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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001341 
 
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, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Davutoglu to Brief Political Parties on Armenia 
Television channels report the Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) said 
in a statement Foreign Minister Davutoglu will meet with the Speaker 
of Turkish parliament Mehmet Ali Sahin and the leaders of Turkish 
political parties in order to update them on Turkish-Armenian 
relations, recent developments in the Caucasus and other current 
foreign policy matters.  Davutoglu met with Sahin on Friday. 
 
Turkey and EU Discuss Energy 
Media outlets report European Commission said Turkey and the EU have 
started negotiations on Thursday for Turkey's accession to the 
Energy Community.  A Turkish delegation led by Yusuf Yazar, Deputy 
Undersecretary for Energy, met with a European Commission 
negotiating team headed by Fabrizio Barbaso, Deputy Director General 
for Energy, in Vienna.  EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs said, 
"Turkey is carrying out fundamental reforms in order to address its 
huge energy challenge.  Turkey is well prepared and has an important 
role to play in the Energy Community." 
 
EU Warns Fine on Dogan Group Could Impact Turkey Progress Report 
(Hurriyet) 
Following personal statements of EU Commissioner for enlargement 
Olli Rehn and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, the 
EU released an official report warning that the fine imposed on 
Dogan Media Group could affect the forthcoming Progress Report on 
Turkey's EU entry bid, to be released October 14.  A spokesman for 
the European Commission said, "When the sanction is of such 
magnitude that it threatens the very existence of an entire press 
group, like in this case, then freedom of the press is at stake." 
 
Dogan Media Group Fine 
 
Mehmet Yilmaz wrote in mainstream Hurriyet: "The fine against the 
media group is a clear effort to silence some strong opposition 
voice but also indicates the way Turkish democracy is heading 
towards.  Turkey is turning into a Central Asian Republic style 
democracy with one-man strong ruling.  Once the ruling AKP finalizes 
the judicial reform like the way they want, steps for authoritarian 
ruling will be completed." 
 
Mehmet Barlas wrote in mainstream Sabah: "Turkish media history is 
full of changed ownership stories and there is nothing to be pleased 
about seeing a media figure fading away.  The best way for media is 
to take a lesson from the past and stand solidly on liberal 
democracy, fair competition and rule of law principles regardless of 
the current political situation in any given time." 
 
Riza Turmen wrote in mainstream Milliyet: "The government's fine 
against media group demonstrates intolerance to certain views as 
well as intolerance to criticism.  It seems the ruling AKP is 
missing the very essence of democracy." 
 
Police Detains Friday 14 DTP Members in Diyarbakir (Hurriyet 
Website) 
Mainstream Hurriyet website reports Friday that Diyarbakir police 
launched operations in the province and anti-terror teams launched 
operations against the DTP members Friday morning in Diyarbakir. 
Police raided homes, detaining 14 people: 
- Former DTP Baglar District Mayor (DTP) Yurdusev Ozsokmenler, in 
Diyarbakir 
- Former Bismil District Mayor (DTP), in Diyarbakir 
- Diyarbakir Provincial General Assembly Chairman Sehmus Bayhan 
(DTP) 
- Deputy General Secretary of the Diyarbakir Metropolitan 
Municipality Huseyin Bayrak, 
- Deputy Mayor of Kayapinar District Mayor Sebahattin Dinc, in 
Diyarbakir 
- Deputy Mayor of Yenisehir District Mayor Ihsan Ugur, in 
Diyarbakir 
 
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- Yenisehir District Municipality Assembly Member Kenan Kaya, in 
Diyarbakir 
- DTP Women's Assembly members:  Azize Yagiz, Gulistan Aksoy, and 
Melike Karagoz 
- SELIS Women's Center Activist Sociologist Behice Ok 
- DTP Staff Member Huseyin Eren 
 
Debate on Kurdish Initiative 
 
Yasin Dogan wrote in Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak: "The government's 
initiative is not exempt from hearing other opinions and approaches, 
however the opposition parties prefer nothing but populist rhetoric. 
 It will be most useful if they think rationally and produce 
alternative ideas regarding how to address the problem." 
 
Murat Yetkin wrote in liberal-intellectual Radikal: "Turkey is 
standing on a critical turning point as the government works on a 
Kurdish initiative.  At the same time, there are more signs to 
believe that government is becoming more aware of the importance of 
military's input in this process.  In fact the only successful 
outcome of the process goes through a public opinion effort to 
present this initiative as a joint military-government project." 
 
YOK Approves Kurdish Studies within Artuklu University 
Papers report the Higher Education Board (YOK) has approved the 
establishment of "Living Languages Institute" within Mardin's 
Artuklu University, albeit only for master's and doctorate studies. 
YOK President Yusuf Ziya Ozcan said the institute will not only 
provide education in Kurdish, but also in Farsi, Arabic and 
Assyrian. 
 
Liberal Radikal reports the Education Ministry has decided to name a 
state high school in the city of Van after Ahmede Hani, a Kurdish 
historian and literary figure from the 17th century.  The Governor 
of Van reportedly approved the decision. 
 
Anniversary of 9/11 
Media coverage is varied with some focusing on the absence of a 
physical monument in New York City, others reminding that Osama Bin 
Laden is still a fugitive, and others who see recently released 
photos of the accused 9/11 mastermind as a sign of Al Qaeda 
propaganda and a possible sign of a new attack on the horizon. 
Mainstream NTV notes, "Eight years after the attack on the World 
Trade Center in New York, there are plans to build something to 
memorialize the victims, but the site of Ground Zero remains empty." 
 Mainstream Sabah reports in "Retirees Hired to Find Bin Laden," 
that, "The CIA Has Called Its Former Workers Back to Duty," as, "The 
British newspaper The Times reports a CIA team of 100 people have 
been searching for Bin Laden for eight years," and the paper says, 
"This team doesn't include people who know the languages of the 
region or who are experts on the region."  Meanwhile, mainstream 
Hurriyet carries the latest photo of accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid 
Sheikh Mohammed under the headline, "Is This Photograph the Sign of 
a New Attack?" as, "The new photograph is creating concerns it may 
be an indication of new attacks."  Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet 
reports in, "The Latest Photograph of The Architect of 9/11," that, 
"The publication of the photo, taken by the Red Cross, is being 
broadcast by Al Qaeda-linked websites as propaganda." 
 
Claims of Clashes in Karabakh (Hurriyet) 
Media express alarm over indications that, at a time with Turkey and 
Armenia are seeking rapprochement, a ceasefire between Armenia and 
Azerbaijan may have been broken yesterday.  Mainstream Milliyet 
reports in "Alarm: News of Clashes Comes From Karabakh," that, "As 
the region experiences a period positive developments, Armenian and 
Azeri soldiers clash in the Karabakh region and five Armenian 
soldiers are killed." Mainstream Sabah reports, "The clashes took 
place for two hours before Armenian soldiers retreated."  Mainstream 
Hurriyet notes, "Private Azerbaijani news agency APA reported that 
five Armenian soldiers were killed," but Hurriyet points out, "The 
Azerbaijani Defense Ministry did not comment on the developments." 
 
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Islamist-oriented  Yeni Safak headlines, "A Crisis Between Armenia 
and Azerbaijan."  CNN Turk reports Turkish MFA Spokesperson Murat 
Ozugergin expressed "concern" over the reports of what CNN Turk 
calls, "the outbreak of violence in the ceasefire region." 
Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet headlines, "A Bloody Clash in 
Karabakh." 
 
New Pew Poll Indicates Muslims Are Among Those Most Discriminated 
Against 
Islamist-oriented Zaman reports in, "Americans Believe Muslims Are 
Among Those Most Discriminated Against," that, "A poll by the Pew 
Research Center revealed that, in the eyes of Americans, Muslims are 
second only to homosexuals as the group of people most discriminated 
against."  Zaman also notes, "the number of Americans who believe 
Islam preaches violence has dropped seven points to 38 percent." 
 
TV News (CNN Turk) 
 
Domestic 
 
- Weather forecasters have warned against more heavy rains and 
possible floods Friday in Turkey's Marmara region. 
 
- Prime Minister Erdogan said illegally constructed houses will be 
demolished to prevent new disasters in Istanbul. 
 
- Opposition CHP leader Deniz Baykal said the flood disaster in 
Istanbul was caused by corrupt urbanization and "scandalous" new 
settlement zones.  Baykal lashed out at PM Erdogan, saying he was 
"in charge" of the city over the last 16 years. 
 
- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is scheduled to visit Ankara on 
September 16 to attend an Iftar fast-breaking dinner hosted by Prime 
Minister Erdogan's AK Party.  In Ankara, Assad will hold talks with 
Erdogan, President Gul and Foreign Minister Davutoglu. 
 
- A 4.5-magnitude earthquake is reported in the province of Konya. 
 
 
- Turkey's economy has contracted by 7 percent in the second quarter 
of the year. 
 
- IMF has voiced hopes that a new deal with Turkey will be sealed 
without delay. 
 
World 
 
- State Department Spokesman PJ Crowley said Iran's proposal for 
resolving the nuclear dispute was addressing U.S. concerns. 
 
- Azerbaijan, Turkey and Israel are holding talks to produce armored 
vehicles jointly. 
 
- The Czech Constitutional Court ruled Thursday that early national 
elections scheduled for October 9-10 will not take place. 
 
- French President Sarkozy, in an effort to fight global warming, 
proposes a tax on fossil fuels such as gasoline and heating oil. 
 
SILLIMAN