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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002192 
 
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 
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2008 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
"Israel Strikes While the World Sits Back and Watches" (Zaman) 
Media are completely consumed by the story of the growing crisis 
between Israel and Hamas.  Media outlets carry screaming headlines 
describing a humanitarian crisis in Gaza as Israel continues its 
strikes.  In a rare moment, Islamists and secularists are united in 
their opinions as they harshly criticize the Israeli strikes. 
Islamist-oriented Zaman carries the headline, "Doctors Are 
Performing Surgery by the Lights of Their Cell Phones," as "The 
effects of the bombs are causing Palestinian doctors to shake." 
Liberal Radikal carries the headline, "All-out Brutality against 
Palestine," as Cengiz Candar calls the situation, "a bloodbath." 
Mainstream Milliyet carries the headline, "Gaza Weeps for Its 
Children," as "Israel prepares for all out war," including, 
"invasion and destruction."  Mainstream Sabah reports, "Dead 
Children Will Not Grow Up," next to photos of the four sisters 
killed by an Israeli rocket while they slept.  Mainstream Hurriyet 
carries the front-page banner headlines, "Once Again, Children Are 
the Victims," and "Doctors Perform Surgery by the Lights of Their 
Mobile Phones," in Gaza while Israeli rockets continue to bombard 
the area.  Extreme right Tercuman reports, "Israel's Bloody 
Operation in Gaza Turns into Mass Murder." 
 
In a related story, mainstream Sabah reports Turkish Prime Minister 
Erdogan will embark on a tour of Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and 
Egypt in order to "carry an important message to the world" for 
peace in the Middle East.  Mainstream Hurriyet calls the tour 
"Erdogan's Peace Tour."  In fact, all papers paint the PM as a 
peacemaker in search of an emergency ceasefire between Israel and 
Hamas.  Papers report the AKP Deputy Murat Mercan, AKP Deputy 
Nursuna Memecan and MHP Deputy Mehmet Sandir have resigned from the 
Turkey-Israel parliamentary friendship group in protest of the 
Israeli attacks.  Sandir said in his resignation, "I cannot be a 
friend to a country that kills children and women."  Meanwhile, on 
Monday Foreign Minister Ali Babacan held a joint press conference 
with visiting Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit.  During 
the press event, the two foreign ministers urged Israel to stop its 
deadly offensive in the Gaza Strip.  Babacan said the indirect peace 
talks between Israel and Syria through Turkey's mediation had become 
"impossible" after the onslaught in Gaza. 
 
"Gaza Is Dying in Agony," and "The World Remains Silent" 
(Cumhuriyet) 
Media outlets note Western countries, including the U.S., have 
stopped short of condemning Israel's operations into Gaza.  Leftist 
nationalist Cumhuriyet reports, "Western countries are not joining 
Arab countries in their criticism of Israel," and instead, "the West 
is defending Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas," during 
Israel's "bloody operations in Gaza."    Islamist-oriented Zaman 
carries the headline, "Israel Is Attacking Gaza with American 
Bombs."  Conservative-nationalist Turkiye reports, "Who Will Stop 
Israel? Only the U.S. Can End the Tragedy in the Middle East," and 
that is only, "If Obama Wants To." 
 
Editorial Commentary on Israel's Gaza Attacks 
 
Columnist Mehmet Yilmaz from mainstream Hurriyet and Taha Akyol of 
Milliyet find PM Erdogan's strong rhetoric against Israel "harsh and 
dangerous" because of the potential political and foreign policy 
consequences. 
 
Liberal Radikal's Murat Yetkin praises the PM for "not trying to 
justify Hamas' actions and focusing only on the Israeli attack in 
Gaza." 
 
Milliyet's Fikret Bila thinks PM Erdogan's harsh reaction to Israel 
stems from "feelings of humiliation after being deceived by Israel." 
 Bila notes, "Last week Olmert promised Erdogan there would be no 
humanitarian crisis in Palestine; at the same time Israel was 
 
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preparing to launch this operation."  In addition, Bila points out, 
"This attack has destroyed the Syria/Israel peace talks that were 
mediated by Turkey.  This development will weaken the power of 
Turkey and Arab countries in the region." 
 
Columnist Erdal Safak in mainstream Sabah recommends that PM 
Erdogan's Chief Foreign Policy Adviser Davutoglu should immediately 
go to Damascus and "make sure to engage Hamas leader Mashal" arguing 
that, given the current climate, "this is the right time to make 
this effort." 
 
Meanwhile, Mustafa Balbay in leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet as well 
as Fehmi Koru in Islamist oriented Yeni Safak agree on one thing - 
the timing of Israeli attack is not a coincidence.  Balbay says, 
"The Israeli government wants to bring a fait-acompli to the next US 
administration."  Koru says,   "Israel is trying to make the Middle 
East problem an immediate priority for the Obama administration, and 
divert Washington's attention from Iraq and Afghanistan." 
 
Iranian Explosives in Mersin 
Mainstreams Hurriyet and Milliyet report that Mersin Customs 
officials decided to inspect 22 shipping containers that were en 
route from Iran to Venezuela.  The customs officials suspected the 
presence of radioactive material, so experts from the Atomic Energy 
Institute were called in to inspect the containers.  The AEI 
inspectors subsequently found explosive materials made of nitrate 
and sulfite.  Official documents on the containers claimed that the 
containers contained tractor parts.  Currently, the containers 
remain in the custody of Mersin Customs Officials in the Mersin 
harbor. 
 
TRT to Launch Kurdish Broadcasts January 1 
Media outlets report the state-owned TRT television will launch 
Kurdish-language broadcasts starting on January 1, and Prime 
Minister Erdogan will deliver a speech in Kurdish on the new 
channel, TRT-6.  Papers expect Erdogan to issue messages against 
ethnic discrimination.  At the end of his speech, Erdogan will 
congratulate the new channel and send New Years greetings. 
Conservative-Islamist papers see Kurdish-language broadcasting on 
state-owned television as a milestone in the democratic initiatives 
made with regard to the Kurdish question in Turkey. 
Islamist-oriented Zaman writes, "The Prime Minister breaks a taboo 
and speaks Kurdish."  Liberal Radikal carries the headline, "Erdogan 
Salutes the Kurdish Language on TRT."  Meanwhile, leftist Taraf is 
less salutary toward the PM in "Erdogan Utters Words in Kurdish 
during an Interview with The Kurdish Station." 
 
TV News: 
CNN Turk 
 
Domestic News 
 
- The prosecutor ordered the arrest of 15 al-Qaeda suspects taken 
into custody last week in Istanbul. 
 
- Professor Yunus Soylet has been appointed the Rector of Istanbul 
University by President Abdullah Gul.  Soylet, a supporter of 
headscarf freedom in universities, was the family doctor of PM 
Erdogan. 
 
- Industrial employment drops by 1.4 percent in the third quarter of 
the year, while employment in construction drops by 6.8 percent. 
 
International News 
 
- Iran's state news agency IRNA reports rebels from Iran's ethnic 
Baluchi minority have killed four members of the security forces in 
southeastern Iran. 
 
- The UN-backed Mine Action Centre (MAC) says a four-year project to 
 
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clear landmines from a buffer zone in Cyprus could end next month 
due to a lack of funds. 
 
-  Bangladesh voted in its first election in seven years, in a poll 
anticipated to restore democracy to this troubled nation after two 
years of emergency rule. 
 
JEFFREY