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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001453 
 
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, OCTOBER 7, 2009 
 
Media Highlights:  US on PKK Pressure; U/S Hormats on Turkish 
Economy; Turkey-Armenia Commentary; Armenian Diaspora and Little 
Armenia; MHP Opposed to Kurdish Initiative; Erdogan Intolerant of a 
Free Press; Afghanistan; Obama's Iran Talks Positive 
 
"US Pressures Northern Iraq to Cut off PKK's Resources." 
(Hurriyet.com.tr)  Mainstream Hurriyet's online page carries an 
exclusive interview with Ambassador Jeffrey.  Ambassador Jeffrey 
said  "The US has urged the Baghdad government and the northern Iraq 
administration to put more effort for cutting off equipment and 
money transfer to the PKK terrorist organization. "  On the 
Turkey-Iraq-the US three-party security talks to be held in Erbil 
next week, Jeffrey said one of the main topics of the gathering 
would be the struggle against the PKK.  Jeffrey noted the US had 
learned a lot from Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq, and stressed that 
the struggle against terror should be made not only against the 
terrorists but also against the reasons that cause terror.  Jeffrey 
stated that the international community provided huge support for 
the normalization process between Turkey and Armenia, adding, "Both 
countries have their own approval processes.  Sometimes it's 
difficult to take such steps, so we will just wait and see."  On the 
heavy tax fine imposed on the Dogan Media Group, Jeffrey said "We 
don't know the details.  We will be greatly concerned to see any 
sign which aims to suppress or intervene on the free press." 
 
Hormats: We Are Impressed By Turkey's Economic Success. 
Islamist-oriented Zaman reports that U/S Robert Hormats praised the 
Turkish economy during IMF meetings in Istanbul.  Hormats noted that 
"We see Turkey not only in the security and strategic sense, but 
also from the perspective as a strong economic partner," adding that 
because Turkey pursued a "right policy" during the global crisis, 
its economy shows strong improvement."  Asked to comment on the 
Dogan Media Group's tax battle with the Government, Hormats stressed 
that he didn't have all the details but "All I can say is the United 
States is a strong defender of press freedom." 
 
Turkey is Ready for Protocol Signing with Armenia on 10/10 (Zaman) 
Islamist-oriented Zaman reports Turkey was "ready" for the signing 
of the protocols with Armenia on October 10.  The paper reports 
unnamed Turkish Foreign Ministry (MFA) sources said they were "ready 
to jump on a plane to go to Zurich" for the signing.  The Foreign 
Ministers of the US, Russia and France, and representatives of the 
EU and the UN are expected to join the ceremony.  Zaman says Ankara 
has been "surprised" in the delay of the Swiss announcement about 
the venue and time of the meeting, but the sources say the delay was 
linked to "logistic problems" due to the high number of 
participants. 
 
Editorials on Turkey-Armenia 
 
A Turning Point:  Mainstream daily Milliyet's senior columnist Sami 
Kohen notes a division between Yerevan and the Armenian Diaspora for 
the first time: "President Sarksyan feels trapped because the 
Diaspora is forcing the Armenian president not to go ahead with the 
normalization process.  Thus the upcoming protocol signing between 
Turkey and Armenia will be a turning point, not only for bilateral 
relations but also for the relationship between Yerevan 
administration and the Diaspora." 
 
Successful Diplomacy:  In mainstream daily Hurriyet, Ertugrul Ozkok 
observes a successful diplomacy on the eve of protocol signing: "The 
signing represents an historic step on Turkey-Armenia relations.  As 
Turkish officials note, the signing ceremony between the Turkish and 
Armenian Foreign Ministers will take place on the 10th and 
representatives from the US and Russia are expected to attend.  All 
of this signifies a successful outcome of diplomacy." 
 
"Sarksyan Faces Diaspora Protests Everywhere He Goes" (Sabah) 
Today's mainstreams Hurriyet and Sabah focus on the recent protests 
by Diaspora against Turkey-Armenia protocol signing.  Sabah predicts 
that given the protests he faces everywhere he visits, it will be 
 
ANKARA 00001453  002 OF 003 
 
 
very difficult for Armenian President Sarksyan to have Diaspora's 
support during the normalization process.  Sarksyan will be visiting 
Lebanon and Russia as well.  There are 140.000 Armenians living in 
Beirut and already the signals of protests are coming from there. 
Armenians are reacting to the protocol by questioning "How could an 
enemy of 100 years become a friend so suddenly?," and emphasizing 
that the reconciliation involves all Armenians in the world. 
Hurriyet quotes Sarksyan in France as saying "I cannot give any 
guarantees on the genocide issue."  In order to get Diaspora's 
support for the protocol between Turkey and Armenia, Sarksyan held a 
critical meeting in France and responded to the Armenians who asked 
for guarantee on the genocide issue, saying that "I cannot give any 
guarantees; we started the initiative like this.  First of all, the 
relationship with Turkey should be normalized and the borders should 
be opened.  We will be very careful and follow Turkey closely to 
find out whether they are sincere or not." 
 
Little Armenia in Turkey 
A translated AFP story in mainstream Vatan explains the life of the 
Armenians in Istanbul.  The report talks about "20,000 illegal 
Armenian workers living in Istanbul.  There are five to six bus 
loads coming in every week from Yerevan, usually arrive in Istanbul 
after a grueling 35-hour journey via Georgia.  They apply for one 
month's visa and start working illegally.  Their existence is no 
secret for Turkish authorities: in April, President Abdullah Gul 
said there were more than 70,000 Armenian citizens working in 
Turkey.  These immigrants established a school for their children in 
the basement of an apartment and educating them through Armenian 
textbooks.  In a major breakthrough, Turkey and Yerevan announced in 
August a deal to establish diplomatic ties for the first time and 
open their border, sealed since 1993.  The two countries are 
expected to ink the deal on Saturday in Switzerland before 
submitting it to their respective parliaments for ratification.  If 
the process succeeds, it would change the picture for the immigrants 
and they will start to deal with trade between the two countries." 
 
Bahceli Fears Government's Kurdish Initiative Will Lead to the South 
and North War 
Papers report opposition MHP leader Devlet Bahceli slammed the 
ruling AK Party government's Kurdish "democratic initiative," saying 
it was a "project of destruction."  Bahceli said the government's 
so-called efforts for a solution had "empowered" the "killer in 
Imrali," Abdullah Ocalan, making the PKK's imprisoned leader and PM 
Erdogan "twins."  Bahceli said that in this "process," the 
initiative was taken by "external forces," and Turkey was beginning 
to "kneel down" as the side defeated in war. 
 
Erdogan Intolerant of a Free Press - Consequences Loom (Radikal) 
Emphasizing the potential threat to a free press in Turkey caused by 
the government's tax feud with the Dogan Media Group, Murat Yetkin 
writes in liberal Radikal: "The Prime Minister's Al Capone rhetoric 
is related to his intolerance about the free press.  His depiction 
is a demonstration of government's intimidation against freedom of 
expression.  When you talk to Europeans and Americans, they are all 
aware of it as well as concerned about the press freedom but they 
prefer to remain silent.  This choice might bring very serious 
consequences in the end." 
 
Mainstream Sabah's popular columnist Hincal Uluc thinks PM Erdogan's 
rhetoric will backfire to himself: "It is very unfortuante that 
country's prime minister puts a murderer and a media owner in the 
same category.  This approach will only backfire and harm himself, 
not the accused." 
 
Gates Says 'US Won't Leave Afghanistan'.  Media emphasize today the 
Obama administration is having an internal debate on the US strategy 
in Afghanistan.  Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet reports on the CNN 
interview with US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates at Georgetown 
University and says "as the internal debate rises inside the Obama 
administration, Secretary Gates told the US will stay in Afghanistan 
and stay in cooperation with Pakistan whatever President Obama's 
 
ANKARA 00001453  003 OF 003 
 
 
decision is."  The paper also writes, "Reaction to Afghanistan's 
General."  Business daily Referans carries the headline, 
"Afghanistan Report Splits the Administration," and says "US General 
Mc Chrystal's insistency to send more troops to Afghanistan split 
the US administration." 
 
Iran's Nuclear.  In "Is There any Reconciliation?" mainstream daily 
Sabah Columnist Bulent Aras finds the first phase of talks as 
encouraging for the future and advises Iran to cooperate: "If Iran 
cooperates, President Obama will have a strong hand both inside and 
outside.  If Iran does not cooperate in the following phase of 
Geneva process, problems will be folded and at the same time it will 
take really long to achieve a proper climate for international 
action." 
 
Upcoming events: 
 
Q           October 7-9: President Gul travels to France on an 
official visit. 
Q           October 7: Foreign Minister Davutoglu goes to the 
Netherlands for a working visit as the guest of his Dutch 
counterpart Maxime Verhagen. 
Q           October 10-11: 12th International Balkan Conference, 
attended by 40 Balkan leaders, will be held in Istanbul to discuss 
Turkey-EU relations. 
Q           October 13: Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoglu and his 
Syrian counterpart Walid al-Moualem will sign an agreement on visa 
exemption for visitors. 
 
 
JEFFREY