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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001028 
 
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, JULY 17, 2009 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Palestinian President Abbas Visits Ankara to Explain Cyprus Comments 
 
Media note Abbas is visiting Ankara about a week after reports 
surfaced indicating Abbas had given his support to the Greek 
Cypriots regarding the conflict over the divided island.  Mainstream 
Sabah reports, "Abbas Comes Under the Shadow of Cyprus," and the 
paper notes, "Palestinian Leader Abbas came to Turkey yesterday," 
and "During his contacts in Ankara, he will be asked about reports 
that he gave support to the Greek Cypriots."  CNN Turk also reports, 
"On the agenda during Abbas' meetings with President Gul and PM 
Erdogan will be an explanation regarding claims Abbas gave support 
to the Greek Cypriot side," regarding the divided island during his 
recent visit to Cyprus. 
 
Azerbaijan, Not Turkey, To Act as The Mediator Between Israel-Syria 
(Aksam) 
Mainstream Aksam reports that in a visit to Azerbaijan last month, 
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu asked Azerbaijan's President Aliyev 
to act as the go-between in indirect talks between Israel and Syria. 
 Aksam comments Netanyahu's request was an Israeli response to Prime 
Minister Erdogan's outburst against President Shimon Peres in Davos, 
and expects the request will "harm" Turkey's role as mediator in the 
region.  Aliyev has responded positively, and from now on, future 
meetings will be held in Baku, according to Aksam. 
 
In another story, papers report the Israeli Ambassador in Ankara, 
Gabby Levy, said during a meeting with DSP leader Masum Turker that 
he expects the number of Israeli tourists visiting Turkey to "go 
down drastically" this year.  Mainstream Milliyet says this year 
Israeli tourists would prefer Greece and Cyprus instead of Turkey 
following the Erdogan-Peres quarrel at Davos. 
 
Morningstar: "The U.S. Wants Turkey to Play an Important Role in the 
Region" 
Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet reports from Washington that Richard 
Morningstar, the U.S. Special Envoy for Eurasian Energy, told 
Washington's Brookings Institute during a conference entitled, 
"Turkey, Russia and Regional Energy Strategies" that the Nabucco 
Pipeline Project was not the only option in the East-West Energy 
Corridor, adding the U.S. supported a "new corridor" in the south to 
carry Caspian gas to Europe.  "We want Turkey to play an important 
role in this region," emphasized Morningstar.  He underlined that 
American energy policies toward the region are "not anti-Russian." 
He also said the U.S. was against Iran's involvement in the project, 
but that supported gas contributions from Azerbaijan, Turkmeistan 
and Iraq.  Morningstar also said the U.S. will not provide financial 
support to the project since it does not 'utilize' it. 
 
Islamist-oriented Zaman reports Morningstar said the signing of the 
Nabucco deal "will make the EU open energy talks with Turkey." 
Morningstar hailed the offer of Iraqi PM al-Maliki to supply gas for 
Nabucco.  He said that Baghdad and the Iraqi Kurds had to work out 
an agreement for the possible shipment of gas from northern Iraq to 
Turkey.  Morningstar said the U.S. believes Iran "should be kept out 
of Nabucco for the time being," stressing Tehran "needs to agree to 
work to resolve the dispute over its controversial nuclear program." 
 Morningstar declined comment on Russia's involvement in the Nabucco 
project, but added the Nabucco Project was "not anti-Russian," 
reports Zaman. 
 
Editorial Commentary on the Nabucco Project 
 
Ferai Tinc wrote in mainstream Hurriyet: "The Nabucco project 
directly seeks to break up the Russian monopoly over the European 
natural gas market.  For this reason, competition in the energy 
sector has risen.  Along with the economic benefits, Nabucco also 
has good potential for fostering positive political outcomes in the 
region, including the reinforcement of the independence of former 
Soviet Union countries and their chance to open themselves up to 
 
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international markets." 
 
Gerceker: "I Didn't Interfere In The Judiciary" 
Media outlets report that in response to criticism that came from 
Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek, the Court of Appeals (Yargitay) 
Chairman Hasan Gerceker said he was "defending what he believed was 
right" when he announced that the bill for the trial of soldiers by 
civilian courts was "against the Constitution."  Gerceker said he 
did "not interfere in the judiciary." 
 
YOK Member Resigns In An 'Imam-Hatip' Protest (Cumhuriyet) 
Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet reports Turkey's Higher Education 
Council (YOK) board member Professor Bulent Serim has resigned after 
YOK head Professor Yusuf Ziya Ozcan announced that the system of 
using a lower coefficient to calculate the university admission 
examination scores of the graduates of religious high schools 
(Imam-Hatip) would end.  Serim said he resigned as he did not want 
to become a part of the "Islamist game that is being staged." 
 
Chechens Lose a Defender Of Human Rights (Taraf) 
Media focus their international coverage on the news of the murder 
of prominent human rights activist and journalist Natalya 
Estemirova. Mainstream Hurriyet reports in "Who Killed Natalya?" 
that in the "Shocking Murder of A Chechen Journalist,"  "The number- 
one suspect in her murder is Chechen President Kadirov," and the 
paper carries a photo next to the article of Kadirov holding a gun. 
Liberal Radikal headlines, "Medvedev Is Backing Estemirova!" and the 
article notes, "The world was rocked by the news yesterday of the 
death of human rights activist and journalist Estemirova," and "In a 
first, Medvedev came out in support of her even though he has 
angrily denounced her," in the past.  Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak 
reports, "One of Russia's most important human rights activists was 
killed," and "Claims have emerged that Chechen Leader Ramazan 
Kadirov gave the order," for her execution.  In "A Russian Human 
Rights Activist Is Killed," mainstream NTV notes, "She was 
researching human rights violations in Chechnya" when she was 
kidnapped and later killed. 
 
Iceland Speeds to EU Membership 
Media pay attention to Iceland's seemingly quick and easy road to EU 
membership, despite the country's financial collapse last year. 
Mainstream Hurriyet headlines, "Iceland Quickly Will Become an EU 
Member," and the paper notes, "Last year the country came to the 
point of bankruptcy and today the country's application to the EU is 
being approved."  Mainstream NTV also reports, "Iceland was rocked 
by the economic crisis, but will now be an EU member."  Mainstream 
CNN Turk reports, "The public in Iceland urged that the country join 
the EU after the country's banking system collapsed last year due to 
the economic crisis." 
 
Editorials on Secretary Clinton's CFR Speech; Afghanistan; Uighur 
Turks 
 
Murat Yetkin writes in liberal Radikal: "Secretary Clinton's CFR 
speech underlines that the U.S. counts Turkey as among the countries 
with whom to cooperate on important global matters. Her speech also 
indicates that U.S. foreign policy, from now on, will take into 
consideration the views of private institutions and opinion leaders 
in addition to the views of other governments." 
 
Mehmet Yilmaz wrote in Islamist-oriented Zaman: "The current picture 
in Afghanistan is a demonstration of serious instability caused by 
the U.S. occupation.  The occupation has tried to eliminate threats 
from the Taliban and Al Qaeda, but in the end both Pakistan and 
Afghanistan have been dragged into instability.  American forces 
hoped to provide a stable atmosphere by using force and sometimes 
even massacring civilians.  The U.S. should think about other ways 
to change this picture positively on the eve of Afghan presidential 
elections. However, President Obama is still considering sending 
additional troops in Afghanistan in order to solve the problem, 
which shows the U.S. has not learned any lessons from its mistakes 
 
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in Afghanistan." 
 
Sami Kohen wrote in mainstream Milliyet: "Even disputes over the 
name of the region demonstrate the depth of the dispute between the 
ethnic Uighurs and the Chinese.  The Uighurs call the region 'East 
Turkistan' while China calls it 'Xinjiang Autonomous Region.' 
Uighurs are trying to preserve their culture and ethnic identity and 
despite their so-called autonomous status, the region has been 
subjected to China's assimilation policies.   At the end of the day 
however the Uighurs face a dilemma.  Their ultimate goal is 
independence, but realizing that goal is very unlikely.  Instead, 
the Uighurs should focus on demanding their rights to autonomy in a 
peaceful and nonviolent way." 
 
TV News (CNN Turk) 
 
Domestic 
 
- President Gul will attend Friday prayers, and will join the 
funeral of Colonel Faruk Sungur, the commander of the Turkish Task 
Force in Afghanistan, at Ankara's Kocatepe Mosque.  Sungur was 
killed this week in a road accident in northern Afghanistan. 
 
- 'Torrential rains' have killed six people in the Black Sea region. 
 
 
- The Turkish Parliament will pick its new speaker August 4. 
 
- Caroline Atkinson, IMF director of external relations, said talks 
continued with Turkey for a new stand-by deal. 
 
World 
 
- Two Israeli warships sail through the Suez Canal within the 
cruise-missile range of Iran. 
 
- Addressing the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in Washington, 
Secretary Clinton has identified Turkey as a major emerging global 
power along with Russia, China and India, with whom the U.S. wants 
to build a partnership to address the global challenges such as 
climate change, terrorism, recession and non-proliferation. 
 
- Greek Cypriot government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou says the 
stance of Turkey as well as several other factors have to "change" 
in order to reach a settlement in Cyprus by the end of the year. 
 
- Gulamriza Agazade, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, 
the body in charge of the country's controversial nuclear program, 
has resigned after 12 years in the post. 
 
JEFFREY