though 
about quitting as the Iraq war now presents an example of big 
failure?" 
 
Mehmet Kamis in Islamist-oriented Zaman: "'You either vote for us or 
for war,' DTP's co-chairperson Emine Ayna said in Bingol this week. 
It's not difficult to predict there will be a new terror wave in the 
lead up to the municipal elections, because they have no political 
argument other than terror.  Terror will use the Nevruz Feast as a 
last opportunity before the elections in March.  So far, the DTP 
municipalities have failed in providing services such as road, 
water, sewage and transport.  They have done nothing to increase the 
life quality of the Kurds, and they stoke tensions again and again. 
The PKK's rhetoric and its policies are applauded by the DTP, but 
have brought nothing but death and distress for the Kurds." 
 
Ali Bulac in Islamist-oriented Zaman: "In August, the British 
domestic intelligence service MI5 issued a report which says those 
who use terror don't know their religion well, and most of them 
don't even practice their religion.  The report shows those who are 
involved in terror are above the age of 30, and the majority of them 
are married with children.  Most of them are British citizens with 
legal status.  Almost half of them are born and raised in Britain. 
Conducting politics through the faith of Islam is disrespectful and 
unfair.  As the MI5 report shows clearly, terror is something 
totally different and has nothing to do with Islam or Muslims, who 
believe life is a gift from God." 
 
TV News: 
CNN Turk 
 
Domestic News 
 
- President Abdullah Gul will travel to Diyarbakir on December 8, 
the first day of the Feast of Sacrifice. 
 
- Energy Minister Hilmi Guler said this week Turkey would decide on 
the proposal of a Russian company that submitted a bid for the 
construction of a nuclear plant in Akkuyu in the Mediterranean 
coastal city of Mersin. 
 
- On Wednesday, President Abdullah Gul will open the Center for 
African Studies at Ankara University. 
 
International News 
 
- Greek Foreign Minister Dora Banoyannis criticized Turkey over not 
exerting efforts to resolve the problems of Cyprus and territorial 
waters in the Aegean. 
 
- A study being briefed to Vice President-elect Joe Biden predicts 
the U.S. can expect a terrorist attack using nuclear or biological 
weapons before 2013. 
 
- Croatia assumes its one-month presidency of the UN Security 
Council in New York. 
 
 
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JEFFREY