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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000141 
 
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 PREL KPAO
SUBJECT: ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT 
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2009 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
'This is Real Change' (Milliyet) 
Media outlets feature U.S. President Barack Obama's interview with 
Al-Arabiya in flashy headlines focusing on the same quotation from 
the interview.  Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak, leftist Taraf, liberal 
Radikal, and Islamist-oriented Zaman all quote Obama in the same 
headline, "Americans Are Not The Enemies of Muslims."  Mainstream 
Milliyet reports, "This Is Real Change," as Obama promises "We Are 
Not the Enemy of Muslims," and he says "Yes to contacts with Iran." 
Mainstream Sabah notes Obama said, "Yes, We Made Mistakes." 
Mainstream Hurriyet alludes to Obama's family ties to Islam in the 
headline, "An Initiative to Iran from 'Hussein,'" in a reference to 
Obama's middle name. 
 
In a related story, Yeni Safak carries the headline, "Listen to 
Arabs," and reports, "George Mitchell is embarking on a tour of the 
Middle East in order to do more listening than talking." 
 
Ozdemir Ince wrote in mainstream Hurriyet: "President Obama 
exemplifies the spirit of Abraham Lincoln by pursuing a unifying 
tone without discriminating against any ethnic or religious groups 
in the United States of America.  This is just the kind of unifying 
rhetoric Turkey needs." 
 
Murat Yetkin wrote in liberal-intellectual Radikal: "The Turkish 
government, particularly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is working 
toward eliminating PM Erdogan's harsg rhetoric over the Hamas/Gaza 
issue.  Both FM Babacan and State Minister Cicek used significant 
language to soften Turkey's stance over the Israel-Palestine 
dispute.  These efforts seek to put the train back onto its track." 
 
Erdal Safak wrote in mainstream Sabah: "Turkey has acted as a bridge 
on the Gaza issue by conveying messages from countries and 
organizations which are isolated by the U.S. Therefore, the new 
Washington administration will appreciate it at some point.  We can 
expect a positive outcome from the meeting between President Obama 
and PM Erdogan April 2nd at the G-20 summit." 
 
Erdogan and Baykal Address Mid East Conflict, Ergenekon 
Investigation 
Media outlets report Prime Minister Erdogan told his party group 
meeting Tuesday that, during the World Economic Forum Meeting in 
Davos, he will remind Israeli President Shimon Peres of his stated 
commitment to "the privatization of democracy and peace."  Erdogan 
said, "I'll tell Peres 'you defended the privatization of democracy, 
but the Israeli move in Gaza was conducted entirely with a 
totalitarian and authoritarian mentality.'" 
 
Opposition CHP leader Deniz Baykal noted during yesterday's meeting 
with his party lawmakers that in 2006, the EU placed Hamas on its 
terror list.  Baykal noted, "The PKK is on the same (terror) list. 
Turkey is paying for PM Erdogan's love for Hamas." Baykal also 
warned the government regarding procedural conduct in the Ergenekon 
investigation, "Silivri must not become the AKP's Guantanamo 
Detention Center.  The Ergenekon investigation has violated the 
principle of privacy; this is lynch justice."  In addition, Baykal 
noted, "The Ergenekon case has no relation to the 'clean hands 
operation,' because Turkey is already under the direction of dirty 
hands." 
 
Roles Changing in Davos 
Media note that the mood in Davos is experiencing an historical 
change this year as many of the nations attending the summit have 
departed from Davos' philosophy of free trade in order to intervene 
in their own economies to save their countries from the effects of 
the global economic crisis.  Mainstream Sabah calls the Summit, "The 
Most Important Economic Summit of the Last 40 Years."  Conservative 
nationalist Bugun reports, "The 2009 Davos Agenda Begins with the 
Economic Crisis."  Mainstream Hurriyet carries the headline, "The 
 
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CEOs Who Laid Off 85 Thousand People Are Flying to Davos" as "in the 
last two days, CEOs from the world's largest companies have laid off 
85,000 people."  Meral Tamer of mainstream Milliyet notes, "In 2009 
national politics will direct the world economy," which constitutes 
"a first in the 39-year history of Davos." 
 
A Nabucco Coup against Russia (Turkiye) 
Mainstream Sabah notes, "The EU is looking to transfer 2 billion 
dollars to the project."  In addition, Sabah reports Guler said, 
"Turkey's stance is quite clear - Turkey can work very fast in the 
project as long as other partners get a move on it." Guler also said 
the project was "important for Europe's energy security and 
strategy." He said the Nabucco project should be "initiated and 
completed in the shortest time possible."  The paper also reports 
Hungary's Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany, as the host of the 
conference, said "the EU should help finance Nabucco because it was 
a matter of national security and not a commercial project," and 
"The EU should allocate 2 billion Euros for the project. 
Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak reports in "Nabucco Depends on Turkey," 
that Turkey's Energy Minister Hilmi Guler said "Turkey will 
contribute to Europe's security of supply for natural gas with the 
completion of this project."  Yeni Safak also reports "Turkey 
reiterated its support to Nabucco," and noted, "Turkey's energy 
minister said on Tuesday that intergovernmental agreement regarding 
the Nabucco project could be signed in Istanbul, Turkey in the first 
half of 2009."  Conservative nationalist Turkiye reports in "A 
Nabucco Coup Against Russia," that the pipeline will reduce Europe's 
dependence on Russia for natural gas supplies because "it is 
necessary for Europe to protect itself from the natural gas threat," 
from a Russian natural gas monopoly in the region. 
 
Mullen: Intel Sharing Between U.S.-Turkey Will Continue 
Most media outlets covered U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Admiral 
Mike Mullen's comments at the Foreign Press Center yesterday. 
Coverage was focused, in a somewhat relieved manner, on Mullen's 
assurance that the counterterrorism intelligence sharing mechanism 
between the U.S. and Turkey will continue under the Obama 
Administration.  Conservative nationalist Turkiye highlights 
Mullen's comments in the headline, "Intelligence Sharing Will 
Continue."  Mainstream NTV emphasized he said, "I see no reason why 
we should not continue our intelligence cooperation with Turkey. 
Mainstream Vatan points out Mullen emphasized, "this cooperation 
will continue under the Obama administration."  Mainstream Sabah 
reports, "Mullen said he valued the importance of his ties to 
Turkish General Staff Chief Ilker Basbug and the Turkish military." 
 
Turkey to Buy Herons from Israel 
Mainstreams Sabah and Vatan report Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul 
responded to journalists' questions yesterday regarding reported 
problems with the purchase and deliver of Heron unmanned aircraft 
from Israel.  Yesterday leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet reported that 
PM Erdogan's recent harsh criticism of Israel may have negatively 
affected the defense deal.  Gonul told journalists, "Our agreement 
with Israel is still in force.  Israel sent two of the Heron 
aircraft last December.  There is a little delay in the delivery, 
but I think they will send remaining eight aircraft before the end 
of April." 
 
Greece Sentences Turkish Pilot to 4 Years in Prison over Fighter Jet 
Crash 
Hurriyet, Milliyet and Sabah report a Greek court sentenced a 
Turkish pilot to four years in prison for his role in a fighter jet 
crash over the Aegean in 2006.  The pilot, First Lt. Halil Ibrahim 
Ozdemir, was convicted Monday 'in absentia' of killing Greek pilot 
Costas Iliakis during a game of chicken, characterized as a 'dog 
fight' by the Turkish press, in the sky.  The two pilots sped their 
planes toward each other, but before their planes collided Ozdemir 
ejected and thus survived the collision.  Ozdemir has 15 days to 
appeal the sentence, but he reportedly did not even appoint a 
lawyer. 
 
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Turkey to Build 'Border Dams' against Terror 
Islamist-oriented Zaman reports that over the next couple of years, 
Turkey will build 33 new dams on its borders with neighbors, namely 
Bulgaria, Greece, Iraq, Iran, Syria and Armenia.  Of the 33 dams, 11 
will include checkpoints in the border provinces of Hakkari and 
Sirnak in order to prevent terrorist infiltrations and illegal 
trafficking says Zaman. 
 
TV News (CNN Turk) 
 
Domestic 
 
- Prime Minister Erdogan denies reports that two new ministries will 
be set up, saying his priority was reducing the number of ministers 
in the cabinet. 
 
- On Wednesday, the pro-Kurdish DTP leader Ahmet Turk and Diyarbakir 
Mayor Osman Baydemir will participate in the "Turkey, The EU and the 
Kurds" conference to be hosted by the European Parliament in 
Brussels. 
 
World 
 
- The Greek Cypriot administration will file a complaint to the 
European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to demand legal action against 
Turkish actor Atilla Olgac.  Olgac recently told a Turkish 
television show that he had killed ten Greek Cypriot prisoners of 
war in 1974 in Cyprus. 
 
- Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis said after meeting with 
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari that she supported Iraq's 
independence and territorial integrity. 
 
- Bulgaria has asked the European Commission to intervene to end the 
blockade of Greece's main highway network by tractors and trailers 
because the blockade is preventing the passage of goods. 
 
JEFFREY