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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000019 
 
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, JANUARY 5, 2010 
 
US Embassy Ankara Media Reaction 
Prepared by Public Affairs Information Office on a daily basis 
 
Media Highlights 
 
New TSA Regulations --"Historic Discrimination." (Radikal) 
All media outlets continue to give prominent coverage to tightened 
US airport security measures, with many outlets portraying the new 
procedures as an anti-Muslim provocation.  In a prominent front page 
story, accompanied by graphic depictions of body scanning 
technology, liberal Radikal reports that the US has started tight 
security checks for 13 Muslim countries and Cuba and emphasizes that 
the American Arab Committee has criticized the regulation.  Islamist 
Yeni Safak in a skeptical tone headlines "Obama is Turning into 
Bush" while leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet headlines "Tight Security 
in the US," and claims "Obama is under pressure to quickly reform 
security measures against terror."  In "Emergency Rules in US 
Airports," mainstream Milliyet notes "The US has announced that 
anyone flying to the US from or through nations considered 'state 
sponsors of terror', as well as 'other countries of interest', would 
have to undergo 'extensive scanning' before boarding.  The paper 
adds, "The US considers Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria to be state 
sponsors of terrorism, while 'countries of interest' include 
Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi 
Arabia, Somalia and Yemen."  Leftist Birgun calls the extra security 
measure as resurrection of "Neocon mentality" while Islamist Yeni 
Safak's Ibrahim Karagul sees the developments only "an excuse for 
the US to open a new war front in Yemen." 
 
US Targets Iranian Revolutionary Guards (Cumhuriyet) 
Dailies Cumhuriyet and Zaman showcase Secretary Clinton's remarks 
about Yemen being a global threat.  CNNTurk reported that Secretary 
Clinton announced that she is talking with partners about new 
targeted sanctions against the Iranian leadership and that she does 
not want new sanctions to affect the Iranian people. In "Clinton 
Warns About Yemen" and "Clinton Insists on Yemen as a Target," other 
online news web sites gave her Jan. 4 remarks prominent play, noting 
that Secretary Clinton said the situation in Yemen posed risks far 
beyond its region, and that the Yemeni government must reestablish 
stability.  According to tabloid Star's website, Clinton praised the 
latest steps the Yemeni government took in the struggle against 
radicals, and added that if it wanted the support of the West, the 
Yemeni government must meet the "expectations and conditions" of the 
US and its allies at the conference in London to be held this month. 
 Under the headline "The US Targets Revolutionary Guards," 
leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet reports Clinton said the US discussed 
with its partners new sanctions on the Iranian government and 
especially the Revolutionary Guards, without harming ordinary people 
who "deserve better than they get now." 
 
Iran: Turkey's "Backdoor Diplomacy" 
Liberal Radikal's Akif Beki writes today about "strong possibility 
of Iran to sit and negotiate with the US" and gives credit to 
Ankara's backdoor diplomacy.  Beki, a pro-government figure as well 
as former press spokesman for PM Erdogan who is also Channel 24's 
Executive Editor, sees "strong indications about Iran to agree on 
negotiating with the US on the nuclear issue and also asserts that 
Iran will make some commitments in order to persuade Washington for 
[its sincerity about] the process."  He comments: "The Iranian 
regime is feeling very pressured due to the internal crisis and 
wants to overcome it by opening itself to the international arena. 
It will not be a surprising development when Iran sits down to 
negotiate with the US on the nukes issue.  Before doing that Iran 
has to make some commitments about the process and there is an 
ongoing backdoor diplomacy for this purpose." 
 
In the Headlines 
 
"Deep Strat 101" - Davutoglu's Lessons for Turkey's Envoys (Hurriyet 
Daily News) All media outlets report that Foreign Minister Davutoglu 
headed a gathering of 200 Turkish ambassadors from around the world 
 
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in a weeklong meeting in which Turkey's foreign policy in 2010 will 
be discussed.  Mainstream and conservative alike, papers highlight 
Davutoglu's admonition, quoting Ataturk, that "there is no diplomacy 
of a line, but diplomacy of the surface, and that surface is the 
globe" and his call for Ankara to come up with a coherent, unique 
vision for Turkey's foreign affairs profile that takes into account 
"public diplomacy"  and works to "draw support from the public 
audience both domestically and abroad."  In "Ataturk's Strategy from 
Davutoglu," mainstream Sabah noted that Davutoglu predicted Turkey 
would be an EU member by 2023, integrated with its neighbors, 
influential in the global arena and a respected country among the 
leading 10 economies of the world.   Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet 
headlined "Lessons in New Ottomanism," and noted Davutoglu stressed 
that "military power is never enough" in arguing for more support 
for Turkey's foreign affairs ministry.  The paper also noted that 
Turkey's former Ambassador to the US Sensoy did not attend. 
Islamist Zaman and Today's Zaman noted the MFA is "understaffed and 
underfunded" and provided detailed budget and personnel breakdowns. 
Davutoglu said compared to other countries, Turkey had fewer 
diplomats and fewer funds for its Foreign Ministry.  "We have a 
total of 1,464 diplomats while this number is 5,809 in France, 5,700 
in Britain and 2,541 in Spain," he said.  He called for greater 
budget support and noted that seven new embassies opened in 2009; 
with an additional 26 planned for 2010 in mostly Africa. 
 
Gul: Government's 'Kurdish Initiative' Historic Opportunity to End 
Terror 
Media outlets report President Gul as saying in an interview with 
CNN Turk television that there was no conflict between institutions 
in the country.  Gul said the government's 'Kurdish initiative' was 
an "historic opportunity" to end the terror problem.  Commenting on 
the closure of the Kurdish DTP, Gul said closure of political 
parties was "not right." "I oppose party closures.  But what can 
courts do against a party which states that a terrorist organization 
is their basis of existence?" asked Gul.  Gul said Turkey has been 
going through a process of "normalization."  He added some mistakes 
might had been possible in the normalization process, and added that 
these mistakes should be corrected under the framework of law.  Gul 
rejected speculations for a possible military intervention in 2010. 
Asked whether a military coup was possible in 2010, Gul said such 
speculations over military takeovers would have shown lack of 
respect for the military. 
 
Call from Europe to Ankara and Athens to Improve Minority Rights 
(Hurriyet) 
Mainstream Hurriyet reports that Parliamentary Assembly of the 
Council of Europe called on Turkey and Greece to go beyond the 
Lausanne Treaty in their dealings with their respective minorities. 
A report and a draft resolution by the assembly urged both countries 
to treat minority groups in line with the norms of the European 
Human Rights Treaty instead of a reciprocity act defined by the 
Lausanne Treaty which secured protection for the Greek minority in 
Turkey and the Turkish Muslim minority in Greece.  Re-opening of 
Halki Seminary, permission for Greek Orthodox Patriarch to use its 
ecumenical title, and resolving the murder of Hrant Dink, were among 
the demands from Turkey. 
 
Bulgaria - "A Neighbor Wants Money" (Radikal) 
Liberal Radikal, mainstreams Milliyet and Sabah, 
Intellectual/Islamist-oriented Zaman report that Bulgaria demands 10 
billion USD for the properties of the Bulgarian citizens who 
migrated from Turkey after 1913.  Bulgarian State Minister 
Responsible of Bulgarians living abroad Bojidar Dimitrov announced 
that Bulgaria will demand compensation from Turkey and noted that 
Bulgaria might obstruct Turkey'e EU membership if the compensation 
was not paid. 
 
TV Spotlight 
 
Amid scenes of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister 
Vladimir Putin skiing together at a Russian ski resort, Turkish 
 
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media report that PM Erdogan will travel to Russia for meetings 
January 12-13. 
 
President Gul will host Tuesday a luncheon for the heads of the 
legislative, the executive and the judiciary today. 
 
Kurdish BDP has held Monday its first party group meeting in the 
parliament. 
 
Turkey's banking sector reports profits of 18.8 billion lira in the 
first eleven months of 2009. 
 
Turkish Exporters' Union says exports for 2009 total USD 97 billion. 
 
 
Turkish Airlines (THY) will buy 20 Airbus planes between 2011 and 
2012, and an additional 10 in 2013. 
 
Syria has raised foreign contribution in private banks from 49 to 60 
percent in a move expected to pave the way for more Turkish banking 
investments in Syria. 
 
Flights out of one terminal at Newark Liberty International Airport 
are temporarily halted as officials investigate a possible security 
breach. 
 
SILLIMAN