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UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 ANKARA 000375
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SUBJECT: ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2007
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the wrong step to begin with. Her meeting with Palestine and Israel
did not have equal representation as one is a prime minister and the
other a president. Even though the US and Israel continue to
recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization, the upcoming national
consensus government of Palestine will again be ruled by Haniyeh of
the Hamas organization. Given that fact, Israel and the US are
engaging in a dialogue with the symbolic leader of Palestine instead
of the Prime Minister who has the power to control the executive
mechanism. The consensus initiative by Secretary Rice cannot bring
any peace to the Middle East. Even if these three agree among each
other, no government in Palestine can implement it or explain it to
the public. In sum, the recent meeting between Rice, Olmert and
Abbas is nothing but cosmetic."
Writing in the economic-political daily Referans, Cengiz Candar
comments: "The developments in northern Iraq and the situation
related to the Iran-US tiff along with Turkey's domestic concerns
will directly shape the future direction of Turkish-American
relations. All of this makes it even more important to know whether
the Turkish Chief of General Staff talked about Iran with Vice
President Cheney. Given the current situation, a cross border
operation by Turkey into Northern Iraq, if and when it happens, will
inevitably lead to a new political equilibrium in Iraq. The US
normally would not normally give a green light to Turkey for this
unless something tangible comes from Ankara. This means in
practical terms that Ankara would have to agree to be on board with
Washington on the Iran issue and in return the US would give a green
light for Turkey's incursion. Otherwise, the US would never
sacrifice Kurds because of Turkey's concerns -- meaning a green
light remains a dream. In that respect one might wonder whether
Turkey is capable of carrying out an operation despite the US. When
we look for the answer to this question we have to bear in mind the
consequences we will face."
TV Highlights
NTV (6 A.M.)
Domestic News
- A Five-storey building collapsed in Istanbul last night killing
two people. Twenty-ix people were rescued from the rubble.
- A Comission on coping with global warming readies to submit their
proposals to the Council of Ministers.
International News
- A suicide bomber struck a funeral in Baghdad on Tuesday killing at
least seven people
- Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said his talks with
the US Secretary of State and Israel's Prime Minister were tense and
difficult but not a failure
- Rene Van Der Linden, president of the Parliamentary Assembly of
the Council of Europe (PACE), issues call for ending the isolation
of Northern Cyprus, and adds that the EU should fulfill its pledges
to the Turkish Cypriots.
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/
WILSON