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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000965 
 
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 
TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2009 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
The Presidency Consults European Law Regarding Draft Bill Allowing 
Civil Courts To Try Military Personnel 
Mainstream Milliyet and liberal Radikal report that before President 
Gul decides on whether to approve the controversial bill allowing 
the trial of military personnel in civilian courts, Gul asked his 
judicial advisers to examine the bill according to the decisions of 
the European Court of Human Rights and EU regulations regarding 
civilian trials for military personnel.  Mainstream Vatan reports 
that President Gul will announce his decision within 48 hours and 
that he is likely to approve the law but also warn the government to 
ease the concerns of the military. 
 
Editorial Commentary on Draft Bill Allowing Civilian Courts to Try 
Military Personnel 
Fikret Bila wrote in mainstream Milliyet: "While President Gul 
hasn't made a decision on whether to approve the bill allowing 
civilian courts to try military personnel, he asked his judicial 
advisers to examine the bill not only based on domestic law, but 
also in accordance with the rulings of the European Court of Human 
Rights, and EU regulations regarding the subject. Meanwhile, the 
military insists that the ECHR has no problems with the military 
judiciary, the regulation violates the constitution and the 
regulation will cause conflicts between the civilian and military 
courts." 
 
DTP Mayors to Meet With President Gul 
Sabah, Milliyet, CNN Turk:  Today's papers and TV channels report 
that, after failing to get a meeting from PM Erdogan, officials from 
the mainly Kurdish opposition party DTP have launched a new effort 
toward the settlement of the Kurdish issue by meeting with President 
Gul tomorrow.  Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir and six other DTP 
Mayors will come to Ankara tomorrow to meet President Gul and 
present him with a "Kurdish file" with suggestions to resolve the 
Kurdish issue. 
 
Labor Unions Decide to Strike 
Mainstream Hurriyet and leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet report that 
labor union Turk-Is will hold a one-hour strike today to protest the 
collective-bargaining talks with the government.  Turk-Is President 
Mustafa Kumlu said the goal of the protests is to force a deal but 
not to create problems, notes Sabah.  The Revolutionary Labor Unions 
Confederation (DISK) announced that it would support the one-hour 
strike of Turk-Is with the participation of all its members in the 
public sector, adds Cumhuriyet. 
 
Chinese Police Open Fire on Uighur Protestors (Islamist-oriented 
Zaman) 
Media call attention to the clashes in Xinjiang as an ethnic war 
between Han Chinese and Muslim Turkic Uighurs.  The political left, 
the political right, the secularists and the Islamists outlets all 
express a great deal of sympathy for the Uighurs, and just last week 
President Gul made a visit to Urumqi during his state visit to 
China.  Mainstream Hurriyet headlines, "Xinjian Massacre," and the 
paper notes, "Chinese security forces violently intervene to silence 
protests in China's Uighur autonomous region."  Mainstream Haberturk 
headlines, "Ethnic War Breaks Out Between The Chinese and The 
Uighurs," as "a peaceful demonstration turned bloody when police 
used brute force and turned the city into a sea of blood." 
Mainstream Sabah calls the clashes, "The Uighurs' Tiananmen." 
Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet writes, "Clashes explode between the 
Han and the Uighurs when Chinese police opened fire on a 
demonstration." Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak writes, "The Chinese 
administration launches a Uighur hunt in Xinjiang Autonomous Region 
one week after President Gul's visit," to China.  In "A Call from 
Ankara to Beijing For Justice," leftist Taraf reports "Protestors 
gathered outside the Chinese Consulate in Istanbul to chant 'China 
Is A Murderer' and 'Get Out of Turkistan,'" and the paper also notes 
far right nationalist party MHP leader Devlet Bahceli told the 
press, "The Uighur Turks' humanitarian drama is a very sensitive 
 
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topic for the Turkish nation."  Liberal Radikal notes, "China Has 
Once Again Shed Blood While Putting Down A Uighur Rebellion." 
 
A New Era Between the Giants. (Leftist Taraf) 
Media call the meetings between U.S. President Barack Obama and 
Russian President Dmitri Medvedev "a new beginning" as the two 
leaders declared they will reduce the number of nuclear weapons in 
their stockpiles by one-third.  Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet 
headlines, "A New Page For the U.S. and Russia," as, "The Decision 
Is Made To Reduce Nuclear Weapons." Islamist-oriented Zaman carries 
the front-page headline, "They Have Agreed To Reduce Nuclear 
Weapons," and the article notes, "The atmosphere was warm between 
the two leaders during their meetings."   In "A Forced Truce in 
Moscow," mainstream Milliyet points out, "Obama and Medvedev have 
come together to give the message that this summit marks 'a new 
beginning' for U.S.-Russia relations, but on the other hand they 
note 'we can't solve all of our problems in a few hours.'"  Leftist 
Taraf notes, "The two leaders agreed to reduce nuclear weapons 
stockpiles, but the disagreement on missile installations 
continues." 
 
Editorial Commentary on Turkey-US-Russia Ties 
Erdal Saglam wrote in mainstream Hurriyet: "Meetings between the 
U.S. and Russia have the potential to affect future global policy 
and the balances of power. Turkey plays a role in this equation as 
well and must position itself carefully.  The most important for 
Turkey is, of course, energy cooperation. Turkey's been seriously 
close to Russia regarding energy issues for a while.  Most of the 
domestic energy projects were awarded to companies close to the AKP 
administration. But how will this 'strategic cooperation' between 
Turkey and Russia affect U.S.-Turkey relations? Turkey should avoid 
conflicts between the government institutions and should not put its 
interests in danger. And the leaders should know what they're doing 
regarding national and international policy." 
 
Asli Aydintasbas wrote in mainstream Aksam: "The U.S .does not care 
very much about the rise of conservatism in Turkey, about press 
freedom and about the role of the Fethullah Gulen movement in 
Turkish bureaucracy. The U.S. also doesn't prefer to deal with the 
military over the AKP government regarding discussions of troop 
withdrawals from northern Iraq. The U.S. continues to cooperate with 
the government. The important thing for the U.S. is not the domestic 
conflicts in Turkey, but the protection of U.S. interests." 
 
 
 
TV News (CNN Turk) 
 
Domestic 
 
Q Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill held talks with PM Erdogan and 
Religious Affairs Director Bardakoglu in Ankara yesterday and said 
Halki Seminary might be re-opened soon. 
 
Q A new indictment detailing charges against Ergenekon suspects will 
be submitted to the court this week. 
 
Q Russian PM Putin will come to Turkey for a formal visit on August 
¶6. 
 
 
World 
 
Q  U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian 
Affairs Philip Gordon says military flights in the Aegean Sea might 
lead to an accident. 
 
Q The U.S. Embassy in Athens submits to the Greek government a 
non-paper document on ending tensions in the Aegean. 
 
 
 
ANKARA 00000965  003 OF 003 
 
 
Q Deposed President Zelaya is prevented from returning to Honduras 
and is forced to go to El Salvador. 
 
 
Q World Bank President Robert Zoellick said "The World Economy is 
still in danger despite the recent positive signs."JEFFREY