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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001712 
 
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, DECEMBER 2, 2009 
 
Media Highlights: 
 
30,000 More US Troops to Afghanistan (Zaman) 
With scenes of President Obama interspersed with cooperative footage 
of ISAF soldiers and views of multinational flags waving in the 
breeze (CNNTurk), Turkey's major TV channels led with the Obama 
Afghanistan strategy story in 12/2 news programs.  Newspaper online 
websites and TV extensively reported President Obama has ordered an 
additional 30,000 US troops into the war in Afghanistan and that he 
was determined to begin bringing home troops in 18 months.  In 
"30,000 US Troops En Route to Afghanistan," Islamist-oriented Zaman 
On Line writes the Pentagon said it expected NATO members to send 
10,000 additional troops to the war-torn country "in six months." 
Liberal Radikal comments President Obama has built the new Afghan 
strategy under the frame of an "exit plan," but adds that it would 
be "difficult" to secure support from allies.  Radikal also cites 
the Guardian as claiming that the US did not trust the Karzai 
administration, and that it would appoint an "international high 
representative" for Afghanistan.  Under the headline, "30,000 
Reinforcement for Afghanistan," Islamist-oriented pro-government 
Yeni Safak reports President Obama said the US had no intention of 
waging an "endless war" in Afghanistan or "occupy the country." 
Obama said the new US approach on Afghanistan wil also cover 
Pakistan. 
 
Ambassador Jeffrey's Afghanistan Outreach 
Television channels NTV, CNN Turk and Haberturk reported extensively 
on US Ambassador to Turkey James Jeffery's roundtable for diplomatic 
and defense correspondents from 10 Turkish media outlets, including 
TV, press and new media. With the banner "More Soldiers and Greater 
Role Asked from Turkey" CNN Turk TV carried live reports emphasizing 
that the US wants to work in close cooperation with Turkey on the 
way forward in Afghanistan.  The reporter highlighted that more 
soldiers would be needed and that Turkey has an important  role in 
civilian projects and soldier training.  In reviewing President 
Obama's new strategy,  mainstream Hurriyet website reported that the 
Ambassador said the US had "three wishes" of  "military, civilian 
and economic" contributions from its allies, including Turkey. 
Jeffrey said the allies would be asked to take "additional roles" 
for the protection of people in Afghanistan.  Mainstream Hurriyet 
website reports Ambassador Jeffrey said that as part of its Afghan 
strategy, the US would like to see Turkey play a bigger role in the 
combat side of the war.  In "Ambassador Jeffrey Asks for Turkish 
Troops for Afghanistan," Yeni Safak website, drawing from the 
Anadolou Anjansi wire service, reports Ambassador Jeffrey told 
reporters the US expected additional troop contributions from its 
allies for Afghanistan, stressing that the situation was gradually 
worsening in the country.  Jeffrey recalled Turkey has made 
important contributions with regard to civic operations and economy 
in Afghanistan, and underlined that "the sooner extra troops are 
dispatched the better."  "As President Obama put it," noted Jeffrey, 
"the existing status quo situation is not acceptable or 
sustainable," emphasized Yeni Sefak.  The paper said that the US 
Ambassador also said the issue would be raised at the talks during 
Prime Minister Erdogan's talks in the US.  He also said the 
US-Turkey high level defense committee would convene later in 
December. 
 
Building a Church in Turkey is Not Free (Radikal)  U.S. Freedom of 
Religion Report Cited 
Liberal Radikal criticizes Switzerland's stance on the minaret issue 
but at the same time draws attention to the failures in the 
religious freedom in Turkey.  The paper notes that, the Protestant 
Church applied ten times so far for opening a church, "but to no 
avail"  US and the EU's "Religious Freedom" reports had criticized 
Ankara in this context.  Radikal observes that while opening a 
church in Turkey has been allowed since 2003 under EU harmonization 
laws - "in practice, the freedom remains on the paper."  Even 
getting permission for alterations on existing churches in Turkey is 
very difficult, adds Radikal.  Mainstream Milliyet columnist Sami 
Kohen criticized Switzerland on the Minaret issue and said "The 
 
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politicians in Switzerland definitely caught a European virus.  This 
virus contains discrimination, intolerance, hostile feelings against 
foreigners, Islam-phobia and populism."  Mainstream Sabah columnist 
Erdal Safak says "Either European Court of Human Rights or the high 
court in Switzerland will annul the referendum results.  But, such 
action will damage democracy in Switzerland immensely.  Switzerland 
should know that not every issue could be carried to a referendum, 
especially the issues on basic rights and freedoms, should never be 
carried to a referendum." 
 
PM Erdogan's Upcoming Meeting with President Obama 
Noting that external factors shape US-Turkish relations, Sabah 
columnist Bulent Aras opined on 12/2 that:  "a new era has started 
in Turkey-US ties with President Obama. Turkey's maneuvers in the 
region, such as in the Caucuses, Balkans, Iraq and Iran,  has turned 
to an opportunity where the two countries could exhibit their model 
partnership and could participate together to regional and 
international security.  The meeting between Erdogan and Obama next 
week will give us clues regarding the Turkey-US relationship next 10 
years, and also on how the new international system Obama 
Administration is trying to establish, will shape up." 
 
Erdogan: "The Less Columnists Write the Better" 
Turkish TV channels reported on PM Erdogan's remarks at his 
parliamentary group, criticizing some columnists by saying that 
columnists provoke people with their articles and that "the less 
they write the better."  Milliyet columnist Melih Asik said he was 
unable to "hide his bewilderment" and notes "many of us columnists 
have been writing for 40 years and this is the first time we hear 
such insulting words from a Prime Minister.  A colleague of mine 
just said on the phone "I am really concerned for the future of the 
country and for democracy." 
 
Upcoming events: 
 
Q December 2: President Gul is in Jordan on an official visit. 
Q December 2: Foreign Minister Davutoglu joins the OSCE meeting in 
Athens. 
Q December 2: In Brussels, Turkey's Chief EU negotiator Egemen Bagis 
will meet EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs and EU Enlargement 
Commissioner Olli Rehn. 
Q December 2: US special envoy for Eurasian energy, Richard 
Morningstar, will meet Energy Minister Taner Yildiz and Prime 
Minister Erdogan. 
Q December 2: DTP co-presidents Ahmet Turk and Emine Ayna will hold 
a joint press conference in Ankara. 
Q Turkish December 3-4: Foreign Minister Davutoglu will visit 
Brussels to attend a meeting of NATO foreign ministers. 
Q December 4: High Military Council (YAS) will hold its regular fall 
meeting. 
Q December 6: Prime Minister Erdogan will travel to the US. 
Q December 8-10: Prime Minister Erdogan will visit Mexico, and meet 
with President Felipe Calderon on December 9. 
Q December 22: Prime Minister Erdogan will head his delegation at 
the Arab-Turkish Forum to convene in Damascus. 
 
TV News (NTV) 
 
Domestic 
 
Q 'Ergenekon' prosecutors have invited retired force commanders, 
generals Halil Ibrahim Firtina, Aytac Yalman and Ozden Ornek, to 
testify in connection over allegations of three coup attempts in 
¶2004. 
Q Two police officers were injured in Molotov cocktail attacks 
during illegal PKK protests in the city of Mersin. 
Q Turkey's Privatization Administration will invite bids for the 
sale of 52 small hydropower plants slated for privatization. 
Q The Turkish Statistics Institute says the complete poverty rate in 
Turkey has dropped from 17.79 percent in 2007 to 17.11 percent in 
¶2008. 
 
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World 
 
Q Turkey and Jordan have agreed to scrap travel visa requirements 
for nationals from both countries. 
Q The European Parliament's Turkey rapporteur Ria Oomen-Ruijten said 
it was a pity that debates on drafting a civilian constitution were 
closed in Turkey. 
Q President Ahmadinejad said "Iran's nuclear issue was "finished," 
all technical aspects had been settled with the IAEA and Iran would 
no longer talk to any country about this. 
Q The UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has a new 
chief, Japanese diplomat Yukiya Amano, who has replaced Egypt's 
Mohamed al-Baradei, who has retired. 
 
JEFFREY