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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000351 
 
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 
FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2009 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Clinton's Critical visit to Ankara 
Mainstream Milliyet writes that Secretary Clinton will arrive in 
Ankara tomorrow.  She will meet with President Gul, PM Erdogan and 
FM Babacan.  The daily writes that she will take part in the NTV 
program "Come and Join Us" [patterned after the US show "The View"] 
and give an interview to CNN Turk. 
 
Ankara is her last stop of the Middle East tour which started on 
March 1.  Her visit will be the first high-level visit of the Obama 
administration to Turkey.  The main agenda items will be supporting 
Turkey's role in the region for ME peace, possible requests from 
Turkey within the framework of US troop withdrawal from Iraq, 
developing cooperation against PKK terrorism, sending additional 
troops to Afghanistan, and a possible renewal of dialogue between 
the US and Iran.  Moreover, the approach of Obama vis a vis the 1915 
incidents [AGR] will be on the agenda.  Turkey will explain the 
level of relations between Turkey and Armenia in the recent period. 
Milliyet also writes that the US Embassy requested use of an 
historical site for the program.  Aside from 4 moderators there will 
be 100 women in the audience. 
 
Milliyet Chief Editor Sedat Ergin writes in his column that PM 
Erdogan will complain about the US State Department Human Rights 
Report to Secretary Clinton because he was very much irritated with 
the fact that the report serves as a mirror for his practices. 
Ergin says that the report draws a picture of Erdogan as a Prime 
Minister who cannot tolerate freedom of press and criticism and 
tries to suppress and silence different voices. Ergin writes that 
Erdogan argues the report is a result of an international campaign 
by the Dogan media group.  He concludes that the Turkey-US 
relationship has experienced many crises.  However, a Turkish PM's 
complaining about a media group to a US Secretary of State after he 
slapped an extremely high fine on the group in order to silence it, 
is a candidate as one of the strangest incidents of history. 
 
Sudan 
Milliyet, Taraf and Aksam report Foreign Minister Babacan's comment 
regarding the ICC decision to issue an arrest warrant for Sudanese 
leader al-Bashir.  He was quoted as saying in Brussels "Just look at 
the statements from Arab League and African Union.  Those who are in 
the region understand the situation deeper and our view is closer to 
theirs."  Minister Babacan added that solving the problems in Sudan 
requires its administration's contribution and cooperation, 
otherwise problems will grow even more." 
 
 
Editorial Opinion on U.S.-Iraq and Turkey 
 
Murat Yetkin wrote in liberal-intellectual Radikal: "The Iraqi army 
will be restructured by Turkey.  Upon request from Iraq, Turkey is 
now preparing to provide logistics and training to the Iraqi army. 
On March 4, General Igsiz went to Baghdad to discuss these plans. 
Talks between the two countries are going on to conclude a 
Memorandum of Understanding to be signed, possibly prior to 
President Gul's upcoming visit to Iraq.  During the visit, General 
Igsiz also had a meeting with General Odierno focusing on the 
ongoing cooperation regarding the fight against PKK.  According to a 
high ranking official, withdrawal of US troops via Turkey was not 
discussed in this meeting.  It also was emphasized that there has 
been no problem in the bilateral military cooperation with the 
United States.  General Igsiz's visit to Baghdad is of a great 
importance especially before Secretary Clinton's visit to Ankara and 
President Gul's expected visit to Iraq in late March." 
 
US Currency at Highest Against Turkish Lira Since 2003 
Liberal Radikal and mainstream Milliyet report that US dollar has 
reached at the highest level against Turkish lira since 2003. 
Turkey's main shares index, the Istanbul Stock Exchange dropped 3.78 
 
ANKARA 00000351  002 OF 002 
 
 
percent after US automotive giant General Motors said it might go 
bankrupt if it did not receive substantial aid from the government. 
 
Two Journalists Arrested Under Ergenekon Probe 
Today's papers report that Mustafa Balbay, Ankara Bureau Chief of 
Cumhuriyet newspaper and Neriman Aydin were arrested after being 
questioned at the Istanbul High Criminal Court.  An alleged criminal 
network that came to be known as "Ergenekon" was revealed after 
police seized 27 grenades, TNT explosives and fuses in a shanty 
house in Istanbul in June 2007 and Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's 
office launched an investigation into the weapons.  Police have 
conducted operations in several provinces and detained a number of 
people, including retired senior military officers, journalists and 
businessmen for their alleged involvement in the network. 
 
Turkey-Israel to Patch it up Quietly 
Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet reports that Israel and Turkey are 
involved in quiet, but intensive talks to end the crisis in 
relations between the two countries.  The relations between the two 
countries have been strained since PM Erdogan harshly criticized 
Israeli President Peres at Davos.  The paper cites Israeli daily 
Haaretz to say that President Gul sent a letter to Israeli President 
Peres to convey his desire to visit Israel in the near future. 
 
Cyprus Wants Two Separate States 
Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet reports that according to a survey 
conducted by KADEM polling company on behalf of Turkish Cypriot 
daily Kibris, the number of people supporting a federal solution in 
Cyprus dropped to 27.9 percent. 
 
TV News (CNN TURK) 
Domestic 
 
-  CHP candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu says he expects to win minimum 
40 percent of the votes in the municipal elections in Istanbul 
 
- Finance Minister Unakitan returns to Turkey after heart surgery in 
the US 
 
- Constitutional Court rejects request for the annulment of a law 
offering amnesty to illegal Koran schools. 
 
 
World 
 
-  The leaders in Cyprus hold their 21st meeting to discuss property 
issues on the divided island 
 
- NATO foreign ministers agree to resume high-level ties with Russia 
which were cut off last year after Moscow's brief incursion in to 
Georgia 
 
- Secretary Clinton says it is time for NATO to make a new start 
with Russia 
 
JEFFREY