Cablegate: Ankara Media Reaction Report

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DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EUR/SE, EUR/PD, NEA/PD, DRL
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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR TU
SUBJECT: ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2006

In Today's Papers

Erdogan on Iraq, Syria, Iran
Sabah reports Prime Minister Erdogan said in an exclusive interview
with the London-based Arabic Al-Hayat daily that despite a
parliamentary decision in 2003, Turkey declined to send troops into
Iraq due to the Iraqis' opposition to Turks' presence in their
country. Erdogan remarked that despite the coalition forces'
efforts, terror has been rising in Iraq. "We went to Lebanon on an
invitation. What we are concerned about in Iraq is the situation in
Kirkuk," Erdogan said. He stressed that when approaching Syria, the
key notion should be "contact" instead of "isolation." On Iran,
Erdogan pledged Turkey was ready to do all it can to see a
diplomatic solution to the nuclear crisis. The PM also noted that
Turkey was a "secular republic" where religion has been separated
from politics.

General Jones Calls on Turkey to Extend Operations out of Kabul
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Radikal, Zaman, Yeni Safak and others report the
supreme NATO commander General James Jones has asked 26 member
countries including Turkey to extend operations against Taliban
forces out the capital Kabul. General Jones asked Turkey to help in
NATO duties in other areas of the country. On Wednesday, Milliyet
reported from Washington that General Jones said Turkish authorities
had been notified about the request. "Turkish companies dominate
Afghanistan. They did a very good job in building the US Embassy in
Kabul. The ISAF had Turkish commanders. Turkey has an enormous
capacity to make a difference in Afghanistan," General Jones said,
stressing that Afghanistan was not a problem for Turkey, but "for
all of us."

Kurds to Open New Oil Refineries in Iraq; Appoint PKK Envoy
Cumhuriyet reports the regional Kurdish administration in northern
Iraq is planning to establish 10 new oil refineries in the region in
an effort to end their dependency on diesel and other oil products
coming from Turkey. The opening of new refineries will also
strengthen the Kurdish administration's independence from Baghdad
regarding the use of natural resources, according to Cumhuriyet.

Additionally, Citing Kurdish website firatnews.com, Yeni Safak
reports the leader of the regional Kurdish administration, Massoud
Barzani, has appointed 'interior minister' Kerim Singari as the
Kurdish envoy for countering the PKK.

Iraqi PM Due to Visit Turkey
Sabah reports the Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki said he will visit
Turkey after the Ramadan holiday. An earlier visit scheduled for
October 15 had been cancelled due to a sandstorm at Baghdad airport.
Diplomatic sources believe that by visiting Turkey, al-Maliki
intends to end speculation that it was President Jalal Talabani who
kept the Iraqi PM from paying a state visit to its neighbor.

Editorial Commentary on Iraq
Turgut Tarhanli argues in the liberal-intellectual Radikal that a
"loose federation" may be a possible solution for Iraq but that in
order for that formula to succeed a foreign "balancing" power, not
occupation force is necessary: "There are several suggestions as to
how to end the chaos in Iraq. However it is not realistic to make
an analysis of the future of Iraq without taking into account the
fact that the current chaotic situation merely stems from the
occupation by foreign troops. Unlike the situation in
Bosnia-Herzegovina, there are strong traces of the occupation in the
nature of the religious and ethnic clashes in Iraq. At this point,
can we really see a 'loose federation for Iraq' as a viable option?
Iraq lacks the internal dynamics which would allow it to reach a
consensus among the different groups, and this again stems from the
fact that it is an occupied country. Given the circumstances, Iraq
might be in need of a foreign power to play a balancing role, and
the US can do that. The realization of this goal by the US remains

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a big question mark. There is no way to be certain that the US can
achieve this goal given its ongoing invader identity. "

Mustafa Balbay points out that the situation in Iraq is likely to
get worse as sectarian violence increases: "When the President of
the United States accepted the fact that Iraq resembles Vietnam, he
depicted the current picture of this country. Even though Bush
later did not accept the way his remarks were interpreted, that does
not change the reality in Iraq. It seems the US and the UK duo made
plans for everything before invading Iraq but made an oversight when
they ignored the people of Iraq. Currently resistance against the
invaders is rising every day. In the days ahead there will
certainly be more stories about the resistance in Iraq because the
possibility of their winning has become more likely. On the other
hand, as President Bush said in election campaigning remarks, there
will be no immediate withdrawal from Iraq because of a sectarian
war. One wonders who provided the ground for a sectarian war. That
was the US, wasn't it? All of this leads to the fact that the US is
on the way toward an even worse situation in Iraq which will create
a very negative impact not only for the US but for the entire
region."

Turks Used Greek Soldiers as 'Guinea Pigs' in 1984
Sabah, Milliyet and Zaman cite an Agence France-Presse (AFP) story
saying a September report by the Virginia-based International
Strategic Studies Association (ISSA) claims the Greek and Greek
Cypriot soldiers captured during Turkey's 1974 military intervention
in Cyprus had been used as "guinea pigs" in "secret Turkish army
biochemistry laboratories" from 1984-88. ISSA chairman Greg Copley
said the report's references have been "some, including from Turkey,
who have been doing field work" and some Kurds working in the
Turkish army laboratories.

Moderate Earthquakes Strike Turkey
All papers reported a magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck the Gemlik Bay
about 155 miles south of Istanbul on Tuesday. On Friday, an
earthquake of magnitude 5.0 shook the western city of Balikesir 250
miles south of Istanbul. In 1999, two devastating earthquakes hit
northwestern Turkey, killing some 18,000 people. Papers quote some
experts as saying the recent earthquakes should not be seen as
indicators of stronger jolts for Istanbul, and some others as
warning that a stronger one might be coming for the north and south
of Marmara Sea, which would have devastating effects on Istanbul.

TV Highlights
NTV, 7.00 A.M.

Domestic News

- Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) President
Rene van der Linden has arrived in Istanbul on Wednesday to meet
with Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah
Gul.

- Prime Minister Erdogan has decided to extend his Ramadan holiday
rest in the coastal tourist resort of Marmaris until the weekend.

- A total of 105 people have been killed in traffic accidents
within five days during the Ramadan Holiday in Turkey.

- The Turkish Red Crescent has sent YTL 105 million in humanitarian
aid to 34 countries over the last two years.

- IMF has issued warnings about the increasing inflation, gaping
current deficit and unfavorable international conjuncture for
Turkey.

International News

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- Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres said if he is named the new
Israeli president he could free Marwan Barghouthi, the imprisoned
leader of al-Fatah.

- Secretary Rice is urging the UN Security Council to impose
sanctions on Iran immediately for Tehran's defiance regarding the
nation's nuclear program.

- The war in Iraq has become a major issue in the November 7
Congressional elections in the US.

- The Financial Times said Germany has turned its military into an
international intervention force after a radical restructuring of
its military since 1945.

Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at

http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/

WILSON

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