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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000710 
 
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: TURKISH MEDIA REACTION 
FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2009 
 
IN TODAY'S PAPERS 
 
Four Important Warnings from Europe 
Islamist-oriented Zaman reports that a Turkey -EU summit will take 
place next week.  The meeting will be held in Brussels with the 
participation of FM Davutoglu and State Minister & Chief Negotiator 
Egemen Bagis.  The EU is expected to warn Turkey about the effects 
of the military on politics for the first time.  The Union is also 
expected to warn Turkey about judicial independence, revival of the 
reform process and the opening of Turkish ports to Greek Cypriot 
vessels under the additional protocol.  Mainstream Sabah says the EU 
prepared a position document in which there are praises for Turkish 
efforts for normalization process with Armenia.  The document also 
says that Turkey needs a national strategy for compensating the 
losses of displaced people in the fight against terror; applauds the 
changes in article 301 of the penal code and welcomes Turkish 
decision to start Kurdish TV and Armenian radio broadcasts but adds 
that Turkey needs more measures to protect fully cultural and 
minority rights. 
 
Editorial Commentary on Turkey-Armenia-Azerbaijan 
 
Amebrin Zaman wrote in leftist Taraf: "PM Erdogan made a U turn and 
went to his old position by tying normalization process with Armenia 
with Nagorno Karabakh.  It is hard to understand why Turkey has 
earlier made all the efforts for road map process with Armenia and 
even signed it.  This reminds me of Turkish government's false 
promises on the eve of March 1 parliamentary motion [allowing 
American troops to Iraq thru Turkey] as we had to say 'sorry' in the 
end.  There is no way to resolve Karabakh issue thru this [Turkey's] 
approach." 
 
Cengiz Candar wrote in liberal-intellectual Radikal: "PM Erdogan 
conducted a show in Baku which pleased Azeris very much but at the 
same time put Turkish diplomacy in the Caucasus in a deadlock. 
After the Baku show, Turkish diplomacy in the region has taken 
hostage by Aliyev.  PM Erdogan was also wrong to attach the Nagorno 
Karabakh issue with border opening." 
 
Sami Kohen wrote in mainstream Milliyet: "Following PM Erdogan's 
trip to Baku, Turkey has placed itself in the Caucasus where we were 
before the Turkey-Armenia road map. Erdogan clearly emphasized the 
direct link between Nagorno Karabakh issue with any progress on the 
Turkish-Armenia normalization.  At this point, it will be 
unrealistic to expect anything concrete from that process or see any 
normalization." 
 
Erdal Safak wrote in mainstream Sabah: "PM Erdogan's Baku trip 
really served its purpose by boosting Turkish-Azeri ties and 
eliminating worries related to Nagorno Karabakh regarding the road 
map with Armenia.  It was important for Erdogan to reinstate the one 
nation-two states motto.  With this morale boosting, PM Erdogan will 
soon to travel Iran, and we may even see some surprising 
developments regarding the Nabucco project with Iranian involvement 
in the long run." 
 
Charges of Police Brutality Emerge After Crackdown on Demonstrations 
Against Demolition in Istanbul Neighborhood 
Media outlets report violent clashes erupted yesterday between 
residents and police during the demolition of illegally constructed 
shanty-houses (Gecekondu) in Istanbul's Basaksehir district, with 
hundreds of angry home owners throwing rocks at police and 
municipality teams, trying to prevent the demolition.  Protestors 
made barricades out of wooden market tables, pavement and car tires 
and set fire to them.  The police responded with pepper gas and 
high-pressure water cannons.  The police reportedly fired a tear gas 
canister into the garden of an elementary school building, hurting 
61 children and several women, including a four-month-old baby. 
Mainstream Haberturk says yesterday's riots resembled "the 
resistance in Palestine."  Mainstream Milliyet says the authorities 
 
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"turned a blind eye to the construction of illegal buildings as an 
election bribe prior to the municipal elections held in March." 
Even residents said they had "bribed" municipality officials prior 
to the elections in order to construct the buildings.  Papers and 
television news broadcasts strongly criticize the police brutality 
and the "disproportionate use of force" during the incident.  CNN 
Turk played one video repeatedly of an apparent bystander who was 
slapped in the face and kicked by police. 
 
In a press conference following the riots, Istanbul Governor Muammer 
Guler held the demonstrators responsible for the tear gas canister 
fired into the school building, saying "militants" in the crowd took 
the canister and threw it into the school garden. 
 
Erdogan Criticizes Sarkozy and Merkel: Turkey Should be Treated the 
Same As Other EU Members 
Media outlets report in a joint press conference held Thursday with 
Polish PM Donald Tusk in Warsaw, visiting Turkish PM Erdogan lashed 
out at German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas 
Sarkozy for their statements earlier this week against Turkey's full 
EU membership.  Erdogan said the two leaders were "using" Turkey's 
EU entry bid to win voters' support prior to the elections for the 
European Parliament.  "I have already discussed these issues both 
with Sarkozy and Merkel.  I believe politicians need to stick to 
commitments made in bilateral meetings," said Erdogan.  He noted 
Turkey should be subjected to the same accession criteria applied 
for the other members of the EU bloc.  Erdogan stressed Turkey was 
working to meet the EU accession criteria, and was not expecting the 
EU to admit Turkey before Ankara meets its obligations.  Also, 
Erdogan accused Sarkozy and Merkel of "not being elegant" in their 
statements and of "changing the rules of the game in the middle of 
the match." 
 
Meanwhile, Turkey's influential business grouping TUSIAD released a 
statement in response to Merkel and Sarkozy, saying that "privileged 
partnership" was "not an option for Turkey" in Ankara's drive for 
full membership. 
 
FM Davutoglu Declares Turkey Seeks Full EU Membership or Nothing 
Milliyet, Sabah, Zaman, Radikal:  Liberal Radikal reports that in a 
press conference in Stockholm after the meeting with EU Commissioner 
Olli Rehn, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu warned EU members not to 
use Turkey's EU entry bid for their domestic political goals and 
said "EU membership is strategic priority for Turkey.  We have only 
one goal in the negotiations, full EU membership.  We will either 
join the EU as full member or will not join the EU at all." 
Mainstream Sabah reports that Olli Rehn on his part said "we had a 
constructive meeting.  The European Commission supports Turkey's 
full EU membership.  We expressed our support especially on the 
diplomatic contacts Turkey recently made with Armenia." 
 
Obama Censors Bush's Torture (Haberturk) 
Media continue to report on Obama's refusal to release photos of 
U.S. forces' mistreatment of detainees in U.S. custody in Iraq and 
Afghanistan.  Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak headlines, "Obama Brings 
Censorship to Torture," and reports, "The Defense Department said it 
would share the photos with the public at the end of May," but, 
"President Obama has blocked the release of the photos."  Mainstream 
Sabah reports, "Censorship Comes from Obama Towards the Torture 
Photos," and notes, "Obama said he would publish the photos," but 
"after he saw them he changed his mind because of his concern about 
anti-American sentiments" that could result with release of the 
photos.  Mainstream Milliyet reports, "Obama Blocks Investigation 
Photos," and notes, "Obama has made a 180-degree turn on his promise 
in April to release close to 2000 photos documenting U.S. forces' 
mistreatment of detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan." 
 
In a related story, far right Ortadogu reports in "Obama Is 
Evaluating The Probability of Holding Terrorism Suspects in the 
U.S." that "U.S. President Obama is considering transferring some 
 
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Guantanamo detainees to the U.S. for trial." 
 
Obama to Israel: Don't Surprise Us (CNN Turk) 
Media note that President Obama warned Israeli Prime Minister 
Netanyahu against conducting a surprise strike against Iran. 
Mainstream CNN Turk headlines, "Obama Tells Israel: Don't Surprise 
Us and Strike Iran Without Warning. "  Mainstream Haberturk 
headlines, "Don't Surprise Me," and reports, "CIA Director Leon 
Panetta took a guarantee from Israel during his May 18th visit that 
Israel would not engage in a surprise attack against Iran," and 
"Obama was also given a guarantee by Prime Minister Netanyahu that 
Israel would not launch a surprise attack."  Leftist-nationalist 
Cumhuriyet reports in "An Iran Promise to the U.S.," that "Israel 
Will Not Create A Surprise." 
 
Fighting, Controversy, and Intelligence Sharing in Pakistan 
Mainstream Sabah reports, "In 19 Days, 834 Thousand People Have Been 
Displaced," and notes, "The Pakistani government insists the 
fighting will continue until the end."  Mainstream NTV reports, "The 
Pakistani government continues its offensive against the Taliban," 
as "hundreds of thousands of civilians flee the fighting," and yet, 
"the Taliban remains in control of the majority of the territory in 
which the fighting is taking place." Liberal Radikal reports in "The 
Pakistani President Calls Out The U.S.," Pakistani President Zerdari 
was interviewed by NBC and criticized the U.S. for not apprehending 
Osama Bin Laden in Tora Bora when he said, "You lost Tora Bora, not 
me."  In response to U.S. drone attacks in Pakistan he said, "We 
want our own drones."  Meanwhile, CNN Turk headlines, "Intelligence 
Sharing Between The U.S. and Pakistan," and reports, "Chairman of 
the Joint Chiefs Mike Mullen has announced that the U.S. will share 
intelligence with the government of Pakistan.  The intelligence in 
question is gathered from U.S. drone planes that patrol the border 
between Pakistan and Afghanistan." 
 
TV News (CNN Turk) 
 
Domestic 
 
- Istanbul governor Muammer Guler said no swine flu cases have been 
detected in Istanbul so far. 
 
- On May 17, the Ataturk Thought Association (ADD) and 130 other 
NGOs will stage "Republic Rally" in support of secularism in Ankara. 
 
 
- President Abdullah Gul will travel to Syria on a three-day visit 
as the official guest of Syrian President Bashar Assad.  Gul will be 
accompanied by Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Farming Minister 
Mehdi Eker and Culture Minister Ertugrul Gunay. 
 
- The UN's special envoy for Cyprus, Alexander Downer, will visit 
Ankara on May 18 to meet Foreign Minister Davutoglu. 
 
World 
 
- Germany said it will allow Turkish nationals to visit Germany 
without visas if they are making "business trips." 
 
- In a blow to the Nabucco project, Kazakhstan signed an agreement 
for the construction of a natural gas pipeline with the Russian gas 
giant Gazprom. 
 
- Iran's Defense Ministry has announced plans to manufacture a 
licensed version of Ukraine's Antonov An-148 mid-range jet airliner. 
 
 
- The 28th annual Turkish Day Parade will be held in New York on May 
¶23. 
 
JEFFREY