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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 002147 
 
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 
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2008 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Armenian Apology Debate 
 
Media outlets cover the continuing debate over the Armenian apology 
campaign, highlighting reactions to a CHP parliamentarian's approach 
as well as the written statement from the presidency on the issue. 
Stories also note that Prime Minister Erdogan infuriated 
intellectuals by saying that the supporters of the campaign must 
have committed genocide themselves.  Mainstream Milliyet carries 
comments from author Adalet Agaoglu, one of the pioneers in the 
campaign, who says the Prime Minister should deal with problems with 
article 301 of the penal code instead of bothering about the 
campaign.  Milliyet also draws attention to Armenian-American 
journalist Markar Esayan's article in Taraf daily that interprets 
the apology as a symbolic step in the direction of democratic 
maturity. MHP leader Bahceli on the other hand has pronounced the 
campaign "shameful." 
 
Liberal daily Radikal carries a front page story about CHP deputy 
Canan Aritman's efforts to stoke the flames of controversy about the 
Armenian apology campaign by implying that President Abdullah Gul's 
support for the campaign might be because his grandmother was an 
Armenian.  Radikal's report says "the racist remarks of Aritman have 
prompted harsh reactions, but Aritman refuses to step back. She 
defends herself by saying says the president should defend the 
rights of Turkish people instead of bothering about ethnic 
interests."  Meanwhile the presidency released a statement to 
express regret about the manipulation of the issue for political 
goals, papers note. 
 
Ali Bayramoglu wrote in Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak: "We can talk 
about a civilized society only when we are capable of cleaning our 
house and manage to face the agonies of the past.  The ongoing 
campaign represents a point of no return in Turkey's democratic 
maturation.  With this debate, one big taboo has collapsed." 
 
Cengiz Candar wrote in liberal-intellectual Radikal: "the current 
tally for the signature campaign, which has reached to 14,000 and is 
growing, is a clear indication of how people have started listening 
to the voice of their conscience." 
 
Ergun Babahan wrote in mainstream Sabah:   "People criticizing the 
intellectuals for their "apology campaign" violate the basic 
principle of freedom of thought.  This is a racist approach and very 
shameful." 
 
Survey Indicates Turkey Becoming More Conservative 
 
Mainstream Milliyet, Vatan and Radikal as well as leftist Taraf 
carry the results of a recent survey on conservatism and tolerance 
in Turkey.  The survey was conducted from December 2007 to July 2008 
in Istanbul and 12 Anatolian cities -- Erzurum, Kayseri, Konya, 
Malatya, Sivas, Batman, Trabzon, Denizli, Aydin, Eskisehir, 
Adapazari and Balikesir -- and is based on interviews with 400 
people.  Co-sponsored by Bosphorus University and the Open Society 
Institute, the study shows that ruling the AKP has created a climate 
that isolates secularists in Turkey by giving open support to 
Islamic groups, whose economic power and influence is on the rise. 
The report also draws attention to the impact of "neighborhood 
pressures" in Turkey and describes Sunni Turks as indifferent to the 
demands of other religious groups. A survey conducted in 1999 showed 
that secularists exerted pressure on religiously devout people. 
Today the situation has been reversed. When the AKP swept to power, 
the complaints of Islamists gradually declined, while the complaints 
of secularists increased. Women wearing headscarves in the big 
cities still complain about discrimination, but women not wearing 
headscarves in Anatolian towns have similar complaints.  It is 
difficult not to respect the Ramadan fast particularly in Anatolian 
towns and young people have been beaten for wearing low-cut dresses 
 
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or having long hair, the survey says.  Vatan columnist Rusen Cakir 
calls the results of the survey frightening. 
 
Al-Qaeda was Plotting Attacks on Three Consulates 
 
Mainstream Milliyet reports that al-Qaeda-linked terrorists captured 
during operations in Istanbul, Izmir and Manisa were preparing to 
stage car bomb attacks against the U.S., British, and Israeli 
Consulates.  The paper notes that the terrorists reportedly received 
training in Pakistan and Afghanistan. 
 
KRG against the PKK 
 
Mainstream Vatan reports that Northern Iraqi security forces 
arrested 25 PKK terrorists during a rally in Suleymaniye. 
 
Ahmet Davutoglu: "Bush's Plan has collapsed" 
 
Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet reports that Ahmet Davutoglu, chief 
foreign policy advisor for Prime Minister Erdogan, said in an 
interview with the French Le Monde newspaper that President Bush's 
Greater Middle East Project has collapsed.  Davutoglu added "an 
inclusive approach that will make all regional actors is required to 
resolve problems in the region; and that goes to include Hamas and 
Taliban as well." 
 
Editorial opinion on Turkey-EU 
 
Sami Kohen wrote in mainstream Milliyet:  "From the EU's 
perspective, the determining factor for Turkey's membership is not 
its strategic importance but Turkey's internal unity and especially 
its performance on political reforms.  Turkey should realize this 
soon." 
 
TV News (CNN Turk) 
 
Domestic 
 
-  MHP leader Bahceli said he was ashamed of the campaign launched 
by some intellectuals to apologize for the 1915 incidents 
 
- MHP releases a declaration condemning the Armenian apology 
campaign 
 
- Transsexual singer Bulent Ersoy acquitted in suit for saying "if 
she had a son she wouldn't allow him to do his military service" 
 
- The Central Bank cuts its interest rate by 1.25 
 
- Budget deficit for November is reported as 3.4 billion YTL 
 
- Israeli Prime Minister Olmert to visit Ankara on Monday 
 
- FM Babacan will go to Kosovo in mid-January 
 
World 
 
- Hamas officials in Gaza and Beirut say the Islamic militant group 
will not extend a six month truce with Israel 
 
- Letters containing white powder have been mailed to 16 U.S. 
embassies across Europe 
 
- India successfully tests a supersonic cruise missile from a moving 
ship 
 
- The final withdrawal of British troops from Iraq has been 
officially announced by PM Gordon Brown 
 
JEFFREY