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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001614 
 
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 
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2009 
 
Media Highlights:  Iran's Nuclear Program; Economic Cooperation 
Decision at the OIC; Sudan; 
Turmoil in the Balkans 
 
Gul and Ahmedinejad Discuss Iran's Nuclear Program 
Although initial Iranian wire service reports said that Tehran had 
rejected the offer, Turkish media today are reporting that FM 
Davutoglu said the prospects were positive. "We have taken up the 
issue both during the visit of our prime minister in October and 
meetings held on Sunday," Davutoglu told reporters on Monday. "We 
are in a very constructive position with both the IAEA and Iran." 
Habert|rk newspaper says that ElBaradei's proposal was discussed by 
G|l and Ahmadinejad at the OIC conference.  After the meeting of the 
two presidents, debates between FM Davutoglu and his Iranian 
counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki continued till midnight, the paper 
adds.   Haberturk also reports that before leaving Turkey yesterday, 
Ahmadinejad told reporters he hadn't rejected the offer.  According 
to Sabah, however, the Iranian leader asked for guarantees. 
Mainstream Milliyet says that Iran has 1200 kg of uranium and that 
Turkey has offered to take 900 kg of this amount.  Sabah says Iran 
did not reject the proposal but demanded guarantees saying Turkey 
has submitted the Iranian demands to the international community. 
 
Islamic World Agrees on Economic Cooperation at the Organization of 
the Islamic Conference (OIC) 
Today's papers highlight the news that the Islamic World for the 
first time in many years has reached an agreement for economic 
cooperation.  Mainstream Sabah reports that President Gul while 
delivering the opening speech at the standing committee for Economic 
and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) of the OIC said "we have to 
spread the peaceful message of Islam to the world."  Liberal Radikal 
reports that in his speech Gul referred to concerns of the West and 
said "Turkey is shifting its course.  The EU process that our 
country is following and its initiatives within the scope of COMCEC 
are elements of our foreign policy that support each other." 
Iranian President Ahmedinejad commented that "capitalism has 
collapsed" while urging OIC members to "unite to make their 
economies stronger."  Syrian President Asad is quoted as saying that 
"the development of economic ties among Islamic countries would help 
them deal with international competition."  Afghanistan leader 
Karzai said that Islamic countries have broad economic power and 
must set up a partnership.  Islamist oriented Yeni Safak drew 
attention to the peace messages of all the leaders who were 
attending the summit. 
 
Sudan 
Officials are denying bigtime that Turkey pressed Bashir to cancel 
trip.  Islamist-oriented Zaman quotes Sudanese officials as saying 
that "President Gul did not ask Sudanese President Bashir to cancel 
his trip to Turkey.  The annulment of the trip was related to 
domestic problems."  Zaman then notes that, in contrast to the EU, 
the US refrained from criticizing Turkey while underlining the 
importance it attached to any messages to be given to Bashir by the 
Turkish leadership during the intended visit.  In a related story, 
Hurriyet Daily News reports today that Turkey says it is 
reconsidering joining the Rome Statute if terrorism is included as a 
crime under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. 
Hurriyet and Vatan report that Erdogan's latest comments on the 
situation are making headlines in Israel. Vatan  draws attention to 
reports that Erdogan said the war crimes committed by Israel were 
worse than the crimes committed in Sudan. Hurriyet says that this 
latest gasp is fueling a fresh crisis between Turkey and Israel. 
 
Mainstream Milliyet's senior columnist Sami Kohen welcomes the 
decision of Sudanese President Al-Bashir not to come to Turkey and 
says "If Bashir had insisted on coming to Turkey and Turkish 
government had continued welcoming and defending him, within the 
framework of global norms, Turkey would be included in a category of 
countries thinking differently than the majority of international 
public.  If Turkey desires to be considered as part of the Western 
World, then, it should give a fine tuning to its policies, stance 
 
ANKARA 00001614  002 OF 002 
 
 
and mentality.  In short, recent Bashir incident did not do any good 
to Turkey's image." 
 
Turkey Maneuvers to Prevent New War in the Balkans 
Mainstream Aksam gives extensive coverage to a fresh escalation of 
tensions in Bosnia.  The paper notes that the country has come to 
the verge of war after 14 years of peace and that the Dayton 
agreement that ended the war in Bosnia 14 years ago is about to 
collapse.  While Europe remains silent on the developments in 
Serbia, Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoglu has launched silent 
diplomacy to reverse the dangerous developments in the Balkans. 
Aksam notes that Davutoglu was in contact with his Bosnian and 
Serbian counterparts.  Aksam editor Ismail Kucukkaya commented on 
the issue and said that Ankara was aware of the risks in Bosnia and 
that is why Turkey is engaged in secret diplomacy in the region. 
 
Dogan Newspaper Sale 
Newspapers are reporting that tax-embattled Dogan Group will 
announce the sale of a section of its holding companies, including 
four newspapers, to its German partner.  Islamic oriented Yeni Safak 
reports that the company plans to shed ownership in Milliyet, 
Radikal, business daily Referans, Posta and a soccer newspaper. 
 
Editorial - Commentary on Turkey's Foreign Policies 
Mainstream Hurriyet's senior columnist and former Ankara rep, Sedat 
Ergin in today's commentary quoted extensively from Morton 
Abromowitz and Henry Barkey's recent "Foreign Affairs" article about 
Turkey.  Examples he selected included Erdogan scolding the Israeli 
President in Davos, his defense of the Sudanese President and his 
congratulating Ahmedinejad after the Iranian elections.   While 
using material from the article to show how the AKP government upset 
positive initiatives, Ergin then distanced himself from the 
criticism by saying, "please don't misunderstand, these are not my 
assessments but they belong to Barkey and Abramowitz." 
 
 
Upcoming events: 
 
Q November 10: Ceremonies will be held around the country to 
commemorate Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey. 
Q November 10: The government plans to debate the "Democratic 
Initiative" in the parliament. 
Q November 11-12: Afghanistan Reconstruction Summit will be held in 
Istanbul. 
 
TV News (NTV) 
 
Domestic 
 
Q The Health Ministry said three more people have died in the swine 
flu outbreak, and the death toll climbed to 30 
Q Opposition CHP wants to postpone the debate in the parliament 
today on the government's Kurdish "Democratic Initiative." 
Q Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin said a new regulation concerning 
children throwing stones at the security forces would be sent to the 
parliament soon. 
Q The number of Israeli tourists coming to Turkey decreased by 44.62 
percent in the first ten months of the year following the angry 
debate of PM Erdogan with President Peres in Davos. 
 
World 
 
Q President Obama will begin a four-nation tour of Asia on 
Wednesday. 
Q Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri has formed a new unity 
government that includes two ministers from Syrian and 
Iranian-backed Hezbollah. 
Q Celebrations are held to mark the 20th year anniversary of the 
fall of the Iron Curtain. 
 
JEFFREY