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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001135 
 
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, AUGUST 5, 2009 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Erdogan to Meet with DTP Officials 
All papers and TV channels:  PM Erdogan will meet pro-Kurdish DTP 
officials today regarding the Kurdish issue at noon at the 
Parliament.  Erdogan said "I do not equate the DTP with the PKK.  I 
would meet with the other parties too if they did not close their 
doors."  Mainstream Vatan quotes PM Erdogan as saying, "I will meet 
DTP leader Ahmet Turk as the leader of the AKP, not as the prime 
minister."  "The day after the DTP asked for appointment from  my 
office, ten soldiers were martyred.  I could not meet with the DTP 
when we had ten martyrs.  Nevertheless, I don't see the DTP and the 
PKK on the same line.  The DTP is a political party that is 
represented in the parliament", Erdogan added. 
 
In a related story, mainstream Hurriyet reports that AKP's candidate 
for parliament speaker and former justice minister Mehmet Ali Sahin 
visited the DTP yesterday and asked for support. 
 
Editorials on The Kurdish Issue 
 
Okay Gonensin wrote in mainstream Vatan: "The meeting between PM 
Erdogan and DTP leader Turk is very important for the future course 
of the settlement process regarding the Kurdish issue.  It also 
brings some responsibilities for concerned parties.  For instance, 
the DTP should start giving positive and encouraging messages right 
after this meeting while the main opposition CHP should not rule out 
any possibility to cooperate with this settlement process." 
 
Muharrem Sarikaya wrote in tabloid/mass appeal HaberTurk: "PM 
Erdogan is making a mistake by alienating the MHP from the process. 
Both CHP and MHP can be critical of the initiatives but they have to 
be included in the process.  Sooner or later, the Kurdish initiative 
will come to the parliament platform as constitutional changes and 
the government will be in need of the opposition's cooperation." 
 
Metin Munir wrote in mainstream Milliyet: "There are no substantive 
talks with the DTP or the PKK, and without substance, the current 
effort cannot go anywhere.   The government has drawn its lines in 
the sand by refusing to negotiate with terrorists and therefore 
forgetting the experiences other countries have had with domestic 
terrorism.  Solving the Kurdish problem in real terms requires 
courageous political leadership.  In our case, it seems what we have 
are only some cosmetic efforts." 
 
Ali Bulac wrote in Islamist oriented Zaman: "The government's 
Kurdish initiative is a very important development, however there 
are some mistakes as it moves forward.  The journalists who were 
invited to the 'brainstorming session' at Ankara's police academy 
were limited to certain voices and attitudes.  It's always nice to 
hear their opinions again and again, but the Kurdish initiative 
cannot be successful unless all views, no matter what, are 
represented and heard properly." 
 
Turkish Armed Forces' (TSK) New Positions Announced 
All papers and TV channels:  The Supreme Military Council (YAS) 
decisions were made public yesterday and there were no surprises in 
the command chain, mainstream Vatan and leftist-nationalist 
Cumhuriyet report.  According to YAS decisions Chief of General 
Staff General Ilker Basbug, Land Forces Commander General Isik 
Kosaner and Gendarmerie Forces Commander General Atilla Isik will 
remain in their positions one more year.  Admiral Esref Ugur Yigit 
replaced Naval Forces Commander Metin Atac and General Hasan Aksay 
became the new Air Forces Commander replacing Aydogan Babaoglu. 
Cumhuriyet notes that Navy Colonel Levent Gorgec, whose name was 
mentioned in Ergenekon case, has been appointed as Admiral.  Navy 
Colonel Dursun Cicek who was accused of drafting an action plan to 
fight fundamentalists acts, was not promoted.  The General Staff 
said in its internet site that Colonel Cicek was not promoted as 
there were not any vacant positions. 
 
 
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Putin to Visit Ankara on Thursday 
Media outlets report that on Thursday, the Russian Prime Minister 
Vladimir Putin will pay a one-day working visit to Ankara to discuss 
the Blue Stream-2 pipeline, the Samsun-Ceyhan pipeline, the Nabucco 
project and the construction of a nuclear power plant in Turkey. 
Putin is also expected to raise issues regarding Nagorno-Karabakh, 
the ties between Turkey and Armenia, Iran, Iraq and the Middle East, 
according to papers. 
 
In a related story, business daily Referans reports Turkish Energy 
Minister Taner Yildiz as saying that Russia was interested in 
supplying the Samsun-Ceyhan pipeline, and that the two countries 
were going to sign a protocol about the pipeline.  Russian Energy 
Minister Sergei Shmatko came to Turkey before Putin to discuss the 
issue, says Referans. 
 
Fresh Greek-Turkish Dispute over Karaada Islet Resolved 
Vatan, Milliyet, Aksam, Cumhuriyet, Haberturk, and Zaman report five 
Turkish nationals, including three journalists, were taken into 
custody by Greek coast guard while attempting to go to the islet of 
Karaada which lies off Turkey's Mediterranean coast.  In "Greece 
Detains Turkish Journalists," mainstream Haberturk writes on its 
front page, "This time the crisis between Turkey and Greece is over 
Karaada.  Greek soldiers detained Turkish journalists, the Turkish 
Foreign Ministry (MFA) intervened, and the Turks were freed."  In 
addition, the paper says, "FM Bakoyannis Cut Short Her Vacation," 
as, "The Greek media reports she will return to Athens due to 
'tensions with Turkey.'"  In "A Greek Game on Karaada," 
leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet reports Turkish reporters and their 
ship's captain were all detained by the Greek military when they 
attempted to take photos of the soldiers on Karaada from their boat. 
 Mainstream Sabah's front page says "Telephone diplomacy between the 
two countries solved the crisis."  Islamist-oriented Zaman reports, 
"It looks like we were on the brink of a crisis like the one with 
Greece in January 1996 over Kardak (Imia)."  However, "The MFA got 
involved and the journalists who were detained were freed."  In the 
front-page headline, "A 'False' Crisis in The Mediterranean," 
mainstream Milliyet notes the MFA downplayed the 'detention' aspect 
of the story by saying "there were no arrests or detentions of 
Turkish citizens." 
 
NATO's Rasmussen to Visit Turkey During Ramadan 
Mainstream Sabah says NATO's new Secretary-General Anders Fogh 
Rasmussen would come to Turkey at the end of August as the guest of 
Prime Minister Erdogan.  Rasmussen will being his tour as NATO SG by 
visiting Washington, and then Ankara.  After Ankara, Rasmussen will 
proceed to Athens, according to Sabah. 
 
Resistance is An Option 
Media note Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told his Fatah 
movement conference on Tuesday that Palestinians sought peace with 
Israel but "resistance" remained an option.  Mainstream Sabah 
headlines, "Mahmoud Abbas: We Have a Legal Right to Resistance." 
Islamist-oriented Zaman labeled Abbas' statements, "Fatah's 
Peace-Resistance Dance."  Leftist Taraf notes "The Arafat Generation 
in Fatah Is Putting their Foot Down," as "The old generation, of 
Yasar Arafat's armed struggle, could split with the new generation," 
who back peace talks.  Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet notes, "Fatah 
met for a party congress for the first time on Palestinian soil 
since the PLO was founded in 1959."  Mainstream CNNTurk notes, 
"Fatah Met for its First Party Congress after a 20-Year Break." 
 
Bill Clinton's North Korea Surprise (Taraf) 
Media credit former U.S. president Bill Clinton with persuading 
North Korea to release two detained American journalists. 
Mainstream Sabah headlines, "Clinton Is in North Korea," and, "Two 
American Journalists Are Freed."  Mainstream Milliyet reports, 
"Secretary Clinton's husband, former U.S. president Bill Clinton, 
succeeded in securing the release of two American journalists who 
had been imprisoned by North Korea for five months." 
Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak headlines, "Clinton Aptly Intervenes In 
 
ANKARA 00001135  003 OF 003 
 
 
the Journalists' Crisis."  Liberal Radikal headlines, "Bill 
Clinton's North Korean Conquest," and the article notes, "Clinton 
went to North Korea, met with President Kim Jong Il, and had two 
American journalists released from prison."  Radikal also calls the 
journalists, "Al Gore's correspondents."  Mainstream Hurriyet 
headlines, "Clinton Rescues the Journalists."  Islamist-oriented 
Zaman reports, "Clinton's Visit Sufficed," as, "The Journalists Were 
Pardoned." 
 
A Congratulations Embargo To Ahmadinejad from The U.S. and Europe 
(Zaman) 
Media are mixed in their reactions to the U.S. and the West's 
response to Ahmadinejad's recently certified victory in the Iranian 
presidential elections.  Mainstream NTV reports in "The U.S. Also 
Approves Ahmadinejad!" that "The U.S. administration also highlights 
Ahmadinejad as the 'elected leader' of Iran."  Mainstream Haberturk 
reports in "No Celebration for Ahmadinejad," that, "Western 
countries are not celebrating Ahmadinejad's second term as 
president."  Islamist-oriented Zaman reports in "A Congratulations 
Embargo To Ahmadinejad from The U.S. and Europe," that, "No 
congratulations are coming from the West to Ahmadinejad for his 
second term." 
 
TV News (CNN Turk) 
 
Domestic 
 
- The ruling AKP's candidate for Parliament Speaker, Mehmet Ali 
Sahin, is expected to be elected Wednesday in the third round of 
voting, in which a candidate needs 267 votes to become parliament 
speaker.  On Tuesday, the pro-Kurdish DTP's candidate Hasip Kaplan 
has withdrawn from the race, saying he will support Sahin. 
 
- The Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) has expressed concern about the 
eviction of Palestinian families from East Jerusalem. 
 
- Turkey's Economy Coordination Board decides to hold a meeting with 
the representatives of the tourism sector. 
 
- Of the USD 62.3 billion of Turkish imports over the first six 
months of the year, 49.4 percent of the imports came from six 
countries -- Russia, Germany, China, the U.S., Italy and France. 
 
World 
 
- Greek Cyprus President Christofias says Turkey holds the key for 
solving the Cyprus issue, adding that the international community 
should press Turkey to agree to a settlement in favor of the 
Cypriots. 
 
- Russian troops in South Ossetia are put on "increased combat 
readiness" amid rising tensions on the de facto border with Georgia. 
 
 
- At least 350 women were slayed in honor killings in northern Iraq 
over the last six months. 
 
- The U.S. Marine Corps has issued an administrative directive, 
saying it banned the use of Marine network for accessing such sites 
as Facebook. 
JEFFREY