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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001628 
 
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, NOVEMBER 13, 2009 
 
Media Highlights: A/S Gordon in Ankara; Turkey's Efforts on Iran 
Nukes; Amb. Jeffrey on Haberturk; 
France as ME Mediator; Phone Tapping Frenzy 
 
Assistant Secretary Phil Gordon in Ankara 
Intellectual/Islamist-oriented Zaman's reports that A/S Phil Gordon 
had meetings with FM Davutoglu and Undersecretary Sinirlioglu in 
Ankara yesterday.  Foreign Ministry officials said that the purpose 
of the meetings were preparations for PM Erdogan's visit to US on 
December 7.  Zaman reports that Davutoglu briefed Gordon on his 
meetings with Iranian President Ahmedinejad regarding Iran's nuclear 
energy.  Zaman noted that Gordon expressed reservations about 
Turkey's signing an energy agreement with Iran by saying "the US 
thinks that it is not time to have business with Iran."  Liberal 
Radikal headline reads "There is no Slipping on Turkey's Axis" and 
says that following his visits to Berlin and Geneva, A/S Gordon in 
Ankara said that the US welcomes Turkey being in a good cooperation 
with the Western World as well as with its neighbors and the Eastern 
world.  Gordon was quoted as saying "Turkey's ties with Iran and 
Arab countries are as important as its ties with Europe and Israel. 
I don't see any changes in Turkey's axis.  We have full trust that 
Turkey remains as a key partner to the US."  Gordon emphasized that 
it is only natural not to be in full agreement with Turkey regarding 
Iran and that Turkey's relationship with Iran neither disturbed nor 
shocked the US.  Gordon also mentioned that the US would welcome it 
if Iran decides to send the enriched uranium to Turkey.  When he was 
asked about Israel's nuclear weapons, Gordon said "Israel has 
exhibited a stable  nuclear situation for a long time.  We are 
trying to establish an atmosphere in the Middle East where no 
country would feel the need for nuclear weapons."  Mainstream 
Milliyet's senior columnist Semih Idiz wrote that A/S Gordon 
criticized PM Erdogan's support to Iran and Sudan without giving any 
names.  Even though it was done in diplomatic style, Gordon 
mentioned that the US was disturbed by the strong support Turkey 
gave to Iran and Sudan, according to Idiz.  However, Gordon said he 
did not agree with the speculations that there was a slip of axis in 
Turkey's foreign policies.  Regarding Turkey-Israel relations, 
Gordon said "We hope that Turkey includes Israel also when it says 
'zero problems with neighbors'."  When he was asked about AKP's 
democratic opening and military coup allegations, Gordon said "since 
these are Turkey's domestic issues, I will not make any comments on 
them." 
 
Iran's Nuclear Program: FM Davutoglu Discusses With Baradei 
Mainstream Sabah's diplomatic correspondent Duygu Guvenc's headline 
is "Nuclear Attack by Ankara" and says "after being successful in 
convincing Iran about an international mechanism to inspect its 
nuclear program, Ankara is trying to convince the members of the 
Security Council."  Guvenc reports that with this as a framework, FM 
Davutoglu held a phone conversation with Atomic Energy Agency 
Director-General Baradei yesterday and then met with A/S Gordon. 
During his meeting with Gordon, FM Davutoglu gave him the message 
that "Turkey opposes the sanctions against Iran and believes that 
the dialog process should continue, " according to Gunvenc.   Zaman 
also covers the same story and says that Davutoglu shared with 
Baradei the results of contacts held by Turkish officials with 
Iranian President Ahmedinejad, FM Mottaki and other Iranian 
officials during a recent meeting in Istanbul.  Nationalist Haber 
Turk reports that Tehran was positive about the proposal for storing 
uranium in Turkey. 
 
Amb Jeffrey Answers Range of Questions on TV Interview: Karabakh 
 
ANKARA 00001628  002 OF 003 
 
 
Response Picked Up in Azerbaijan 
In an interview on popular TV channel HaberTurk,  the Ambassador 
responded to a range of questions regarding Iraq and the PKK, 
domestic Turkish debates, Turkey's recent position on Sudan and 
Iran, Turkey Armenian normalizations and PM Erdogan's upcoming trip 
to the U.S.  Amb Jeffrey focused on the strength of bilateral 
relations with Turkey noting that "we have a great deal of 
cooperation, a great deal of exchange with this country and this 
government."  His response concerning Karabakh was reported by the 
Azeri State news agency, AzerTaj which quoted hims as saying 
"Azerbaijan is a strategically important country. . . we  want the 
meetings to continue" 
 
Turkey - France: ME Mediation and EU - Nbucco 
Mainstreams Milliyet and Hurriyet report that French President 
Sarkozy told the Syrian Al-Vatan newspaper that France is ready to 
take on a role in indirect peace talks between Israel and Syria. 
Sarkozy added that "the peace negotiations can resume under the 
coordination of the EU and Turkey.  Hurriyet notes that Sarkozy met 
with Netanyahu the other night and is going to pass on a message to 
Syria's Assad today that Israel is ready to talk with Syria whenever 
they are ready.  Speaking to Le Figaro Assad mentioned Turkey's name 
as the mediator but reiterated his wish for the US to take action. 
 
Mainstream Aksam carries an interview with Energy Minister Yildiz 
and quotes him as saying "Turkey will do its best not to include 
France in the Nabucco project unless chapters on energy are opened 
for Turkey-EU negotiation process." 
 
Phone Tapping Tremors (Hurriyet) 
Mainstream and Islamist/conservative papers differ significantly in 
their front page reports on the latest Ergenekon scandal regarding 
wire tapping of some 56 judges and prosecutors connected to the 
case. Islamist oriented Yeni Safak says the phone tapping was 
justified because "those judiciary members were having conversations 
with the Ergenekon members" and one of its columnists, Tamer Korkmaz 
defines Ergenekon "as an entity designed by the US and NATO." 
Another Islamist outlet, Zaman, draws parallelism between the "clean 
hands" operation in Italy and the Ergeneokon case by saying "this is 
a part of the operation within the judiciary and it is normal to see 
reaction and fury."  Mainstream Hurriyet calls it "Phone Tapping 
Tremor" and liberal Radikal depicts as "Open War Within the State" 
emphasizing that the Ergenekon riff within the bureaucracy has hit a 
peak.  Milliyet's Mehmet Tezkan has concerns about Prime Minister 
Erdogan's approach and the way Turkey is headed: "This is all about 
how one-man ruling fashion ends up and as far as Turkey is concerned 
we are moving toward a non-democracy."  Meanwhile,  Hurriyet's 
Mehmet Yilmaz calls Turkey "a police state" because "even the rule 
of law does not work for judicial members." 
 
Upcoming events: 
 
November 13: Parliament debate on the Kurdish initiative starts this 
afternoon 
 
November 16-18: PM Erdogan will attend the United Nations Food and 
Agriculture Organization (FAO) summit held in Rome 
 
November 23: Israeli Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Binyamin Ben 
Eliezer will visit Turkey 
 
 
TV News (CNN Turk) 
 
Domestic 
 
- 8 PKK members surrendered themselves to security forces in Habur 
yesterday 
 
- 6 Children in Adana are given five to eight years in prison for 
throwing stones at the security forces 
 
ANKARA 00001628  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
- DTP deputy Selahattin Demirtas said PKK militants will not return 
to Turkey before the Turkish government changes its stance. 
 
World 
 
- European Parliament gives support to plan for abolishing visa 
requirements for nationals of Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro 
 
 
JEFFREY