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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001157 
 
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 
MONDAY, AUGUST 11, 2009 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
CHP, MHP Reject Meetings with AKP Government Regarding Their 
'Kurdish Initiative' 
Media outlets report Interior Minister Besir Atalay requested 
meetings with the opposition parties and civic organizations 
regarding the AKP government's Kurdish Initiative, but was turned 
down by opposition parties CHP and MHP.  The CHP's Onur Oymen said 
the AKP government should "make public any plans" regarding the 
Kurdish initiative.  "The AKP wants to make the CHP a partner to its 
move; we are out of it," emphasized Oymen.  The MHP's Oktay Vural 
said his party would definitely not meet with the government at a 
time when they "shake hands with the DTP."  Government Spokesman 
Cemil Cicek said his government has asked for appointments from all 
political parties and some prominent NGOs.  Cicek said Atalay would 
first meet with TOBB on Wednesday, and added that a solution would 
be found within Turkey's unitary state structure, report papers. 
 
In another story, leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet reports that on 
September 1, World Peace Day, several political parties and leading 
democratic civic organizations have asked permission from the 
Istanbul Governor's Office to hold a mass rally in Istanbul, calling 
for a solution to Turkey's Kurdish issue. 
 
Editorials on The Kurdish Initiative 
 
Gungor Mengi wrote in mainstream Vatan: "President Gul is making a 
big mistake by pursuing the wrong tone and the wrong language.  In 
order to express his determination to resolve the Kurdish issue, the 
president is making accusatory remarks which will offend some 
people.  This is not the right approach to create an atmosphere for 
comprehensive dialogue and reconciliation." 
 
Cengiz Candar wrote in liberal Radikal: "Turkey will start enjoying 
immense power both domestically and internationally as soon as it 
makes peace with its own Kurds.  Solving this problem will give 
Turkey momentum for influence in the international arena." 
 
Yavuz Donat wrote in mainstream Sabah: "President Gul is supervising 
efforts toward the Kurdish initiative.  His determination to act on 
this problem comes after a thorough study and analysis.  He is very 
sure that his moves are backed by the people." 
 
Fehmi Koru wrote in Islamist oriented Yeni Safak: "Nationalists are 
getting upset even when the country's president pronounced a Kurdish 
town's name in its original form.  There is no reason for anyone to 
be concerned.  Times have changed.  This is a new era where 
authoritarian approaches are replaced by democratic practices, and 
Turkey is certainly becoming a part of it." 
 
Yuksel Cebeci wrote in nationalist Tercuman: "The Kurdish settlement 
is a project initiated by foreign powers as well as by the PKK 
itself.  When the PKK's imprisoned leader talked about a 'road map' 
on the Kurdish problem a while ago, the government rushed to 
announce its measures so that Ankara can be ahead of Ocalan.  In the 
end, the PKK and its sympathizers are imposing their terms and the 
government is trying to find a middle way." 
 
FM Davutoglu Visits Baghdad Today 
Mainstream Aksam reports Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is 
visiting Baghdad today in order to attend high-level consultation 
talks related to an earlier three-party anti-terror summit held in 
Ankara with the participation of Turkey, Iraq and the U.S.  While in 
Baghdad, Davutoglu is expected to request the closure of the Makhmur 
refugee camp, and to request the right to pursue terrorists and 
engage in "direct intervention" against the PKK.  Aksam adds 
Davutoglu will pay another visit to Iraq at the end of August for 
three days, during which he will meet the KRG President Massoud 
Barzani in Erbil, and he will also visit Basra, Mosul, Kirkuk and 
Tuzhurmatu.  Davutoglu will also open the Turkish consulate in 
Basra, reports Aksam. 
 
ANKARA 00001157  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
Family Wants Armenian Singer Buried in Diyarbakir 
Mainstream Hurriyet and liberal Radikal report Armenian singer Aram 
Tigran, renowned for his songs in Kurdish, has passed away in 
Athens.  Tigran's family wants the artist to be laid to rest in 
Diyarbakir, and is seeking the Turkish government's permission for 
the burial.  While the family is waiting for a response from the 
government, the Diyarbakir Municipality has cleaned the Armenian 
graveyard in preparation for the funeral.  If accepted, the funeral 
will take place in Diyarbakir today; otherwise, the artist will be 
buried in Brussels where he was living.  Tigran's relatives say the 
Turkish government would make a huge symbolic gesture by allowing 
the burial. 
 
Good News from the Economic Front (Zaman) 
Islamist-oriented Zaman reports, "Good News from The Economic 
Front," and notes, "According to figures of Turkish Board of 
Statistics, the drop in industrial output slowed down to 9.7 percent 
in June. It was 17.4 percent in May. The monthly increase in 
industrial output rose to 7.3 percent from 5 percent. Mainstream 
Sabah says electricity consumption increased 11.5 percent in July 
when compared to June.  JP Morgan announced that Turkey's economy 
would grow 3-5 percent in 2010.  Liberal Radikal reports industrial 
output "inspired hope" in June this year by rising 7.3 percent when 
compared to May. 
 
Turkey's Nuclear Power Plant Tender to be Finalized in September 
(Referans) 
Business daily Referans reports Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said 
the tender for the construction of a nuclear power plant in Turkey 
would be finalized in September.  Yildiz noted that the price of 
energy was one of the problems in the conclusion of the nuclear 
plant project.  "The project will be kicked off if we reach 
agreement on the price," said Yildiz.  Yildiz told a press 
conference in Ankara yesterday that the state could take a 15 to 25 
percent stake of the plant if price disagreements are resolved.  In 
September 2008, a Russian-led consortium of Atomstroyexport, Inter 
RAO UES and Turkey's Park Teknik was the only bidder of six to 
return a final price for a nuclear power station.  The consortium 
demands the right to sell the electricity generated to the country 
at a set price for 15 years. 
 
The "Trigger Line" in Iraq Threatens to Spark New War 
Mainstream Milliyet cites British daily The Independent in a report 
that U.S. President Barack Obama's administration is "alarmed" by 
the prospect of Iraq "splitting apart" just as the U.S. has begun 
its troop withdrawal from the country. But Milliyet notes Washington 
can also "see the danger of becoming more deeply enmeshed in the 
Arab-Kurdish conflict," which kept northern Iraq "ablaze for much of 
the last century." The U.S. withdrawal also "frightens the Kurds, 
the one Iraqi community that supported the U.S.-led invasion." A 
report by the International Crisis Group concluded recently that 
"without the glue that U.S. troops have provided, Iraq's political 
actors are otherwise likely to fight all along the trigger line 
following a withdrawal, emboldened by a sense that they can prevail, 
if necessary, with outside help." Mainstream Vatan notes the 
northern Iraqi Peshmerge forces have been given, "An Order to 'Fire 
If The Iraqi Military Advances,'" as, "270,000 Peshmerge forces, 
including women, are prepared," to join a potential conflict with 
Iraqi military forces. Islamist-oriented Zaman reports, "Violence 
Escalates Prior to Iraq's General Elections," in January 2010 as 
"provocations are increasing, as are anxieties that new clashes 
could break out between Sunnis and Shiites," and, "Another potential 
danger is an outbreak of an Arab/Kurd war in northern Iraq." 
 
Papers also note the violent bomb attacks in Mosul and Baghdad 
yesterday indicate an increasingly insecure environment in Iraq. 
Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet headlines, "Another Bloody Morning in 
Iraq."  Mainstream Vatan headlines, "The Iraqi People Started Their 
Week with Bombs."  Liberal Radikal headlines, "Mosul and Baghdad Are 
Again A Sea of Blood," as, "Iraq Is On The Brink of An Arab-Kurdish 
 
ANKARA 00001157  003 OF 003 
 
 
War." 
 
Four Alleged Al-Qaeda Confess in Dusseldorf They Would Attack U.S. 
Interests 
Mainstreams Sabah and Hurriyet report that four militants accused of 
plotting devastating bombings against U.S. interests in Germany have 
made full confessions to the court in Dusseldorf.  Two of the 
suspects, Fritz Gelowicz and Daniel Schneider, are German converts 
to Islam, another suspect is a German citizen of Turkish origin 
Attila Selek and another suspect is Turkish national Adem Yilmaz. 
Accused of being the leader of the terrorist cell, Fritz Gelowicz 
said that together with Adem Yilmaz, they had training in Pakistan 
for three months to learn to use weapons, to prepare explosives and 
use them.  Gelowicz confessed that their aim was to wage devastation 
against US interests.  They have been charged with belonging to the 
Islamic Jihadic Union in Pakistan terror organization, which is 
linked to Al-Qaeda and plotting to stage attacks with explosives. 
Sabah notes that during a raid to their cell, the German police had 
found 550 kg dynamites and 730 kg of hydrogen peroxide to be used in 
making explosives. 
 
TV News (CNN Turk) 
 
Domestic 
 
- The association for the relatives of martyred soldiers say they 
have no intention to make peace with the mothers of "murdered 
terrorists." 
 
- A famous bookstore in Lefkosa (Nicosia) in Turkish Cyprus has been 
set on fire by unidentified attackers. 
 
- JP Morgan Chase says Turkey might report a primary budget deficit 
for the first time in ten years. 
 
- In June, Turkey's current deficit dropped by 65 percent to USD 1.9 
billion. 
 
World 
 
- On five Greek Cypriot soldiers alleged to be killed by the Turks 
in Cyprus, Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman said Turkey should abide 
by the decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) 
regarding missing persons in Cyprus. 
 
- Two militants were killed and three police officers wounded in a 
Taliban-launched assault on a provincial capital south of Kabul, 
Afghanistan. 
 
- Venezuela's Hugo Chavez prepares for a possible confrontation with 
Colombia, saying that Bogota's plans to increase the U.S. military 
presence at its bases poses a threat to his country. 
 
JEFFREY