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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 21, 2009 
 
Media Highlights:  Afghanistan Elections; US Kingpin Act and PKK; 
Debate Over PKK Returnees; PM Erdogan to US; 
Turkish Businessman Having Hard Time for Producing Fake Parts; 
 
"Second Round of Vote in Afghanistan" (Milliyet) 
Media emphasize that President Hamid Karzai agreed to face a second 
round of voting in Afghanistan's disputed election after a UN-led 
fraud inquiry.  In "Afghanistan will Go for the Second Round on Nov 
7," Islamist-oriented Zaman notes the role of Senator Kerry and says 
 "Karzai, who was rejecting a second round vote, is now convinced." 
Liberal Radikal headline reads, "Second Tour in Severe Winter," and 
opines, "US pressure, particularly the efforts by Sen John Kerry and 
the UN, played a role in Afghan President Karzai's reversal on the 
issue of a runoff election."  Mainstream Aksam writes in, "Karzai 
Accepts Second Round,"that "US Senator Kerry convinced Karzai to 
drop his objections to a run-off." 
 
In a related story, papers highlight the details of yesterday's 
Turkish National Security Council meeting.  In "Decree Highlighted 
at NSC, " mainstream Sabah reports that the NSC confirmed in a 
statement following the meeting that Turkish troops in Afghanistan 
would not be involved in combating  terrorists or participate in 
drug and mine searches - even after Turkey takes over the ISAF 
command in Kabul on  November 1.  Mainstream Hurriyet headlines that 
 "Turkey Will Not be a Combatant Force" and claims that this message 
was delivered to  the US after  the meeting. 
 
"The US Report that Dissolves the PKK" (Aksam) 
Under the headline, "The Report that Dissolves the PKK," mainstream 
Aksam says on its front page that the US Treasury Department's 
"Kingpin" sanctions against three leading PKK members warns the 
group that "criminal activities cannot be covered by political 
rhetoric."  The report, of which a copy was submitted to Turkish 
authorities, accuses PKK leaders Murat Karayilan, Ali Riza Altun and 
Zubeyir Aydar of narcotics trafficking to help fund the PKK.  The 
report warns that the money the PKK gained through drug smuggling 
was "not safe."  The report notes the PKK extorts money from the 
drug traffickers in Europe, and says the PKK's leaders take active 
role in the delivery of drugs to the Netherlands.  "The PKK is 
engaged in an effort to legalize its organization around Europe, and 
began gaining millions of Euros through 'taxation' of the drugs that 
come over Turkey," says the report. 
 
Mainstream Star quotes State Department Spokesman Ian Kelly from his 
Oct. 20 briefing.  Star reports that Kelly stressed the support the 
US gives to Turkey's territorial integrity, and said, "We support 
the efforts of our Turkish ally to overcome the PKK problem."  The 
paper also quotes the deputy commander of the coalition forces in 
northern Iraq, General Robert Brown, as saying, "We do not see the 
PKK as a problem in the north of Iraq." 
 
All PKK Returnees are Free 
Today's papers gave extensive coverage to the release of all 34 PKK 
members who came from Qandil and Makhmour camp to Turkey. 
Mainstream Vatan quotes Interior Minister Besir Atalay saying that 
"the PKK terrorists returning home was a part of the plan of the 
government.  The north of Iraq is not going to be a safe haven for 
them, they all know this.  Initially, we expect that 100-150 more 
people to return."   Liberal Radikal quotes PM Erdogan as saying "Is 
it possible not to be hopeful after the picture we saw yesterday at 
the Habur gate?  Something is happening in Turkey, which gives us 
hope."  Meanwhile , harsh reaction came from the opposition parties 
to the initiative.  MHP Chairman Devlet Bahceli said during his 
party meeting: "Those who were met with applause were not pilgrims 
returning from Mecca. Nor were they Turkish expatriates who returned 
to their homeland after long years of hard work in foreign 
countries. They were not Turkish soldiers who represented their 
nation in other places with pride. They were treacherous terrorists 
who carry the blood of thousands of innocents babies, mothers, women 
and martyrs on their hands and weapons... with this initiative APK 
surrendered to PKK, not PKK to Turkey."  Main opposition party CHP 
 
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leader said "We have started to understand what has been talked 
about recently. They keep talking about an initiative and a process. 
We have seen what is behind it. We understand why the process is 
being carried out secretly. We understand the reason why the DTP 
pointed to Ocalan as an interlocutor. We have seen that Ocalan's 
roadmap has been implemented.  This is a project by the AKP, PKK and 
DTP." 
 
Editorials on the return of the PKK groups 
 
"Returnees and the Latest Picture" (Yeni Safak)  Turkish pundits 
continue to make supportive comments on the returnees and aftermath. 
 Some writers express concern about DTP's language and attitude, 
like Ali Bayramoglu in Islamist oriented Yeni Safak who writes today 
that: "Each time DTP members make a reference to Ocalan, the whole 
situation goes toward more conflict rather than peace."  The writer 
hopes that DTP uses the 34 returnees and their release as "a good 
chance for peace."  In mainstream Hurriyet Sedat Ergin finds the 
welcoming scenes of returnees "annoying" however he adds optimism. 
"While PKK Lays Down Arms": "If these scenes will ultimately lead to 
peace and tranquility, we can try to be hopeful."  "Concrete Steps": 
Similarly Islamist oriented Zaman's Mustafa Unal says "there were 
some annoying visuals about the returnees but at the end of the day 
this is about peace at home." 
 
Considering strong reaction from the two opposition parties, 
columnist Murat Yetkin thinks there is no chance for the government 
from now on to work for a constitutional amendment to encourage more 
on the Kurdish initiative.  In liberal Radikal he wrote: "It is 
obvious that the government has to proceed thru decrees and 
regulations."  One pessimistic scenario however comes from Islamist 
oriented Yeni Safak's writer Ibrahim Karagul.  "Worrying About 
Turkey": Skeptical about warning coming from the Turkish 
intelligence units, he writes: "There is a strong possibility of 
undermining the ongoing initiatives thru creating chaos in the 
country.  Turkish Intelligence is now warning about Islamist groups 
may be attacking Israeli and American targets in Turkey.  Given the 
fact that similar chaotic attacks occurred in Iran and Pakistan 
previously by some American and British manipulated groups, this 
warning presents a big question mark." 
 
Erdogan's Upcoming Visit to the US 
Mainstream Milliyet headline reads "Erdogan First Goes to Iran and 
then to the US" and notes that PM Erdogan will be travelling to 
Pakistan on October 24-25, to Iran on October 26-27 and then to the 
US.  Due to Turkish Republic day, the PM was planning to postpone 
his trip to the US, originally scheduled for October 29>  Milliyet 
reports that PM Erdogan said he did not receive an answer to his 
postponement request from the US yet.  And, according to the paper, 
the PM added that if there is no other option,  he can attend 
Obama's invitation on October 29. 
 
Turkish businessman arrested over fake spare parts sold to US 
Defense Department 
Mainstream Hurriyet reports from New York that New York based 
Turkish businessman Galip Dedekarginoglu was arrested for delivering 
to the US Defense Department "low quality and fake spare parts" 
produced in the businessman's factory in Turkey.  Dedekarginoglu has 
New York Machinery LLC in New Jersey.  Dedekarginoglu was accused of 
putting on the parts the logo of the original brand after producing 
them with cheap material.  He was released on USD 500,000 of bail, 
but will be on trial with the demand of up to 20 years in prison 
each for five separate crimes, says Hurriyet. 
 
 
Upcoming events: 
 
Q October 21: Kazakhstan's President Nazarbayev comes to Turkey. 
Q October 21: Foreign Minister Davutoglu will brief the parliament 
on the normalization protocols signed with Armenia. 
Q October 24: President Gul will pay an official visit to Serbia, as 
 
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reported 
Q October 24-25: Prime Minister Erdogan will visit Pakistan, as 
reported 
Q October 26-27: Prime Minister Erdogan will visit Iran, as reported 
 
 
TV News (NTV and other channels) 
 
Domestic 
 
Q Istanbul Governor's Office said the swine flu outbreak has not 
reached Istanbul yet, but health officials say there were 235 cases 
in the city. 
Q Health authorities have shut down all schools in the city of 
Diyarbakir following the outbreaks of swine flu. 
Q Central bank governor Durmus Yilmaz said there was "partial 
improvement" in Turkish unemployment figures. 
 
World 
 
Q Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said recent talks with 
Turkish PM Erdogan focused on bilateral, regional and international 
issues, but stressed that Turkey cannot be a mediator in nuclear 
issues. 
Q The Turkish Parliament's foreign relations committee will send a 
delegation comprised of AKP and MHP MPs to Baku at a time of 
strained relations with Azerbaijan. 
Q Turkish flags removed from the Monument of Martyrs in Azerbaijan 
have been returned. 
Q The association of Turkish Jews in Israel sent a letter to 
President Gul, PM Erdogan and FM Davutoglu, asking for taking off 
the air "Separation" series on TRT television. 
JEFFREY