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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000312 
 
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, FEBRUARY 26, 2010 
 
Media Highlights 
 
US Embassy Ankara - Turkey Media Reaction - February 26, 2010 as 
prepared by the Public Affairs Information Office 
 
How the US is Playing 
 
Obama Administration against Armenian Genocide Resolution 
(Hurriyet) 
Mainstream Hurriyet reports that responding to a question in 
Congress yesterday, Secretary Clinton stressed that the government 
doesn't support the Armenian resolution.  Hurriyet interprets this 
as the first announcement from the Obama Administration saying that 
they don't support the resolution.  Clinton said "Turkey and Armenia 
should be given a chance to resolve their own issues and the US 
should support both parties without any preconditions."  The paper 
reports that there is speculation in Washington that Clinton's words 
will have an impact on undecided committee members.  CNN Turk on 
line under the headline "Intimidation from Hillary Clinton for 1915" 
reports that Secretary Clinton intimidated Senate Foreign Relations 
Committee by saying "The US' priority is for the Turkey-Armenia 
issue to be resolved.  The process should be accelerated.  President 
Obama's stance is obvious regarding the honest definition of the 
historic incidents.  We support all positive developments which will 
carry forward the Turkey-Armenia normalization process.  And, we are 
against the ones which will change the direction of the process." 
 
Syria-Iran Mocked Clinton in Damascus (Cumhuriyet) 
Media outlets report Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his 
Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad met on Thursday in Damascus, 
defending their strong ties and dismissing US efforts to break up 
their alliance.  Assad told a joint press conference with 
Ahmadinejad that the US should "not dictate" relationships in the 
Middle East and announced removal of visa restrictions between the 
countries.  Under the headline, "They Mocked Clinton in Damascus," 
leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet reports Assad, in an ironic tone, 
said "We met today to sign a 'separation accord' between Syria and 
Iran, but because of a bad translation we ended up signing an accord 
on scrapping visas," referring to Secretary Clinton's remarks on 
Wednesday that Washington has been pressing Damascus to move away 
from Tehran. 
 
Secretary Clinton: "Jeffrey was Not Talking for the US" (HaberTurk, 
Sabah) 
Mainstreams Sabah and Haber Turk report that during the budget talks 
in the US Congress, Secretary Clinton was asked about Ambassador 
Jeffrey's remark that "Turkey has security concerns in Cyprus," 
which was quoted in an interview with Sabah.  In her response, 
Hillary Clinton said "I cannot talk for Ambassador Jeffrey but I 
think he was expressing Turkish government's views.  Of course, our 
understanding is these are the Turkish government's views, not the 
US government's."  Haber Turk interprets this as "Secretary Clinton 
left Ambassador Jeffrey alone for his words 'Turkey doesn't occupy 
its neighbors.'" 
 
In the Headlines 
 
The Good Will Table at Presidency (HaberTurk); Trilateral Summit to 
Evaluate the Serious Situation (Cumhuriyet) 
Media outlets predominantly cover a rare meeting yesterday between 
President Gul, Prime Minister Erdogan and Chief of General Staff 
Basbug in an effort to reduce tension.  Given the released statement 
from the presidency afterwards, papers and television consider the 
primary message to be "current civil-military tension will be 
resolved within the framework of the Constitution."  The issued 
statement which provided the basis for media reports said: "During 
the meeting, the issues that are being discussed by the public were 
handled in depth. Our citizens should be confident that these issues 
will be solved within the constitutional order and within the 
framework of our laws, and in this process everyone should act 
responsibly in order to not tarnish our institutions."  In 
 
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connection with this report, media also highlight the release of 
three senior retired army generals even though the ongoing 
investigation will continue. 
 
Op-Eds on Gul-Erdogan-Basbug Meeting 
Turkish pundits generally took the presidential effort positively, 
as Murat Yetkin in liberal Radikal observes "the crisis is not over 
but at least the president prevented it from deepening."  Sami Kohen 
in mainstream Milliyet has concerns particularly on the possible 
impact of internal crisis on foreign affairs: "Turkey is going 
through a litmus test on democracy and stability.  The US and EU are 
closely watching, and we may end up seeing statements from them on 
this crisis because it has an impact on foreign affairs."  Liberal 
Radikal's Cengiz Candar and Islamist/pro-government Yeni Safak's 
Tamer Korkmaz have something in common as both believe in 
"Washington's finger" in the government-military tension.  They 
claim that "Neo-cons in Washington along with some think tanks" 
provoked anti-AKP sentiment in international scene as well as in 
Turkey. 
 
Davutoglu Meets Sargsian: We're Committed to the Protocols (Zaman) 
Media outlets report Foreign Minister Davutoglu and Armenian 
President Sargsian met Thursday in Kiev and discussed the 
Turkish-Armenian normalization process and the developments in the 
Caucasus.  "We reviewed the Turkish-Armenian normalization 
relationship in its entirety with open hearts today including our 
anxieties and the obstacles we face," said Davutoglu.  Papers also 
note that on Thursday, the Armenian parliament made it easy for 
Yerevan to scrap the protocols signed with Turkey by passing 
amendments that will allow President Sargsian to suspend 
ratification and withdraw from previously signed international 
agreements.  Islamist-oriented Zaman says Davutoglu and Sargsian 
reconfirmed their allegiance to the normalization process. 
 
Meanwhile, the private Armenian news agency Mediamax reported 
Sargsian told Davutoglu that he believes Ankara cannot be involved 
in the Karabakh conflict settlement process because of the Turkish 
side's openly biased stance.  Sargsian told Davutoglu that the 
ratification of the protocols should be completed as soon as 
possible, otherwise Armenia would recall its signature under the 
documents.  "If Azerbaijan's pressure does not allow the Turkish 
parliament to ratify the protocols, nothing prevents Turkey's 
executive authorities from opening the border they had closed prior 
to the ratification of the protocols," said Sargsian. 
 
Abiyev: Karabakh will Trigger Third World War (Aksam) 
Mainstreams Aksam, Hurriyet Online and leftist-nationalist 
Cumhuriyet report Azerbaijani Defense Minister Safar Abiyev warned 
Thursday that the threat of conflict with Armenia was rising fast 
and that a "great war" was inevitable if Armenian forces fail to 
pull out of the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region.  "For 15 years 
diplomacy has not achieved any concrete results and Azerbaijan 
cannot wait another 15 years," Abiyev said. "If Armenia does not end 
its occupation of Azerbaijan's territory, the beginning of a great 
war in the South Caucasus is inevitable." 
 
Afghanistan Flag Hoisted over Marjah (Cumhuriyet) 
Media outlets report NATO forces and the Afghan government took full 
control of the Taliban stronghold of Marjah on Thursday, installing 
an administrator and raising the Afghanistan flag.  General Larry 
Nicholson, commander of the US Marines in Marjah, said it was a 
"historic day," and a "new beginning."  Islamist-oriented Zaman 
reports Marjah was taken back from the Taliban, but that "sporadic 
clashes" continued. 
 
The Netherlands Arrest Alleged PKK Leader at Turkey's Request 
(Hurriyet online) 
Mainstream Hurriyet website reports the Netherlands' state 
broadcaster NOS reported Thursday authorities have arrested Hasan 
Adir, a leader in the outlawed PKK, after crossing the border from 
Germany, where he has lived since fleeing Turkey in 1995. 
 
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The Dutch Justice Ministry could not immediately confirm that Adir 
has been arrested at Turkey's request.  An extradition hearing is 
set for March 18, says the report. 
 
Germany Lifts the Ban on Roj TV (Sabah) 
Germany lifts the ban on the PKK-affiliated ROJ TV broadcasts which 
was implemented in 2008,  saying that the TV channel got its license 
from Denmark, and therefore, it's control is in Denmark's hands. 
 
TV Spotlight (CNN Turk) 
 
Professor Ihsan Dogramaci, the founding president of Turkey's Higher 
Education Board (YOK) and Hacettepe and Bilkent Universities has 
died in Ankara on Thursday at the age of 94. 
 
The ruling AK Party has decided to send two of its deputies, Avni 
Dogan and Ahmet Aydogmus, to the party disciplinary board.  Dogan 
has commented last week on 'Ergenekon,' saying, "They blacklisted us 
for 40 years, now it is our turn to blacklist them."  Aydogmus has 
described all who are against the AK Party as "evil by nature." 
 
Kurdish BDP MP Sirri Sakik said before the general elections in 
1999, Deniz Baykal has offered to run "20 Kurdish militants" on the 
CHP card in the polls in an effort to overcome the election 
threshold. 
 
On Friday, former Iraqi PM Iyad Allawi will visit Ankara to meet 
President Gul and PM Erdogan. 
 
Turkey's leading business gathering TUSIAD will soon unveil a 
package for democratization which will include constitutional 
changes. 
 
Turkey's leading conglomerate Sabanci Holding plans to increase its 
personnel by 5 percent in 2010, hiring 2,800 people. 
 
German prosecutors have arrested Alaattin A. and Unalkaplan D., two 
alleged senior members of a banned Turkish leftist group, DHKP-C, 
violating immigration laws and extortion. 
 
Libyan leader Gaddafi calls for a "jihad" against Switzerland over 
the ban of minarets in the country, saying it was an infidel state 
that was destroying mosques. 
 
Viktor Yanukovych has been sworn in as Ukraine's president. 
JEFFREY