VZCZCXRO8252
OO RUEHDA
DE RUEHAK #0545/01 1031021
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 131021Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9399
RUEKJCS/CJCS WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC//PA
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU
INFO RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 9594
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 5615
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 3749
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 7227
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 7102
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3683
RUEUITH/DET 1 39LG ANKARA TU
RHMFISS/USDOCO 6ATAF IZMIR TU
RHMFIUU/39OS INCIRLIK AB TU
RHMFIUU/AFOSI DET 523 IZMIR TU
RHMFIUU/39ABG INCIRLIK AB TU
RHMFIUU/AFOSI DET 522 INCIRLIK AB TU
RUEUITH/AFLO ANKARA TU

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000545 
 
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: Media Say Turkey and Azerbaijan Will Address Tensions Over 
Turco-Armenian Relations 
 
MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2009 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
'Simultaneous Detentions' in Several Cities under Ergenekon 
Investigation 
Television channels reported Monday morning that under the ongoing 
'Ergenekon' investigation, police detained one current and three 
former university rectors in simultaneous operations held in the 
early hours of Monday in several cities.  Police detained Professor 
Mehmet Haberal, the rector of the Baskent University in Ankara, 
Professor Mustafa Yurtkuran, deputy chairman of Ataturk Thought 
Association (ADD) and former Rector of Uludag University in Bursa, 
Professor Fatih Hilmioglu, former rector of the Inonu University in 
Malatya, and Professor Ferit Bernay, the former rector of Ondokuz 
Mayis University in Samsun.  Police, earlier in the day, raided 
Baskent University, the headquarters of the Kanal B television owned 
by Haberal in Ankara and branches of the Support for Modern Life 
Association (CYDD) in several cities.  Police also searched the 
Istanbul home of the chairwoman of the CYDD, Professor Turkan 
Saylan.  Televisions report "simultaneous operations" continue in 
eighteen provinces, including Izmir and Diyarbakir. 
 
Controversy Continues Over Turkey-Armenia Border Opening 
Weekend papers report Prime Minister Erdogan reacted to Armenian 
President Serzh Sargsian 's statement to the press, in which 
Sargsian said he would like "to cross the open border into Turkey 
before the October 14 World Cup qualifier soccer game" which is 
scheduled to take place in Istanbul.  Erdogan, who was on vacation 
in Hatay over the weekend, told the press late Friday, "We have 
announced several times that the border with Armenia won't be opened 
before the problems between Armenia and Azerbaijan are resolved." 
Erdogan also said, "We may take preliminary steps, but opening the 
border crossing totally depends on the resolution of the Nagorno 
Karabakh question between Azerbaijan and Armenia.  The U.S., as the 
part of the Minsk Trio, must accomplish its task in this matter.  In 
the Minsk group, we also have France and Russia.  We'll open the 
crossing immediately once they solve this (Nagorno Karabakh) 
problem," stressed Erdogan.  Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) sources 
told Radikal, "Saying the border won't be opened is not true, but 
the normalization process should not be cut."  Papers report Ankara 
will send a parliamentary delegation to Baku to "calm down" the 
Azerbaijanis. 
 
Liberal Radikal reported Sunday that FM Babacan has put his April 16 
trip to Yerevan for the Black Sea Summit meeting on hold. 
 
Yasar Yakis, the head of the Turkish Parliament's EU Adjustment 
Committee, told reporters Sunday the opening of the border between 
Turkey and Armenia was "part of a larger package" which includes the 
settlement of the Karabakh dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia. 
"Opening the border is not a matter that began with President 
Obama's recent visit to Turkey," Yakis said, adding the issue has 
been "on the table since 2007, with Switzerland involved." 
 
Meanwhile, mainstream Hurriyet writes Monday the PanArmenia News 
Agency of Armenia claims Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev will 
meet Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev in Moscow on April 16th. 
Turkey is expected to take part in the meeting, which is expected to 
focus on the Nagorno Karabakh dispute. 
 
Editorial Commentary on Turkey-Armenia-Azerbaijan 
 
Omer Taspinar opined in mainstream Sabah:  "In order to improve 
relations with the EU, both Ankara and the EU should exert extra 
efforts.  The AKP should think of new formulas and the EU should 
show a little strategic vision.   Turkey should not relax just 
because Obama paid a visit to Turkey recently.  If a crisis with the 
U.S. erupts on April 24, then we'll be in a worse situation than we 
were in the 1990s regarding our relations with the U.S. and the EU. 
 
ANKARA 00000545  002 OF 003 
 
 
Obama wants to see Turkey-Armenia ties normalized; unfortunately, 
Turkey has tied this issue to Azerbaijan's Karabagh issue.  If there 
is any delay to the normalization process with Armenia, President 
Obama can surprise us with his speech on April 24.  Without any 
delay, Turkey should complete its normalization process with 
Armenia." 
 
Semih Idiz wrote in mainstream Milliyet:  "PM Erdogan will 
understand how risky it is to mix diplomacy and populism.  He mixed 
the two recently by connecting the Karabakh issue to Turkey's 
normalization process with Armenia.  Azerbaijani President Aliyev 
spoiled the process between Turkey and Armenia at a very strategic 
point.  Because Aliyev halted the normalization process, Turkey's 
relations to the U.S. and the EU are now troubled.  We will wait and 
see, but in response to Turkey's sacrifice for Baku, the Turkish 
government may ask Baku to sacrifice its stance on the Cyprus 
issue." 
 
Ardan Zenturk wrote in tabloid Star:  "Certain circles were 
screaming until a short while ago that Turkey should keep its border 
and its relations with Armenia open.  Now, these same circles are 
playing national campaign drums in the papers.  A crisis is brewing 
in the Caucasus because the Karabakh issue is being presented as a 
domestic political issue for Turkey." 
 
Secretary Gates to Visit Turkey 
Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet reports Monday Secretary of Defense 
Robert Gates will visit Turkey in April or early May.  Citing no 
sources, that paper reports, "Gates will have talks with the Turks 
at the MFA, TGS as well as with PM Erdogan to discuss Turkey's 
additional military support to Afghanistan and the U.S. troop exit 
from Iraq through Turkey." 
 
"Obama Tells Iraqi Kurdish Leaders to Solve Problems with Baghdad" 
(Sabah) 
Mainstream Sabah reports Mahmoud Othman, a Kurdish member of the 
Iraqi Parliament known for his ties to the PKK, said President Obama 
told the Iraqi Kurdish leaders in a Baghdad meeting last week to 
resolve their problems with Baghdad.  According to Othman, Obama 
warned that "the Kurds' weak ties with Baghdad could cause weak ties 
with the U.S.," and Obama "pledged more support for the Kurds if 
they solve disagreements with the central Iraqi government."  Othman 
noted "Obama stressed the Kurdish region was viewed as part of 
Iraq."  Othman says Obama also urged the Kurds "to seek closer ties 
with Turkey, warning the Kurdish leaders that if they move away from 
Turkey, they may distance themselves from the U.S. as well," reports 
Sabah. 
 
Editorial Commentary on Obama's Turkey Visit 
 
Ali Aslan wrote in Islamist-oriented Zaman:  "The biggest benefit 
Turkey took from the recent contacts with Obama is the establishment 
of a warm, personal relationships between the leaders of the two 
countries.  While the world is going through a troublesome period, 
the good bilateral communication between the top levels of 
government in the U.S. and Turkey will definitely benefit efforts to 
resolve current and future issues." 
 
Turkish Military Continue 'Spring Operations' against the PKK 
Sunday papers report two soldiers and seven terrorists have been 
killed in fighting with PKK militants in the province of Sirnak. 
Following the killing of the two soldiers, the Turkish military 
launched extensive security operations in the area with 5,000 
troops.  Leftist Taraf warns on Sunday "The fighting came on the day 
when Interior Minister Besir Atalay went to Iraq to discuss the 
steps for the elimination of the PKK."  Papers also report 
anti-terror spring operations continue in the province of Tunceli. 
 
 
Veteran Islamist Leader Erbakan Makes a Comeback 
 
ANKARA 00000545  003 OF 003 
 
 
All papers report veteran Islamist leader Necmettin Erbakan made a 
"fast comeback" to Saadet Partisi (SP) after he was recently 
pardoned by President Gul.  Some papers expect Erbakan to "guide" 
the party as its "honorary chairman."  Cumhuriyet, however, reports 
Saadet's Chairman Kurtulmus did not attend the press conference 
Erbakan held Friday at SP party headquarters.  After his press 
conference, Erbakan travelled to Iran to meet President Ahmadinejad, 
the religious leader Khamanei and former president Rafsanjani. 
 
ADD Sues to Ban Access to Google 
Sunday papers report the Ataturk Thought Association (ADD) asked 
courts to ban access to the internet search engine Google.  The ADD 
complained to the court by saying "Google is guiding users to 
websites that insult the founder of modern Turkey, Ataturk." 
Mainstream Vatan reminds that earlier, the ADD had managed through a 
court decision to ban access to the video-sharing website YouTube; 
and "now the association could 'disgrace' Turkey once again." 
 
TV News (CNN Turk) 
 
Domestic 
 
- State Minister Mehmet Simsek said Turkey and the IMF agreed in 
principle to a new stand-by deal, but they have not drafted the 
preliminary deal yet. 
 
- On April 26, former deputy prime minister Abdullatif Sener is 
expected to announce, together with 40 former MPs and ministers, the 
founding of a new political party. 
 
- On Tuesday, the military General Staff (TGS) chief General Ilker 
Basbug will deliver his annual speech at the War Academy in 
Istanbul. 
 
- Turkey's main Kurdish party DTP leader Ahmet Turk will meet 
European parliamentarians and NGO representatives in London from 
April 20-24. 
 
World 
 
- Turkish Cyprus will hold its tenth general elections on April 19, 
in which seven parties will run. 
 
- The Pentagon says U.S. Navy forces have freed an American sea 
captain being held by pirates off the coast of Somalia, killing 
three pirates and taking a fourth into custody in the process. 
 
- A week after a devastating earthquake hit central Italy, 
authorities have called off the search for survivors.  The death 
toll stands at 294. 
 
- British media reports President Obama's half-brother was denied a 
visa to Britain after he earlier gave a false name to police when 
accused of an attempted sexual assault. 
 
JEFFREY