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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001736 
 
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 
MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2009 
 
Media Highlights 
 
PM Erdogan White House Visit Punctuated by Afghanistan 
CNNTurk, NTV TV and all media reported PM Erdogan's 12/6 comments en 
route to Washington for a critical meeting with President Obama that 
"Turkey has sent enough troops to Afghanistan" but is willing to 
broaden training of the Afghani police.   Mainstream Sabah headlines 
"We Won't Fight" and quotes PM Erdogan as saying "Turkish troops 
will not be involved in fighting in Afghanistan.  We will support 
Afghanistan by training its soldiers and by helping to re-construct 
its infrastructure."  Mainstream Hurriyet headlines "We Will Train 
and Give Financial Aid" and says PM Erdogan emphasized that Turkey 
has already contributed more than $150 million, is willing to add 
another $50 million and "if you ask what we can do beyond that, we 
can provide training there for the Afghan security forces, which so 
far we've been doing in our country." The PM also noted that "our 
troops in Afghanistan are combat forces.  That is how they are named 
because they are equipped as combat troops."  Separately, mainstream 
Hurriyet on Line's Zeynip Gurganli reported that the US wants 
training to be done in Afghanistan, rather than Turkey, with one 
Turkish trainer assigned to every Afghan unit.  On 12/6, 
Islamist-oriented Zaman notes "In White House Views Erdogan With 
Concern" that "Turkey's unwillingness to change the parameters of 
its mission in Afghanistan despite an official US request for the 
contribution of further troops and more flexibility on the 
Afghanistan mission are likely to be the largest topics dealt with" 
in  the 12/7 Obama-Erdogan meeting.  On 12/7, Zaman also reported 
that in addition to Iran, Erdogan will deliver three other critical 
messages:  that Turkey is ready to update its Iraq policies but that 
the Makhmur camp must be evacuated as the PKK is a common enemy of 
Turkey, Iraq and the US; that Turkey has no disagreements with the 
US over Iran; and that Turkey is ready to mediate between Israel and 
Syria as desired by the parties involved. 
 
Erdogan-Obama:  Turkish Pundits Say Washington Wants "Fast Steps" 
In mass appeal Sabah, Omer Taspinar comments: "The fact that he has 
defined an exit strategy from Afghanistan by 2011 strengthens 
President Obama's hand for bargaining on the question.  Washington, 
therefore, could ask from NATO allies including Turkey to send 
combat troops to Afghanistan for just one year.  Washington can ask 
from Turkey to train more Afghan police and soldiers, as well as 
increase its contribution to Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT). 
Washington expects Turkey to take fast steps on Afghanistan, Iran 
and Armenia.  Otherwise, debates over whether Turkey is shifting 
axis or not will unnecessarily continue in the US capital. 
Washington will take Turkey's thesis more seriously if Ankara 
displays a flexible stance on Afghanistan." 
 
In Islamist-oriented Zaman, Ali Aslan observes: "It's clear that the 
top agenda item in today's meeting between President Obama and Prime 
Minister Erdogan will be Iran.  Obama will tell Erdogan that 
Washington would like to see Turkey on its side if more sanctions 
are applied on Tehran.  In general, the US Administration finds 
Turkey's efforts of 'good cop' in dealings with Iran as positive. 
Doubts, however, increased over the extremely close picture the two 
countries have recently been giving.  Erdogan, who is to address 
three forums in Washington, must carefully balance its messages on 
Iran as well as on Sudan and al-Bashir.  The widespread opinion in 
the US is that Ankara went beyond engagement with some anti-Western 
oppressive regimes, and protects them.  With regard to Armenia, 
Erdogan will ask Obama to push the Minsk Group to speed up work for 
progress in the Karabakh question.  On Afghanistan, the Obama 
Administration is expected to insist on additional Turkish troops be 
deployed in high-risk areas.  In sum, the Obama-Erdogan summit is 
expected to happen as a routine business meeting, there's no need 
for extreme excitement." 
 
In mass appeal Milliyet, Kadri Gursel writes:  "One high-risk topic 
in today's Obama-Erdogan meeting is what the AK Party government 
would do in case the issue of additional sanctions on Iran is raised 
in the talks."  Noting recent comments in Turkey by US Congressman 
 
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Robert Wexler, Gursel opines that, for Washington, the most 
discomforting element of Turkey's foreign policy inclination is 
Ankara's stance regarding Iran and that the GoT "disregards Iran's 
support to terror, its destructive rhetoric and nuclear weapons 
program, and thus is moving away from impartiality and consistency." 
 
 
Climate Change:  Looking for A Cure 
As the UN Climate Change Conference starts in Copenhagen, Turkish 
media warn that this is the world's last chance to save the planet 
from global warming. Hurriyet Daily News participated in a common 
editorial on climate change with 56 other daily papers in 45 
countries, calling for global action. Liberal Radikal, in a front 
page headline writes, "World's Hope is Copenhagen," saying 
"thousands of specialists will seek ways to reduce the fever the 
world is suffering from global warming." The paper also notes, 
"President Obama will be at the Copenhagen summit and the US is 
planning a proposal to reduce emissions from greenhouse gases." 
Mainstream Sabah headline reads "Last Hope: Copenhagen," and says, 
"the climate summit will bring almost 130 world leaders and the US, 
China, India and Brazil will be represented on a presidential level. 
 In "Last 10 Years for Humanity," mainstream Milliyet opines, "the 
Copenhagen summit raises hopes for a binding agreement," while 
Milliyet Blog emphasizes "Turkey is in danger from climate change." 
CNNTurk on-line headlines "History's Largest Climate Meeting" saying 
environmentalist and politicians will have only 2 weeks to work on 
the pressing issues.   CNNTurk notes that President Obama will 
attend and that with assurances from leaders of pollution generating 
countries, such as China, the US, Russia and India, the chances of a 
greenhouse gas reduction agreement have increased. 
 
Obama Letter to Armenian Organizations 
Liberal Radikal and main stream Hurriyet report that in a letter to 
four Armenian organizations in the US prior to the visit of PM 
Erdogan, US President Obama said that he continues his support for 
the normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia and 
expressed belief that the historical rapprochement would be for the 
advantage of both of the countries in the future.  Both papers note 
that Obama pledged during his election campaign to categorize the 
killings as genocide if elected president but has since moved to 
support reconciliation. "Regarding the past, I deeply appreciate 
your views on what is one of the great atrocities of the 20th 
century," Radikal quotes Obama in the letters "as I said in my 
remembrance day message, my view of that history has not changed." 
 
 
PKK Tensions Escalate, One Dead in Diyarbakir Protest 
Today's papers widely cover the clashes that erupted between the 
security forces and supporters of the PKK in Diyarbakir, Siirt, 
Batman, Mardin, Hakkari, Agri and Istanbul over the weekend and 
note. Aksam notes that PM Erdogan, before departing Turkey for 
Washington on 12/6 was "infuriated" by recent DTP comments , such as 
DTP Leader Emine Ayna who announced that the transfer of Ocalan to a 
new cell "marked the end of the government's [democratic] opening." 
Taraf reports that 5,000 people attempted to stage illegal protest 
in support of Ocalan in Diyarbakir and that protestors threw fire 
bombs, stones and fire-works at security forces and the security 
forces, in response, used teargas to disperse them.    Mainstream 
Vatan reports that a 23-year old university student was killed by a 
stray bullet during the violent protests in Diyarbakir.  Cumhuriyet 
notes the support of DTP deputies and the Diyabakir mayor gave for 
the protests while mass appeal Sabah reports that 99 DTP members 
will be investigated with 11 DTPers arrested in Istanbul. 
Meanwhile, the Firat News Agency headlines on its website that 
"Rancour Spreads in Waves in Southeast" and alleges that police 
intervention has been brutal with "hundreds of people reported 
wounded" in Diyarbakir.  Hurriyet On Line showcases the image of 
youth attacking AKP Semdinli headquarters in its report.  In a 
related story,  mainstream Hurriyet reports that the GoT, citing the 
"very busy agenda of the parliament" will postpone the deliberations 
on the draft law that would envisage alleviated penalties against 
 
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minors hurling stones at law enforcement officials in illegal 
demonstrations.  It is also noted the delay in the visit of members 
of CPT (European Committee to Prevent Torture) delegation, who will 
come to visit the prison in January, is because of the nearing New 
Year Holiday plus a delay in official correspondence. 
 
Retired Military Commanders Interrogated for 10 Hours 
Weekend papers and TV channels and today's papers reported that 
former commanders were interrogated under the Ergenekon probe by the 
prosecutors for 10 hours.  Former Land Forces Commander Aytac 
Yalman, former Naval Forces Commander Ozden Ornek and former Air 
Forces Commander Ibrahim Firtina were questioned about the coup 
conspiracy mentioned in a diary attributed to Admiral Ornek.  The 
commanders rejected the allegations for plotting a coup and forming 
an outlawed armed organization.  Sabah notes that the commanders 
were set free after the interrogation and quotes acting chief 
prosecutor Turan Colakkadi who questioned the commanders as saying 
"We released the retired generals since there was no risk of escape 
and low possibility of obfuscating the evidences. 
 
TV News (CNN Turk) 
 
Domestic 
 
- DTP activists rallied in Istanbul to denounce government's 
democratic opening policy 
 
- Diyarbakir prosecutor initiates investigation in connection with a 
press statement, which criticized PKK leader Ocalan's prison 
conditions, issued by 99 mayors from DTP and ten other party 
activists 
 
- One worker is killed at a work accident in Tuzla shipyard 
 
- Serap Eser, who was seriously injured when PKK supporters threw a 
fire bomb at a public bus in Istanbul 28 days ago, died this 
morning 
 
 
World 
 
- US Defense Secretary Robert Gates says it has been years since the 
United States had good intelligence on the whereabouts of Osama Bin 
Laden 
 
- Clashes broke out between police and protesters marking the 
anniversary of a fatal shooting of a 15 year old boy in Athens. 162 
people were taken into custody. 
SILLIMAN