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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 000751 
 
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 
WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2009 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
FM Davutoglu Visits Baku, Supports Resolution to Karabakh, 
Emphasizes Strategic Partnership 
Media outlets report Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu gave warm 
messages Tuesday in Baku regarding the future of Turkey-Azerbaijan 
ties.  In a joint press conference with the Azerbaijani FM Elmar 
Memmedyarov, Davutoglu said, "Our Azerbaijani brothers and sisters 
should know that, just as in the past, Turkey will be on the side of 
Azerbaijan in the future," Davutoglu said. "Our message to regional 
actors, including Armenia, is very clear. The region must be free of 
occupations and tensions," Davutoglu noted. Davutoglu also 
emphasized that the issue of Upper Karabakh must be resolved as soon 
as possible within the framework of Azerbaijan's territorial 
integrity. "Relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan are excellent. 
Turkey and Azerbaijan are not merely friends and neighbors. They are 
also strategic partners," Davutoglu said. Davutoglu wrapped up his 
contacts in Baku and returned home after meeting President Ilham 
Aliyev, Parliament Speaker Oktay Esedov and Prime Minister Artur 
Rasizade. 
 
Istanbul Workshop on Turkey-Armenia Ties 
Papers report the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social 
Research (SETA) is bringing together opinion makers from Turkey and 
Armenia for a two-day workshop in Istanbul.  At the end of the first 
day of discussions Tuesday, the participants agreed that progress on 
reconciliation between Armenia and Turkey looked more difficult now 
than it did two months ago, especially after Prime Minister 
Erdogan's visit to Azerbaijan.  The Armenian participants repeated 
their frustration that their closed border with Turkey constitutes 
the last closed border in Europe.  The Armenian participants also 
expressed frustration that Turkish policies "are being taken hostage 
by Azerbaijan."  Mainstream Hurriyet says "While Armenian 
participants backed the Armenian government's position that there 
should be no preconditions to normalization, some Turkish 
participants defended different views on normalization and the 
Nagorno-Karabakh problem," and some other Turks agreed with their 
Armenian counterparts that if the normalization process was taken 
hostage by the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, there would not be any 
progress in bilateral ties.  Islamist-oriented Zaman quotes the 
Caucasus Media Institute director Alexander Iskenderyan as saying, 
"We don't expect the border to be opened soon.  The betterment of 
ties between the Turkish and Armenian peoples will take longer than 
the political rapprochement between the two countries." 
 
Editorial Commentary on Turkey-Armenia 
 
Sami Kohen wrote in mainstream Milliyet: "Following PM Erdogan's 
statement establishing a resolution to Nagorno Karabakh as a 
precondition for normalization with Armenia, the whole process has 
been brought into a de facto deadlock.  Two conferences were held 
recently in Istanbul by NGOs to brainstorm whether the process is 
really over or whether something can still be done to salvage the 
process.  Even though the process is deadlocked there is still hope 
for the future because both Turkey and Armenia do not want to give 
up.  Yet given the conditions, it would be realistic to not expect 
any fast developments.  This is going to be a long road that will 
require patience." 
 
Cengiz Candar wrote in liberal-intellectual Radikal: "The motto 'One 
nation, two states' continues to dominate the tone of the 
Azerbaijan-Turkey relationship.  It is something very nice to hear, 
but far from representing a fact.  Today this approach is harming 
Turkey's regional interests and weakening its power.  If Turkey 
improves its ties with Armenia and does not allow its regional 
policy to be captivated by Baku, it will also serve Azerbaijani 
interests at the end of the day." 
 
Papers: The PKK Wants its Own Parliament 
Media outlets report about the interview PKK leader Murat Karayilan 
 
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gave to The Times in the Qandil Mountains.  "Britain accepted the 
will of the Scots by giving them a parliament of their own, and 
that's what the Turks have to do with us," said Karayilan. 
Mainstreams Vatan and Milliyet comment that earlier the PKK had 
demanded their own federation according to the Kosovo model and the 
Basque model, but now the organization wants the "Scottish model." 
 
 
Addressing his party group Tuesday, the pro-Kurdish DTP leader Ahmet 
Turk said Prime Minister Erdogan and CHP leader Deniz Baykal should 
take "new steps in the Kurdish issue" before the end of the PKK 
ceasefire on June 1.  Turk also stressed the support of the 
opposition was essential for a settlement in the Kurdish question. 
 
 
Media outlets also report DTP lawmakers Ahmet Turk, Emine Ayna and 
Selahattin Demirtas have been invited to the court to testify in 
cases filed against them before they were elected members of 
parliament.  Turk has earlier said the court decision against the 
DTP lawmakers was "unlawful," adding they will not go to the court 
to testify.  The court decided Tuesday to wait for the response of 
the parliament to its warrant for bringing the lawmakers to the 
court.  The court also postponed the case to September 29. 
 
Editorial Commentary on Turkey Confronting Its Past 
 
Mehmet Ali Birand wrote in tabloid Posta: "PM Erdogan did the right 
thing by acknowledging the banishment of different ethnic groups 
from Turkey in the past.  However this right thing should be 
fulfilled with today's action as well.  It is the very duty of Prime 
Minister Erdogan to demonstrate that he does not repeat the mistakes 
of the past.  There are concrete things awaiting his action in that 
regard, such as the opening of Halki Seminary, the restoration of 
churches, addressing the Kurdish issue, positive steps toward 
Armenian citizens of Turkey and steps toward eliminating 
anti-Semitic rhetoric." 
 
Yusuf Kanli wrote in English-language Hurriyet Daily News: 
"Remembering that the same PM Erdogan was using recently a rather 
xenophobic tone that bordered on hate speech, when he referred to 
some 40,000 'illegal Armenians' living and working in Turkey and 
reminded the Yerevan government that if they did not behave well, 
the Turkish government might pack up and send back all, it becomes 
difficult for me to feel happy over the acknowledgment that it was a 
fascist practice to force emigration of the non-Muslim minorities of 
this land.  Even though we have serious questions about Erdogan's 
sincerity in making that confession, I do have difficulty in 
understanding why everyone is attacking the premier because he 
qualified the oppression of minorities as 'fascist practices.'  Why 
don't we better ask ourselves why even today our Jewish population 
or other minorities continue to emigrate from Turkey? Why is Turkey 
still losing its gems? Why this resistance to facing our own 
history? We only have a handful of minorities in this land today all 
demonstrate the need for replacing the exclusive approach with an 
inclusive one, the confrontation culture with a compromise one, the 
rejectionist one with an engagement one. Without its gems this land 
will be a barren one." 
 
Fehmi Koru wrote in Islamist oriented Yeni Safak: "It is better to 
think about things we have done in the past. PM Erdogan's recent 
statement about the banishment of ethnic minorities should be a 
reason to confront the past rather than show anger.  When we are 
able to say 'where did we go wrong' then we can look at the future 
with maturity.  Today Turkey has to focus on answering another 
question: How do minorities who currently live in Turkey feel 
themselves?  If they do not feel okay and if they have problems, it 
is the duty of government to address these issues and eliminate any 
complaints." 
 
Ambassador Jeffrey on Kirkuk 
 
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NTV's morning broadcast reported "In response to Iraqi Kurdish 
Regional Government President Massoud Barzani's claim to Reuters 
recently that the U.S. has not done enough to support Kurds' claims 
in Kirkuk," Ambassador James Jeffrey said, "The United States is 
committed to working with the United Nations, the Government of Iraq 
and Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government to develop follow-on 
processes to resolve these complicated and sensitive issues, 
including the status of Kirkuk."  While NTV did not source the 
statement, the statement comes from Ambassador Jeffrey. 
 
North Korea Won't Back Down, Turkey May Lead UNSC Efforts With North 
Korea 
Media outlets note with alarm that tensions are rising quickly in 
Asia due to North Korea's missile tests.  In "Nuclear Tensions Are 
On The Rise in Asia," liberal Radikal reports, "U.S. President 
Barack Obama has promised to shield South Korea and Japan against an 
attack," while, "Pyongyang says the U.S. is preparing for war." 
Conservative-nationalist Bugun reports in "Obama's Dead End," that 
"Obama started his tenure calling for dialogue, not conflict," but 
"the North Korean administration is insensitive to global 
reactions," to its missile tests this week. CNN Turk reports, "North 
Korea will not back down." In a related story, mainstream Sabah 
reports "Turkey Will Administer the Nuclear Crisis," and notes 
"Turkey will assume the role of the rotating presidency on the UN 
Security Council as of June 1," and thus, "Turkey will have to play 
a key role in the settlement of the crisis." 
 
Controversy on Sweeping Landmines on Turkey-Syria Border Continues 
Media outlets report that on the controversial issue of the ruling 
AKP government's plans to remove around 600,000 landmines on the 
Syrian border, President Abdullah Gul urged the government to 
relieve doubts amid the mounting opposition against a bill leasing 
the land to Israeli companies.  Gul called on all lawmakers to aid 
demining efforts, and also refrain from turning the issue into a 
matter of treason. 
 
Opposition CHP leader Deniz Baykal said Turkey has planted the 
landmines itself, therefore it should clean the minefields on its 
own.  He noted, "We don't accept the transfer of the land to 
foreigners; this would be a serious irresponsibility.  Thousands of 
farmers can be employed to earn their living there."  Baykal also 
said the issue gave an opportunity for making a small-scale "land 
reform" in the region.  MHP leader Devlet Bahceli, addressing his 
party group yesterday, called on the AKP government to withdraw the 
bill.  "Turn from this mistake.  The border is a nation's honor," 
said Bahceli.  The pro-Kurdish DTP head Ahmet Turk said the swept 
lands should be given back to their owners.  Turk added the mine 
clearance efforts should not be limited to border regions, and that 
all mined zones should be swept. 
 
Meanwhile, mainstream Milliyet reports Israel's Ambassador Gaby Levy 
said Israel only wanted to "help" Turkey in the matter.  "The 
Israelis have no intention of seizing land in Turkey.  You must get 
rid of this phobia," said Levy.  Levy was responding to criticism 
that an Israeli company is conducting the demining process. Turkey's 
high court Council of State (Danistay) has repealed a government 
decision taken a few years ago to award the contract to an Israeli 
mine-clearing company, without inviting others to the tender. 
 
Britain's Miliband Visits Ankara 
Media outlets report British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, who 
visited Tuesday Ankara for talks, said Turkey's EU accession would 
strengthen the EU.  Speaking to reporters at a joint press 
conference with Turkey's chief EU negotiator Egemen Bagis, Miliband 
said Europe would get economically richer by turning its attention 
outwards and not focusing inside.  "Turkey deserves EU membership. 
Turkey's EU membership is important for the interests of Britain and 
the EU's future," emphasized Miliband. 
 
Bagis said Tuesday Turkey's EU process was "not an easy one."  Bagis 
 
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said he had no doubt that Turkey would complete the EU process with 
patience, determination and efforts. 
 
TV News (CNN Turk) 
 
Domestic 
 
- Fire broke out at a hospital in Bursa, killing eight patients who 
were in the intensive care unit. 
 
- More than 20,000 Kurds joined the funeral of PKK militant Ali 
Gever in Yuksekova in Hakkari province.  In Semdinli, 5,000 joined 
the funeral of Leyla Savli, a high-level PKK woman leader. 
 
- On May 28, the EU will open a new EU Information Relay Office in 
Sanliurfa to provide people in the region with information about the 
EU and Turkey's accession process.  The opening ceremony will be 
attended by the ambassadors of several EU member states. 
 
- President Abdullah Gul kicked off Tuesday his five-day tour to 
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. 
 
- State Minister Ali Babacan met with the economists of leading 
foreign banks to discuss scenarios for possible developments in the 
Turkish economy in the absence of a deal with the IMF. 
 
- Former justice minister Aysel Celikel has been elected the head of 
the Association for Supporting Modern Life (CYDD) after the death of 
the CYDD chair Professor Turkan Saylan. 
 
World 
 
- Greek naval commander Admiral George Karamalikis will visit Turkey 
next week as the guest of his Turkish counterpart Admiral Metin 
Atac.  Admiral Atac paid a visit to Athens last year. 
 
- The Belgian federal prosecutor Johan Delmulle stressed at the 
trial of the outlawed DHKP-C (Dev-Sol) organization that the court 
was dealing with a "criminal and terror organization." 
 
- Austrian politician Josef Proll, known for his firm opposition to 
Turkey's EU membership, says it was too early to reject Turkey's EU 
accession. 
 
- A new mass grave believed to contain dozens of victims of the 1995 
Srebrenica massacre has been discovered in eastern Bosnia. 
 
- Authorities in Mexico announced three more swine flu deaths, and 
the U.S. and Canada one more death each. 
 
- Telman Ismailov, the Russian entrepreneur who opened a luxury 
hotel in Turkey's Mediterranean coastal city of Antalya, draws the 
criticism of the Russian media for making investments in Turkey 
instead of Russia. 
 
SILLIMAN