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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000136 
 
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, JANUARY 27, 2009 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
All Hands on Deck for Davos 
Media outlets report Prime Minister Erdogan will participate in the 
World Economic Forum (WEF) meetings in Davos from January 
28-February 1.  Media comment on the fragile climate in Davos as 
world leaders meet in the midst of a global financial crisis. 
Leftist Taraf reports, "The Era of Wall Street's Pretentiousness Is 
Over in Davos."  Mainstream Milliyet reports, "The Crisis Hits the 
Summit," as "There Is No Lobster in Davos This Year," and "The 
atmosphere is like that of a refugee camp."  Mainstream Sabah 
focuses on the domestic angle in the headline, "Turkey's 20th 
Agreement with the IMF Will Be Discussed in Davos."  Mainstream 
Hurriyet takes the same domestic approach in "Talks with the IMF Are 
Suspended," but "There is Hope for Davos." 
 
Prime Minister Erdogan will be accompanied by a delegation including 
chief EU negotiator Egemen Bagis, State Minister Mehmet Simsek and 
Foreign Minister Ali Babacan.  In Davos, Erdogan will also meet with 
World Bank President Robert Zoellick and Middle East Quartet 
representative Tony Blair as well as with the prime ministers and 
heads of state of Russia, Kazakhstan, Albania, the Netherlands, and 
Colombia. 
 
In a related story, State Minister Mehmet Simsek told the press 
before departing for Davos that Turkey and the IMF have agreed on 
several points regarding the latest IMF loan negotiations, and that 
an agreement was "near."  Simsek said he'd continue the talks with 
the IMF in Davos. 
 
A Balancing Act - Turkish Leaders Fight to Reconcile Their Gaza 
Rhetoric For Domestic and International Audiences 
Media outlets continue to pay close attention to the statements of 
Turkish officials regarding the ceasefire talks between Israel and 
Hamas.  Mainstream Hurriyet carries the headline, "Gaza Bomb in 
Davos" and reports Prime Minister Erdogan will come face to face 
with Israeli President Shimon Peres during a session at the meeting 
of the World Economic Forum in Davos entitled "Gaza: A Model for 
Middle East Peace." In the session, Hurriyet reports, "Erdogan is 
expected to stress that he is not opposed to the Israeli people, but 
opposed to the Israeli government and those who approve of the 
attacks against Gaza." Hurriyet also reports that Erdogan is also 
expected to emphasize that "anti-Semitism is a crime against 
humanity just like Islamophobia."  Islamist-oriented Zaman reports, 
"Turkey Will Explain Its Middle East Policy at the Davos Summit" 
Meanwhile, liberal Radikal's columnist Murat Yetkin reports Turkish 
Foreign Minister Babacan told him, "We do not approve of Hamas, but 
peace is not possible without Hamas."  Mainstream Milliyet 
highlights Babacan's message to Hamas in the headline, "Choose 
Between Politics and Arms."  Mainstream Milliyet columnist Fikret 
Bila takes Babacan's comments as "a criticism of Hamas."  Meanwhile, 
mainstream Vatan reports in "We Are Against the Policies of the 
Israeli Government," that Turkish government Spokesman Cemil Cicek, 
said, "Our stance on Israeli policies has nothing to do with the 
people of Israel or our Jewish citizens," but, "Turkey is against 
Israeli policies that have created a humanitarian drama" in Gaza. 
 
In a related story, leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet reports on its 
front page "Israel Won't Give Drones to Turkey," and notes, "Israel 
has not given a positive answer to Turkey's purchase requests for 
unmanned drone aircraft."  Cumhuriyet sees this response from Israel 
as "a reaction to Erdogan's harsh criticism of Israel during the 
Gaza operations," and the paper notes, "Turkey needs these drones in 
order to fight terrorism." 
 
Editorial Commentary on Gaza 
 
Murat Yetkin wrote in liberal-intellectual Radikal: "Foreign 
Minister Babacan does not see any disharmony between the remarks of 
President Gul and PM Erdogan regarding their reactions to the 
 
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situation in Gaza.  FM Babacan also notes that 'Hamas has made 
mistakes and Turkey cannot endorse these mistakes' but he also adds 
"Hamas cannot be ignored because peace is not possible without 
cooperation from Hamas."  However, Babacan also emphasized, "Hamas 
should choose between arms and politics.  Turkey prefers that Hamas 
take the political path." 
 
Sedat Ergin wrote in mainstream Milliyet: "Prime Minister Erdogan's 
approach to the Gaza crisis shows that Turkish foreign policy is not 
rational, balanced, or smart.  Not only has the PM acted like a 
spokesperson for Hamas, but his view of Hamas sees no distinction 
between terrorism and politics.  The general tone of his criticism 
against Israel and against Jews has planted the seeds of 
anti-Semitism throughout the country.  But the most problematic 
thing Erdogan did during this debate was to draw a parallel between 
Hamas and the AKP." 
 
Cenap Cakmak wrote in Islamist oriented Zaman: "There are growing 
complaints from international organizations that the Israeli army 
committed war crimes during their recent operations in Gaza.  The 
Israeli army took no measures to avoid civilian casualties, and thus 
Israel clearly violated international law regarding the protection 
of civilians. Legally it is possible to put individuals on trial for 
war crimes even if their native country is not part of the 
International Court of Justice.  However, Israel is protected by the 
United States, and it is impossible to expect that those responsible 
will not be brought to justice because the U.S. will oppose any such 
efforts brought before the UN Security Council." 
 
Ankara Prosecutor Drops Charges against Armenian Apology Campaign 
Milliyet, Zaman, Hurriyet, Sabah, Vatan, Cumhuriyet:  The Ankara 
Chief Prosecutor's Office has concluded that there is no basis on 
which to prosecute Turkish intellectuals who launched an online 
petition campaign to apologize for the events of 1915.  The petition 
was launched on the Internet on December 15, 2008 and says, "My 
conscience does not accept the insensitivity showed to and the 
denial of the Great Calamity that befell the Ottoman Armenians in 
¶1915. I reject this injustice and for my share, I empathize with the 
feelings and pain of my Armenian brothers. I apologize to them." 
 
Metal-Is Union Chair Ozbek Arrested 
All papers report that the head of Turkish Metal Union Mustafa Ozbek 
was formally charged with 'assisting a terrorist organization' in 
connection to the Ergenekon case.  Mainstream Hurriyet headlines 
"Ozbek Arrested for helping the terrorist organization."  The 
Turk-Is labor union condemned the charges and called the Ergenekon 
case "political." 
 
TV News: 
CNN Turk 
 
Domestic News 
 
- Monday's meeting of the Inter-University Board (UAK) saw heated 
debates over a proposal by Higher Education Council (YOK) for the 
opening of Kurdish-language and literature departments in 
universities in Ankara and Istanbul. 
 
- On January 28-29, the pro-Kurdish DTP leader Ahmet Turk will go to 
Brussels to join a conference entitled, "Turkey, The EU and The 
Kurds." 
 
- Turkish Central Bank Governor Durmus Yilmaz predicts year-end 
inflation to stand between 5.4 and 8.2 percent. 
 
- 80 percent of tax revenues in Turkey are collected in the 
provinces of Istanbul, Kocaeli, Ankara and Izmir. 
 
International News 
 
 
ANKARA 00000136  003 OF 003 
 
 
- The U.S. permanent representative to the UN, Susan Rice, says the 
new administration will make Iran's nuclear program a top diplomatic 
priority and will pursue direct talks with Tehran. 
 
- British channel Sky TV joins the BBC in deciding not to broadcast 
a charity appeal for Gaza, despite mounting political and public 
pressure for them to do so. 
 
- 16 Saddam Hussein-era Iraqi officials, including former deputy PM 
Tariq Aziz and Saddam's cousin Ali Hassan al-Majeed (Chemical Ali) 
will face a new trial for repressing Kurds. 
 
- Indonesia joins Malaysia in banning Muslims from practicing yoga 
that includes Hindu rituals. 
 
 
JEFFREY