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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 001418 
 
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, SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
US Active Diplomacy on Armenia-Turkey Normalization (Vatan) 
Media continue to emphasize Secretary Clinton's direct engagement on 
Armenia-Turkey normalization and highlight that she urged both 
countries to follow through on their commitment to the process. 
Mainstream Vatan headlines, "Don't Bother the Opposition, Just Do 
It," and reports, "Secretary Clinton, in her meetings on the 
sidelines of the UNGA, told the foreign ministers of the two 
countries that they should proceed rapidly to a deal, without a slow 
down due to the political opposition."  Mainstream Haberturk writes, 
"Go to The National Game, Says US to Sarkisian," as "Secretary 
Clinton called on Armenian President Sarkisian to accept the Turkish 
invitation for watching the game between the football teams of 
Turkey and Armenia."  Mainstream Milliyet headlines, "US Tells 
Sarkisian to Go to Turkey," and reports "Secretary Clinton said to 
the two foreign ministers that normalization "should take place 
without preconditions and within a reasonable timeframe." 
Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet writes in "US Suggests Sarkisian Go 
to the Game." 
 
Media continue to give prominent coverage to the remarks from USG 
officials and Congressmen.  Cumhuriyet notes, "US Special Envoy for 
European Affairs Philip Gordon said the normalization process should 
continue and the US was eager for the deal.  Gordon also said the US 
supported what has become known as "football diplomacy" between the 
two countries and would like to see Armenian President Sarkisian 
visit Turkey for the game between Turkey and Armenia."  Meanwhile, 
liberal Radikal reports, "Senator Richard Lugar, chairman of the US 
Senate's Foreign Relations Committee, said the protocols to be 
signed by Turkey and Armenia were 'historical agreements' for both 
countries as well as the world." 
 
Iran Supports its Nuclear Program 
"Iran Makes a Surprise Invitation" says a front page headline story 
in nationalist Tercuman, highlighting remarks from Iranian Atomic 
Energy Institution Chairman Salihli.  Similarly, Islamist oriented 
Zaman says "Iran is working on a calendar to allow IAEA inspectors 
visiting the second nuclear facility which was recently announced." 
 In "Iran Threatens to Withdraw" liberal Radikal highlights the 
Iranian parliament's call to the P5+1 "to use this historic 
opportunity for lowering tension, otherwise Iran will have to limit 
cooperation with IAEA and will continue with its uranium enrichment 
program." 
 
Columnists continue comment on a perceived international double 
standard regarding Iran's nuclear capacity.  In Islamist oriented 
Yeni Safak, Abdullah Muratoglu complains: "The U.S. is very biased 
and insincere about nuclear states.  Iran cannot be the only focus 
while the world is silent about Israel's nuclear."   Cengiz Candar 
writes in liberal Radikal: "Iran and Turkey are the two seriously 
important states in the region.  Turkey should do everything 
possible to integrate Iran into the global system and work through 
all peaceful methods to achieve this goal."  In mainstream Milliyet, 
however, Sami Kohen is skeptical.  "A complete nuclear-free world is 
a wonderful goal," he writes, "but the entire world is very far from 
achieving it." 
 
President Gul in Office Until 2012 
Following Tuesday's Council of Ministers meeting, Government 
Spokesman Cemil Cicek told the press about a bill drafted by the 
Justice Ministry regarding presidential elections.  President Gul 
will stay in office for five years until 2012, and may run for 
office again for a second term.  The draft will be submitted to the 
parliament for approval. 
 
Court Rules Kurdish MPs Brought by Force for Deposition 
A court in Ankara ruled that the Kurdish DTP vice-president Emine 
Ayna and the acting head of the party group in parliament Selahattin 
Demirtas must be brought to court by force to testify in a lawsuit 
for making PKK propaganda.  Mainstream Milliyet and 
 
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Islamist-oriented Zaman say the controversial decision was likely to 
harm the government's democratic initiative while it was striving to 
end terror and expand freedoms.  DTP officials have earlier said the 
decision was illegal since they have parliamentary immunity, and 
refuse to go to the court to make deposition.  DTP officials had 
added they will not show up in the court unless they are stripped of 
their parliamentary immunities.  The next court hearing is scheduled 
for December 29.  DTP leader Ahmet Turk denounced the court ruling 
as "illegal," and said Turkey would lose if the lawmakers are taken 
to court by police force.  Turk also criticized the parliament for 
giving no support to its members expressing freely their views. 
 
Poll Shows the 'Racism within Us' (Radikal) 
Several papers give extensive front-page coverage to a survey on 
religious and ethnic discrimination, which reveals the lack of 
tolerance for different identities in Turkey.  The survey with 1108 
respondents was conducted from May 18-June 18 by Frekans polling 
company to measure the prevailing attitudes towards different 
identities, and especially toward the Jews.  Mainstream Milliyet 
says the survey was conducted on the request of the Turkish-Jewish 
congregation with the financial support of the EU.  The paper notes 
Israel's operations in Gaza had a negative impact regarding the 
attitudes toward Turkish Jews.  According to the survey, 57 percent 
of the interviewed say they don't want to have "atheist neighbors." 
The Jews are the second "unwanted" group -- 42 percent of the 
interviewed say they don't want Jewish neighbors, and 35 percent 
prefer to live without Christian neighbors.  Kurds and Alevis, two 
other communities that had been the victims of intolerance, also 
fall under the "unwanted" group.  The respondents object to 
proposals for giving to non-Muslims posts in state offices.  57 
percent say non-Muslims should not be given positions in the 
intelligence service MIT, and 55 percent oppose the appointment of 
non-Muslims in judicial institutions.  Liberal Radikal says the 
dimensions of religious and ethnic discrimination in Turkey were 
"horrifying." 
 
Editorial Commentary on Hatred and Intolerance in Turkey 
 
Ismet Berkan wrote in liberal Radikal: "The results of this survey 
clearly demonstrate how Turkish nation is turning into a hate 
society and driven by intolerance.  There has to be a public 
awareness campaign to fight against such an alarming tendency which 
leads to discrimination and anti-Semitism." 
 
Hasan Bulent Kahraman wrote in mainstream Sabah: "We have to think 
very carefully about those results which indicate a clear 
intolerance and dehumanization when it comes to think about others 
with different ethnic and/or religious identity.  Otherwise, the 
roots of such tendency will take us to racism." 
 
Children Under 18 Will be Tried in Juvenile Courts; 645 Missing 
Children in Turkey 
Government spokesman Cemil Cicek said Tuesday the government was 
making arrangements regarding children charged with throwing stones 
at the security forces.  Papers report the Justice Ministry has 
taken an important step to help children arrested for throwing 
stones at the police and given heavier penalties than the members of 
terror organizations.  A draft prepared by the Justice Ministry has 
cleared the way for the trial of children under the age of 18 by 
juvenile courts.  The heavy penalties given so far to children 
throwing stones at the police have sparked heated controversies. 
Liberal Radikal reminds that Adana prosecutor has demanded 533-year 
prison sentence for 11 children who joined illegal demonstrations to 
protest the alleged mistreatment of the PKK's imprisoned leader 
Abdullah Ocalan.  Experts told the court the children have acted 
under the influence of others, and criticized the fact that the case 
was taken up by heavy penal courts. 
 
Under the headline, "Black Picture for Turkey," leftist-nationalist 
Cumhuriyet reports police records show that over the first five 
months of 2009, 645 children went missing in 43 provinces. 
 
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Poll: CHP, MHP Increase Votes, AKP Declines Slightly 
Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet carries a survey conducted by Sonar 
polling company from September 1-20 days to measure "political 
trends and expectations in Turkey."  The survey was conducted in 20 
cities and 20 villages with the participation of 3,000 respondents. 
Voters' preference of the political parties in Turkey is as follows: 
AKP 34.44 percent, CHP 27.21, MHP 19.03, DTP 6.08, and SP 5.72.  The 
survey shows that voters have begun favoring more opposition parties 
CHP and MHP in reaction to the ruling AKP government's Kurdish 
democratic initiative, comments Cumhuriyet. 
 
Blackberry Inventor Lazaridis to be Given Turkish Citizenship 
Mainstream Aksam reports on its front page Mike Lazaridis, the 
inventor of Blackberry, would be given Turkish citizenship. 
Lazaridis, a Greek origin Turk, was born in Istanbul and moved to 
Canada when he was five years old.  Aksam says Turkish authorities 
want Lazaridis to build a large Blackberry "research and 
development" unit in Turkey. 
 
TV News (NTV) 
 
Domestic 
 
Q The Council of Ministers has decided to ask the parliament to 
extend by another year the authorization given to the military for 
cross-border operations into northern Iraq. 
Q In a press conference on September 30, FM Davutoglu said Turkey is 
in favor of only diplomatic ways regarding the Iran nuclear crisis, 
and that there is no need for sanctions.  FM Davutoglu expressed 
hope and progress on both Turkey-Armenia normalization as well as 
the Minsk Group efforts. 
Q In an interview with NTV on September 30, Deputy PM Bulent Arinc 
said he expects the normalization protocol with Armenia will not 
approved by the parliament until a solution is achieved on 
Karabakh. 
Q Talking to NTV, veteran journalist Mehmet Ali Birand said he 
anticipated a mid-way formula when the protocol comes to parliament 
for approval.  The parliament will hold it for final ratification 
until a solution on Karabakh is done, but he added that "effort for 
solving the Karabakh issue in very near future is just about 
achieving the goal." 
Q Veteran Kurdish politician Abdulmelik Firat died Tuesday in a 
hospital in Ankara, where he had been receiving treatment for 
leukemia. 
Q The fourth Alevi Workshop will be held with the participation of 
government representatives and various civic organizations. 
Q The new legislative year starts Thursday with an official ceremony 
in the Parliament. 
Q World Bank-IMF annual meetings will be held in Istanbul on October 
6-7. 
Q Culture Minister Ertugrul Gunay said State Theaters will be 
allowed to stage Kurdish-language plays. 
Q Foreign investments made in Turkey over the first seven months of 
the year totaled USD 4.9 billion. 
 
World 
Q The military General Staff (TGS) website reports Greek F-16s and 
M-2000s taking off from Ankhialos and Skiros air fields interfered 
three times Turkish Air Force F-16s conducting training flights in 
the international air space over the Aegean. 
Q Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told a meeting of the UN Security 
Council that next year Turkey will assume a leading role regarding 
Afghanistan. 
Q The lawyer of Turkish company Horizon says they were close to 
compromise with Somali pirates holding their bulk carrier for more 
than two months. 
Q Turkey is convicted by the European Court of Human Rights for 
violation of human rights in connection with the complaints of 21 
people dismissed from the army or from military schools. 
Q Thorbjorn Jagland, a former prime minister of Norway, is elected 
 
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secretary-general of the Council of Europe (CoE). 
 
SILLIMAN