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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000082 
 
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 
THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2009 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Turkish TVs Air Tuncay Guney's 2001 Ergenekon Interrogation 
All media outlets report video records from 2001 of Tuncay Guney's 
interrogation regarding Ergenekon were distributed yesterday to the 
lawyers of the Ergenekon suspects.  Papers note that, although Guney 
earlier said he was tortured by police prior to these statements, in 
the video released yesterday he looks "like a man chatting with his 
friends."  In his video testimony, Guney implicates many prominent 
figures in the Ergenekon network, including former chiefs of the 
General Staff, high-ranking military generals and politicians. 
 
In the video, Guney told police Ergenekon was "an organization 
controlled by top-level military commanders" such as Ismail Hakki 
Karadayi, Necip Torumtay, Teoman Koman, Rasim Betir, Nejat Muldur 
and Guven Erkaya.  He also claimed the Turkish wing of the Hezbollah 
terror organization was also controlled by the military, saying the 
alleged gendarme secret intelligence service JITEM has founded and 
trained Hezbollah.  Guney alleged that Workers' Party (IP) leader 
Dogu Perincek was the primary connection between the PKK and 
Ergenekon.  He also said retired general Veli Kucuk, a main suspect 
in the Ergenekon case, had a school in northern Iraq, and that they 
had delivered 12,000 guns each to Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and 
Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government President Massoud Barzani.  Guney 
also said the extreme-left DHKP-C had been contracted by Ergenekon 
to kill the prominent Turkish business tycoon Ozdemir Sabanci. 
Leftist Taraf says the authorities' failure to take action about the 
confessions of Guney in 2001 enabled the Ergenekon network to 
survive for eight more years.  Following the airing of his 2001 
video interrogation, last night Guney gave a live interview to the 
state-funded TRT-2 television.  Guney told TRT-2 he was "tortured 
before the video interrogation began," and "only parts of his 
interrogation were aired yesterday evening." 
 
Mainstream Sabah says the documents seized in the house search of 
suspect Ibrahim Sahin show Ergenekon, in an effort to destabilize 
the country, was planning to stage a series of attacks prior to the 
municipality elections in March 2009.  Such plots included plans to 
assassinate Armenian Patriarch Mesrob II, assassination plans 
against two prominent Alevi leaders, and a series of car bomb 
attacks on shopping malls in Ankara.  Papers report police found 200 
G-3 rifle bullets in a bag in front of a shopping mall, and two hand 
grenades in a park on Wednesday in Ankara. 
 
The pro-Kurdish opposition DTP called on parliament to hold a 
general meeting over alleged illegal crime organizations within the 
state and they submitted a motion to the Parliament Speaker 
yesterday.  "Votes from the AKP, CHP and MHP to start a 
parliamentary discussion on the matter will show whether they are 
against gangs or not," DTP MP Hasip Kaplan said. 
 
Editorial Commentary on Ergenekon Investigation 
 
Murat Yetkin wrote in liberal-intellectual Radikal: "There is 
credible evidence that in 2001 and 2002 a certain religious 
movement, i.e. the Gulenists, prevented the Turkish Police 
Department from investigating and uncovering the mafia structure 
within the State." 
 
Ertugrul Ozkok wrote in mainstream Hurriyet: "It is hard to believe 
that the entirely irrelevant testimony from a psychopath (i.e. 
Tuncay Guney) constitutes the basis for the Ergenekon investigation. 
 State Intelligence and security units should know better." 
 
Sahin Alpay wrote in Islamist oriented Zaman: "This ongoing process 
is an effort to enhance democracy.  Those who remain opposed to the 
Ergenekon investigation include the pro-Israeli Neo-Cons in the U.S. 
as well." 
 
Tamer Korkmaz wrote in Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak: "The U.S. and 
 
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NATO have always sponsored military coups throughout Turkey's 
history.  Thus, there is no credibility to the claims that some 
generals implicated in the Ergenekon case are anti-American." 
 
1000 Hearts Stopped (Taraf) 
Gaza remains the top international story and a top feature story on 
front pages.  Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet reports, "Israel Fires 
on A Woman Carrying a White Flag."  Mainstream Hurriyet carries the 
headline, "Gazans as Guinea Pigs," and criticizes Israel's alleged 
use of dense inert metal explosives.  Mainstream Vatan reports under 
the headline, "A Shocking Confession from An Israeli Soldier," that 
family members of Israeli soldiers confirmed Israel "is using white 
phosphorus in their bombing campaigns against Gaza," and Israeli 
soldiers are ordered "to not ask questions, just to carry out 
orders."  Leftist Taraf carries the headline, "1000 Hearts Have Been 
Stopped," as the death toll in Gaza reaches over 1000. 
Islamist-oriented Zaman reports, "There is no place to bury the 
corpses" as "Palestine is disappearing."  Islamist-oriented Yeni 
Safak reports the Israelis "are even striking the dead" as "two 
cemeteries were bombed," and "a woman waving a white flag was 
killed." 
 
Papers report in a meeting in Istanbul, the executive board of 
Parliamentary Union of the Organization of the Islamic Conference 
(OIC) called for halting violence in Gaza.  At the meeting, the 
Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani criticized the countries 
maintaining economic and political ties with Israel, implying Egypt 
and Turkey.  Turkish Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan responded to 
Larijani, saying the lawmakers who were members of the Turkey-Israel 
caucus in the Turkish Parliament have resigned, say papers. 
 
Israeli Media Reacts to Erdogan's Criticism 
Mainstream Milliyet carries a quotation from the Israeli Jerusalem 
Post newspaper which said, "In his call to the nation, PM Erdogan 
once again criticized Israel mercilessly."  The paper noted that 
right after claiming that he is not anti-Semitic, Erdogan accused 
"some media" of being supported by Jews and therefore these media 
"reported incorrectly on the crisis in Gaza."  Meanwhile, Milliyet 
reports of an e-mail campaign among Israelis that calls for a 
boycott of tourism to Turkey because of Erdogan's comments. 
 
Editorial Commentary on Israel 
 
Soli Ozel wrote in mainstream Sabah: "Turkey has engaged itself in 
order to directly reach Hamas.  According to the master minds of 
this diplomacy, Ankara hopes to convince Hamas to support a lasting 
ceasefire.  Turkey will find its work to be in vain until both Iran 
and Hamas show credible signs of softening their stances, which is 
unlikely for the time being." 
 
Cuneyt Ulsever wrote in mainstream Hurriyet: "The AKP government has 
sided with Hamas and is now acting like a representative of Hamas. 
This alienates Turkey from the world and encourages anti-Semitism." 
 
 
President Gul to Visit Iraq in February 
Mainstream Vatan reports President Abdullah Gul will travel to Iraq 
in February as the official guest of President Jalal Talabani. 
Sources say Gul might also visit Erbil and Suleymaniye in northern 
Iraq.  The main topics of talks between the two sides will be the 
PKK, Turkey's Kurdish problem, and the Iraqi airspace which was 
handed over to the Iraqi administration as of January 1.  Last year, 
the Turkish President had to cancel an earlier visit to Iraq due to 
an ear infection. 
 
YOK Members Feel Pressure 
Mainstream Milliyet reports that five members of the Higher Board of 
Education (YOK) issued a statement saying that they feel political 
pressure from their fellow board members who are pro-AKP.  The 
statement warned that the pro-AKP approach distanced the board from 
 
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its constitutional role. 
 
A Family-Sized Life Sentence for an Honor Killing 
Mainstream Hurriyet reports that a 16 year old girl was raped and 
impregnated in Van's Baskale town two years ago.  After she gave 
birth, the girl was killed by her brother after a family council 
decision in order to protect family honor.  The brother of the girl, 
her mother, father and two uncles were sentenced to life in prison 
for the murder.  One other uncle was sentenced to 16 years and eight 
months.   The Van Women's Association welcomed the verdict saying 
that "This verdict will save the lives of many women." 
 
U.S. Ankara Embassy Sponsors Turkey-Armenia Documentary 
Mainstream Sabah reports Turkish and Armenian documentary directors, 
Eray Mert and Gevork Nazaryan, will begin shooting a documentary 
depicting the commonalities between the two peoples, without 
touching on the Armenian genocide allegations.  The documentary is 
sponsored by the U.S. Ankara Embassy, and supported by 
Turkish-Armenian Business Council and the Armenian Marketing Union, 
reports Sabah. 
 
A Warning from the Boston Globe to Obama 
Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet's front page carries the headline, "A 
Warning to Obama," from an editorial in yesterday's Boston Globe 
telling the U.S. President-elect to "look carefully at Turkey" as 
the Ergenekon investigation "is dividing the nation" which could 
lead to "a coup or a civil war."  Leftist Taraf's front-page 
headline reads, "Obama, Pay Attention to Turkey." 
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_o pinion/ 
editorials/articles/2009/01/14/turkish_affrig ht/ 
 
TV News: 
CNN Turk 
 
Domestic News 
 
- PM Erdogan has approved an investigation into Ramazan Akyurek, the 
head of the police intelligence department who was chief of police 
in Trabzon when Turkish Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was killed. 
A report from the Interior Ministry inspectors says Akyurek was 
aware of the plot to kill Dink, and charges him with neglect. 
 
- On Thursday, Lebanon's Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri will pay an 
official visit to Ankara to meet President Gul and Prime Minister 
Erdogan. 
 
- Fitch Ratings affirms Turkey's long-term foreign currency rating 
at 'BB-' and the long-term local currency rating at 'BB', with 
stable outlooks. 
 
International News 
 
- French President Sarkozy pledges "zero tolerance" for anti-Semitic 
or anti-Muslim acts in France as incidents related to Israel's 
offensive in Gaza continue. 
 
- Russia denies Azerbaijani media reports that it gave Armenia 
military hardware and other weapons free of charge last year. 
 
- Saudi Arabia's most senior cleric, the chief Mufti, said it is 
permissible for 10-year-old girls to marry. 
JEFFREY