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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002195 
 
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 31, 2008 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Turkish PM Embarks on Peace Tour of the Middle East 
Media outlets criticize perceived tolerance for Israel from the West 
and herald Prime Minister Erdogan as a peacemaker in search of 
dialogue and diplomacy in the Arab world regarding the crisis in 
Gaza.  Liberal Radikal criticizes the West in, "No One Is Trying to 
Stop Israel," as "The West Blames Hamas."  Islamist-oriented Yeni 
Safak carries the headline, "East and West Speak Differently" 
regarding Gaza, as "Iranian President Ahmadinejad and Syrian 
President Assad have consistently called on Israel to stop their 
massacres in Gaza and end the embargo," while, "The EU blames Hamas 
for violating the ceasefire and calls the Hamas attacks 
'unacceptable.'" Reports note PM Erdogan is seeking to bring Arab 
countries together for a unified response to the crisis before this 
weekend's OIC meeting.  Mainstream Hurriyet reports, "As Israel 
steps up its attacks against Gaza, Erdogan is embarking on a peace 
tour and will call on Hamas to stop their rocket attacks against 
Israel.  Erdogan wants the parties in the region to give diplomacy 
and dialogue a chance."  Particularly, Hurriyet notes, "Erdogan 
seeks to end tensions among the Arab nations which are divided over 
the Iraq war," in order to "mobilize the Islamic world on an Arab 
Peace Plan before Obama takes office."  Mainstream Sabah reports, 
"Erdogan will ask Syrian President Assad to use his influence over 
Hamas," to encourage peace before "Erdogan meets with Palestinian 
President Abbas in Jordan."  Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak reports 
Ankara is sending "significant aid" for the humanitarian crisis in 
Gaza.  Islamist-oriented Zaman and NTV report Ankara will send "five 
ambulances and a total of 330 tons of food to Gaza." 
 
In mainstream Vatan, Bilal Cetin says, "Washington is the only actor 
that can stop Israel."  Okay Gonensin in the same paper thinks the 
PM's peace effort is a domestic political show and a demonstration 
of his will to become an Islamic world leader.  Meanwhile 
Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak's Resul Tosun calls on the Turkish 
government to force NATO intervention with Israel and threaten to 
suspend Turkey's NATO membership if NATO refuses to intervene. 
 
Meanwhile, leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet criticizes the PM by 
saying he was "used" by Israel prior to the Gaza attacks.  The paper 
reports that last week Israeli PM Olmert was in Ankara and met with 
Erdogan for five hours.  The statement after the meeting said 
Erdogan "expressed his gratitude for the constructive approach and 
political determination shown by Olmert."  Cumhuriyet says this 
statement "was interpreted by Hamas to mean that Israel would not 
launch attacks into Gaza and thus they were caught off guard when 
Israel launched its strikes."  In addition, Cumhuriyet reports, "As 
a newly designated rotating member of the UNSC, Ankara will soon 
bring together members of Hamas and members of the Palestinian 
administration to talk peace.  These talks will be conducted in the 
name of the UN." 
 
Editorial Commentary on PM Erdogan's Peace Tour of the Middle East 
 
In mainstream Vatan, Bilal Cetin considers the PM's Mid East trip 
"an effort to prevent the escalation of tensions in the region," 
particularly "to prevent a possible escalation of violence in South 
Lebanon."  However, Cetin notes, "Washington is the only actor that 
can stop Israel." 
 
Okay Gonensin of Vatan also thinks the PM's effort is "a domestic 
political show and a demonstration of his will to become an Islamic 
world leader." 
 
Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak's Resul Tosun calls on the AKP 
government "to force a NATO intervention into Israel and to threaten 
to suspend Turkey's NATO membership if NATO does not agree to 
intervene in Gaza." 
 
In liberal-intellectual Radikal, columnist Murat Yetkin urges the 
 
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Prime Minister "to remember Turkey's EU aspirations while he is 
focusing on the Middle East.  The closer Turkey gets to the EU, the 
more influential Turkey will be in its efforts in the Middle East." 
 
Fikret Bila in mainstream Milliyet writes, "PM Erdogan does not want 
to visit Israel at this point.  However he may change his mind based 
on the outcome of his Mid East regional tour." 
 
Editorial Commentary on Looking Back and 2008, Looking Forward to 
2009 
 
Oral Calislar writes in liberal-intellectual Radikal, "Despite some 
setbacks, there is still room for optimism when 2008 is analyzed 
closely.  There were good developments regarding democracy.  For 
example, the AKP was not closed by the judiciary, efforts toward 
dialogue were sought with Kurds in Turkey and northern Iraq, and a 
group of Turkish intellectuals initiated an online Armenian apology 
campaign." 
 
Ergun Babahan writes in mainstream Sabah, "Turkey finished 2008 with 
an increased level of multi-cultural awareness and that alone is a 
reason to be optimistic about 2009." 
 
Ali Bayramoglu says in Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak, "In 2008, the 
ruling AKP experienced a recession in popularity.  With an 
overly-nationalistic tone on the Kurdish issue and its growing 
distance from liberals, the AKP is moving closer to the nationalist 
opposition party MHP's political rhetoric." 
 
A cartoon from today's mainstream Sabah is entitled, "The New Year 
Comes."  Two men assist a badly beaten Old Man 2008 and tell the 
2009 New Years baby, "Wait just a minute.  He (2008) doesn't even 
have the strength to stand." 
 
 
Kurdish Controversy 
Mainstream Sabah reports that the mainly Kurdish opposition party 
DTP drew attention to the controversy between TRT's Kurdish 
broadcasting and the court cases against the DTP mayors.  DTP 
Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir's lawyer said that "there are 13 
cases against Baydemir for using the Kurdish language when sending 
invitations.  Under these conditions, it means that TRT also is 
committing a crime by broadcasting in Kurdish.  This is a vast 
controversy." 
 
DTP Leader Turk Apologizes to Assyrians and Armenians for 1915 
Incidents 
Mainstream Hurriyet and Sabah report that DTP leader Ahmet Turk, 
"apologized for the events of 1915 during a DTP delegation's visit 
to the Syriac Culture Association in Midyat." Turk said, "Our 
Assyrian and Armenian brothers suffered in those days.  Today, our 
Kurdish brothers are facing same kind of suffering." 
 
'Bug' Found in Opposition CHP Headquarters 
Media outlets report the main opposition CHP officials said they 
have found a bugging device in the offices of the party's deputy 
secretary-generals Algan Hacaloglu and Mesut Deger.  CHP's head 
auditer Mustafa Ozyurek said, "In the recent past, similar 
wiretapping devices have been found in some flowerpots sent to the 
party."  Ozyurek lashed out at the ruling AKP, saying the government 
should protect against such illegal eavesdropping. 
 
Meanwhile, leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet and mainstream Hurriyet 
report the Justice Ministry adopted a decision which authorizes the 
Justice Minister to order the wiretapping of judges and prosecutors 
without seeking a court decision.  In "Boundless Violations: 
Justices Will Be Wiretapped," Cumhuriyet says a provision added to 
the ministry's Inspection Board Regulation authorizes Justice 
Ministry inspectors to wiretap justices and prosecutors.  The Union 
of Justices and Prosecutors (YARSAV) is appealing to the Council of 
 
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State (Danistay) for the annulment of the provision.  YARSAV 
Director Omer Faruk Eminagaoglu said the authorization would harm 
the independence of the judiciary.   "The authorization given to 
Justice Ministry inspectors will move them away from their 
independent position described in the Constitution, and to a 
position which can be defined as 'legal intelligence units,'" 
Eminagaoglu said. 
 
FM Babacan to Address Kosovo Parliament in Turkish 
Islamist-oriented Zaman reports that FM Ali Babacan will pay a visit 
to Kosovo between January 14 and 15 and will address the 
parliamentarians at Kosovo Parliament's General Assembly.  Babacan 
is expected to deliver his speech in Turkish.  100 Turkish 
businessmen will accompany Babacan to Kosovo. 
 
TV News: 
CNN Turk 
 
Domestic News 
 
- 22 suspects were detained in operations against al-Qaeda in 
Kocaeli. 
- Former PM Erbakan's Saadet Party will hold a protest in Istanbul 
on January 4, 2009 in order to protest against the crisis in Gaza. 
- Turkey's state-run TRT television will launch Kurdish-language 
broadcasts January 1. 
- Opposition CHP leader Deniz Baykal said the appointment of PM 
Erdogan's family doctor as the Rector of Istanbul University shows 
President Abdullah Gul has lost his impartiality. 
- More than 55,000 people have lost their jobs in the province of 
Bursa in 2008. 
- 205 kg of heroin was discovered in two trucks attempting to enter 
Turkey from Iran via the Agri border crossing.  Two Macedonian 
drivers were detained and the investigation continues. 
 
International News 
 
- Turkish fighter jets bombed targets in northern Iraq Tuesday. 
There were no immediate reports of casualties. 
- Russian President Dmitri Medvedev signs a constitutional amendment 
extending presidential terms from four years to six years. 
- Russian academic Igor Panarin predicts the U.S. will disintegrate 
into six parts in 2010. 
 
JEFFREY