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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001430 
 
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, OCTOBER 2, 2009 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
P5+1 Talks with Iran in Geneva 
Media today carry straightforward coverage but focus on the 
symbolism of the P5+1/Iran talks.  Islamist oriented Zaman headlines 
that the high level meeting happened  "For the First Time in 30 
Years" and notes that Washington and Tehran relations have taken a 
historic step.   Leftist Taraf, however, takes a more substantive 
stance, noting that  "the symbolic importance of the P5+1 and Iran 
meetings is highlighted more than the content."  Mainstream 
Haberturk writes "Iran Opens Its Nuclear Plant to Inspection," and 
highlights President Obama comments as  "It's a productive start. 
Iran has to take concrete steps to show its nuclear program is for 
peaceful purposes."  Columnists on Geneva Talks: In mainstream 
Milliyet, Sami Kohen notes  "As a last minute diplomacy attack, Iran 
offered to open its second nuclear facility for inspection and the 
P5+1 group could not possibly ignore this move.  Iran is sitting at 
the table with another strong helping hand from Turkey because 
Turkey's Prime Minister clearly stood by Tehran."   In mainstream 
HaberTurk, columnist Soli Ozel notes the long and serious history of 
Iran and argues that  "Iran should not be treated as a country with 
a bunch of fanatics who are capable of doing everything to harm 
international peace, even though American neo-cons suggest the 
opposite."   For that reason, Ozel concludes "every means of 
diplomacy must be tried and used in this process." 
 
Gul: "If we can't solve our problems, someone else will" 
Papers reported extensively on the opening of Parliament, most 
noting that chief of the military General Staff (TGS) General Ilker 
Basbug and force commanders fully attending. Mainstream Vatan finds 
the attendance "surprising" because five months ago Basbug said he 
cannot stay under the same roof with the DTP officials before they 
end the controversy regarding their links with terror.   In "If We 
Cannot Solve Our Problems, Someone Else Will," mainstream Hurriyet 
says President Gul stressed that internal problems should be 
resolved through democratic means.  Under the headline "We must 
speed up the democratic move," mainstream Vatan says Gul called for 
"resolute action" regarding the "democratic move," stressing the 
ongoing positive conditions would not last forever.  Headlined 
"Turkish nation demands democratic move," nationalist-conservative 
Turkiye reports Gul said a democratic state should see the social 
and cultural differences as its "richness," and accept such 
differences instead of trying to eliminate them.  In "Parliament 
opens with democratic move," Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak says Gul 
expressed the importance of "keeping social and political 
differences alive together."  Mainstream Sabah says Gul gave a 
"magic formula" of "unity in diversity," saying "Diversity is the 
backbone of democracy."  Leftist Taraf comments Gul referred to the 
controversial 'Ergenekon' investigation when he said "Henceforth, 
wandering out of the boundaries of law is prohibited." 
 
Editorials on Gul Remarks at Parliament Opening: Editorials mostly 
commend President Gul's emphasis on democracy as well as reform. 
Typical is Fehmi Koru's summation in Islamist oriented Yeni Safak 
that Gul's speech laid down "a roadmap for Turkey's future in strong 
democracy and rule of law."  Gungor Mengi in mainstream Vatan, 
however, is skeptical about real implementation, noting that 
Turkey's "top levels have completely lost their neutrality and act 
by partisan considerations . . . they cannot fulfill their 
responsibilities properly even if they defend the right methods." 
In liberal Radikal, Murat Yetkin thinks the president clearly spoke 
for the democratic initiative on Kurds and for reforms, and he 
comments "President Gul has made very clear why we need the 
initiatives . . . the time has come for Prime Minister Erdogan to 
tell the public what these initiatives actually are."  In leftist 
Taraf, Yasemin Congar describes Gul's message as "equality and 
respect for each and every ethnic group under a constitutional 
citizenship spirit" and criticizes the opposition parties for being 
aloof to the reality for change. 
 
Erdogan open to constitutional changes to save DTP MPs 
 
ANKARA 00001430  002 OF 002 
 
 
Media outlets report that at a reception held Thursday night in 
honor of the opening of the new legislative year, Prime Minister 
Erdogan called on the opposition parties to support a legal 
amendment to prevent Kurdish DTP lawmakers from being forcibly 
brought for deposition to the prosecutor.  Erdogan told reporters, 
"No one, including parliamentarians, should be prosecuted because of 
their thoughts.  We are ready for a constitutional amendment on 
this."  Opposition CHP leader Deniz Baykal had earlier said the only 
way to end the crisis was to "amend the constitution" and "narrow 
the scope of the parliamentary immunities." 
 
Armenian lobby urges Clinton to stop pressing Yerevan 
Papers report the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) sent 
a letter to Secretary Clinton, asking her to stop putting "unfair 
and heavy pressure" on Yerevan to sign the protocols for 
normalization with Turkey.  ANCA said the signing of the protocols 
would weaken Armenian claims. Islamist-oriented Zaman reports the 
ambassadors of the Minsk Group co-chairs the US, France and Russia 
have issued a joint statement which said the normalization process 
between Turkey and Armenia and the issue of Nagorno Karabakh were 
"separate from each other." 
 
A Shoe To IMF (Cumhuriyet) 
Media outlets give extensive coverage with flashy headlines to the 
shoe throwing protest which happened during the IMF President 
Dominique Strauss-Kahn's speech to the students at Istanbul's Bilgi 
University.  In "He Throws A Shoe to IMF," liberal Radikal reports, 
"A protestor threw his shoe after shouting "Go Away, IMF." 
Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet says, "IMF Chief gets Bush 
treatment," adding, "The protestor who is working at the socialist 
Birg|n newspaper, was detained for a couple of hours and then 
released. "  In "Nikesist-Leninist protest," mainstream Haberturk 
reports the irony that  "the socialist protestor threw a fake Nike 
sneaker to IMF's socialist chief."  Mainstream Sabah carries the 
headline, "The Difference In A New Turkey," and notes, "while Bush's 
shoe-thrower stayed nine months in prison, the protestor throwing a 
shoe to the IMF Chief is free." Islamist oriented Zaman says, 
"Capitalism Protest With A Nike Sneaker." 
 
Upcoming Events: 
 
Q President Gul today travels to Azerbaijan's Nakhcivan region to 
join the summit of Turkish-speaking countries. 
Q Foreign Minister Davutoglu today is meeting European Commission 
President Jose Manuel Barroso and EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli 
Rehn in Brussels. 
Q The ruling AKP holds its party convention on October 3 in Ankara. 
The party plans to make public its deliberation on the Kurdish 
democratic initiative. 
 
SILLIMAN