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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001429 
 
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 
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2009 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Shoe Protest at IMF Meetings in Istanbul: Late Thursday morning, 
Turkish TV reporting that IMF President was the subject of 
shoe-throwing protest at Bilgi University.   Amid shouts of "IMF Go 
Home," the IMF President left the venue and 30 students reportedly 
were detained.  The protester is reportedly a journalist from 
leftist oriented Birgun daily. 
 
Iran: Talks Are An Opportunity for the West. (Cumhuriyet)  Turkish 
media is straightforward on the long-awaited talks today between 
P5+1 officials and Iran on its nuclear program in Geneva. 
Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet reports Iran's top nuclear negotiator 
Saeed Jalili said that talks are an "opportunity and test" for 
Western countries and that Iran will start the talks with the hope 
for goodwill and long-term cooperation.  Liberal Radikal writes, 
"Baradei Says Iran Violates the Law," and reports "IAEA Chief 
Muhammed El Baradei blamed Iran for hiding the second uranium 
enrichment plant and for violating the transparency policy of the 
institution." The paper notes, Secretary Clinton told reporters that 
Iran "must meet its international obligations over its suspect 
nuclear program or face 'greater isolation.'  Front page headlines 
in fundamentalist Vakit ask "Nuclear: Good for Israel but Bad for 
Us?" and explores  why a Muslim country "doesn't have the right to 
nuclear energy" in an interview with Iranian Ambassador to Ankara 
Bahman Huseyinpur , who says " Iran doesn't hide anything from the 
international community" and added, "the problem is not Iran's, it's 
their problem."  Liberal Radikal reports in "Neither Sanctions nor 
Military Option Will Help" that "FM Davutoglu said the sanctions 
will not  produce results.  They would harm people.  In fact, Turkey 
is working hard to block new sanctions against Iran." 
 
Yeni Safak:  A Blind Eye on Israel - Columnist Tamer Korkmaz blasted 
the supporters of the "Iran poses a nuclear threat" argument in 
Islamist oriented Yeni Safak: "It is interesting to see some of 
Turkish media members keep a blind eye on Israel's nuclear weapons 
while they constantly portray Iran as a nuclear threat for Turkey. 
Nowadays they have started it once again.  These media figures are 
embedded with the Americans and cannot be successful in this biased 
campaign." 
 
Davutoglu: October "Month of Peace" Will Feature Iran, Armenia, 
Cyprus Initiatives 
Media outlets report extensively on Foreign Minister Ahmet 
Davutoglu's press conference upon his return from UNGA meetings in 
New York.  Davutoglu said he expects October to be a "month of 
peace" while Turkey's role as mediator continues in the Middle East, 
the Caucasus and the Balkans.  On Iran's nuclear program, Davutoglu 
said Turkey would do its best to prevent new sanctions imposed on 
Iran.  Davutoglu added sanctions would not bring benefits because it 
would be Iran, Turkey and Iran's other neighbors that would be 
negatively affected from such measures.  Davutoglu said every 
country had the right to develop a nuclear program for peaceful 
purposes.  Responding to a question on Iran's long-range missiles, 
Davutoglu said Turkey was against any military actions, including 
missile tests.  "Our region cannot tolerate a new armed tension," 
stressed Davutoglu.  Commenting on German election results, 
Davutoglu said Turkish-German ties were so deep-rooted that the 
election results would not cause radical changes.  On Cyprus, 
Davutoglu said no promises were kept over the last five years, since 
the rejection by the Greek Cypriots of a UN-sponsored peace plan. 
He warned that if the talks fail again, the will of the Turkish 
Cypriot people to decide their own future would be respected.  On 
the normalization process between Turkey and Armenia, Davutoglu said 
the protocols with Yerevan would be signed before the October 14 
soccer game in Bursa between the two countries' national teams. 
"It's important that President Sargsyan comes to Turkey to watch the 
game.  Even if he doesn't, the process will continue," stated 
Davutoglu.  He reiterated the fact that the protocols would have to 
be ratified by the Turkish Parliament to enter into effect. 
 
 
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Papers also report Davutoglu and President Gul are expected to meet 
with the Azerbaijani president and foreign minister in Nakhcivan on 
October 3 to review the latest developments. 
 
Media Say Secretary Clinton to Attend Zurich Signing as Armenia Gets 
Ready to Withdraw from Five Azerbaijani Territories 
Conservative Bugun and Islamist-oriented Zaman report that Yerevan 
has agreed to withdraw from the five Azerbaijani zones under 
Armenian occupation if Baku and Yerevan agree.  Presidents of the 
two countries will meet on October 8-9 in Kishinev to discuss an 
OSCE report on Lacin, an Azerbaijani territory under Armenian 
occupation.  In mainstream Sabah daily, columnist Erdal Safak says 
he expects U.S. participation at the proposed Zurich signing, noting 
"Even though Washington has not officially confirmed yet, Secretary 
Clinton plans to attend the protocol signing. He also commends the 
Turkish parliament for the task ahead on Armenia-Turkey 
reconciliation, noting that "this is a long path but Turkey will get 
a chance for better democracy standards and better handling of 
problems in the end." 
 
Council of Europe Asks Turkey to Expand Scope of 'Minorities' 
(Hurriyet) 
Mainstream Hurriyet reports on page one that a Council of Europe 
report on minorities in Turkey warns that the "morning oath" which 
ends "Happy is who says I am a Turk" taken by elementary and high 
school students amounts to "ethnic discrimination," and calls for 
the practice to be ended.  The Turkish government reacted, and said 
in a response, "The oath is not to glorify a particular ethnic 
group, but expresses the loyalty of the citizens of this country." 
The report, criticizing Turkey that the minorities in the country 
were restricted with only non-Muslims, asks for the Kurds, 
Assyrians, Laz and Alevis be named as minority groups.  The report 
says Turkey has 12 to 15 million Kurds, around three million 
gypsies, three million Caucasians and some one million Laz people. 
The report also stresses that Turkey should view this diversity as 
an "asset," according to Hurriyet. 
 
Turkish Ethnic Views:  "Racism within Us" 
Commentators continue to draw attention to the seriousness of the 
growing intolerance among Turkish society.  Evaluating recent survey 
results, columnist Semih Idiz wonders in mainstream Milliyet: 
"Strangely enough, Turks do not want Jews (42 %) or Christians (35 
%) in their immediate neighborhood while the very same society makes 
so much fuss when they see a report on anti-Turkish or anti-Muslim 
attitude in European countries."  Similarly, Islamist oriented Yeni 
Safak writer Fehmi Koru expresses grave concern, "how come we became 
so intolerant despite the fact we remain on a multi-culture mosaic; 
this is a serious matter and requires public awareness campaign." 
 
TV News (CNN Turk) 
 
Domestic 
 
Q In his address to the nation Wednesday night, Prime Minister 
Erdogan said his government's "Democratic Initiative" would not 
compromise Turkey's territorial integrity 
Q Retired colonel Aytekin Icmez was found shot to death in his house 
in Bursa.  Terror organization Maoist Communist Party claimed 
responsibility over the killing. 
Q The new legislative year will be kick-started today with an 
official ceremony in the Turkish Parliament, with President Gul 
delivering the opening speech. 
Q A court in Ankara rules that two other Kurdish DTP MPs, Sabahat 
Tuncel and Aysel Tugluk, who have refused to make a deposition over 
making PKK propaganda, be brought to testify by the police. 
Q The Turkish Parliament will discuss October 6 a motion authorizing 
for cross-border military operations into northern Iraq. 
Q The IMF has released its Global Financial Stability report in 
Istanbul, which says the likely losses from the financial crisis in 
the three years to 2010 have been reduced by USD 600 billion to USD 
3.4 trillion as the world economy grows faster than previously 
 
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expected. 
Q Kurdish DTP will hold on October 4 a party convention in Ankara. 
 
 
World 
 
Q President Obama meets NATO Secretary General Rasmussen to discuss 
the efforts of the transatlantic alliance in Afghanistan. 
Q Mevlut Cavusoglu, the ruling AK Party MP, is expected to head the 
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) next year. 
Cavusoglu received 29 votes in a European Democrat Group election to 
select the group's nominee for PACE chairmanship. 
 
Q Massoud Barzani, the head of the Kurdish Regional Government of 
northern Iraq, asks Iraq's former deputy PM Barham Saleh to form a 
new government in northern Iraq. 
Q The Telegraph of Britain says German Chancellor Merkel has warned 
her Turkish counterpart Erdogan in a phone call that Germany foreign 
policy was "under review." 
Q The UN Security Council, chaired by Secretary Clinton, has 
unanimously passed a resolution in a bid to stop sexual violence 
during conflicts and to end impunity. 
Q Two powerful earthquakes thousands of miles apart, in Indonesia's 
western coast and islands of Samoa, cause death, injuries and panic. 
 
Q A nine-month EU investigation into the 2008 war in the Caucasus 
has concluded that Georgia triggered the conflict. 
 
SILLIMAN