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DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EUR/SE, EUR/PD, NEA/PD, DRL
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TAGS: OPRC KMDR TU
SUBJECT: ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2007
In Today's Papers
Erdogan on the PKK, Turkish Incursion into Northern Iraq
All papers report on a statement released Tuesday following the
security "summit" held under Prime Minister Erdogan with the
participation of Turkish General Staff (TGS) chief Yasar Buyukanit,
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, Interior Minister Osman Gunes, Land
Forces Commander General Ilker Basbug and Gendarme Commander General
Isik Kosaner. The statement said "Turkish people have displayed a
firm unity against terrorist actions. It is important to maintain
this spirit of solidarity and determination." It also underlined
there was a "harmonious cooperation" among the government, military,
and police forces in fighting against terrorism.
Papers report Prime Minister Erdogan later also said a military
incursion into northern Iraq is the final measure to be applied in
the fight against the PKK terrorists, stressing Turkey was focused
on fighting the terrorists domestically rather than in Iraq. "There
are 500 terrorists in northern Iraq, and 5,000 in the mountains of
Turkey. Has the fight with those in Turkey finished, that we should
now be talking about Iraq?" Erdogan told the press. Responding to a
question on the Nationalist Movement Party's (MHP) proposal to close
down the Habur Gate border crossing and cut the Turkish supply of
electricity to northern Iraq, Erdogan said there are Turkish
contractors in the region, and that the MHP should consider their
interests.
On protests at Monday's funerals of three soldiers killed by the
PKK, Erdogan said such protests were "inappropriate" during funerals
of martyrs. "No one should be allowed to benefit from funerals of
martyrs for their own political purposes. The Interior Ministry has
launched an investigation into protests," Erdogan noted.
Papers also report Secretary Rice warned against a Turkish military
operation, saying an incursion into northern Iraq will "not give
good results" for Turkey.
Editorial Commentary on Possible Turkish Incursion into Northern
Iraq
Ismet Berkan wrote in the liberal-intellectual daily Radikal:
"Turkey, even with some drawbacks and room for improvement, is a
democracy and ruled by the supremacy of law. Like any country with
a democratic regime, every state institution functions under defined
roles and responsibilities. In the past, the Turkish military
sustained its fight against PKK terrorism through manpower as well
as technology. However, the circumstances are different now,
especially when it comes to technology. PKK terrorist have started
using improvised explosive device technology similar to what the US
army is struggling to cope with in Iraq. The Turkish army has not
yet developed a tactical supremacy to handle this new technology and
situation. Therefore, the military should focus on this aspect. As
for the cross border operation issue, there are so many voices
around, including some very irrational ones. Let's face it: A
strong call for a cross border operation (CBO) means a declaration
of war. The fact that the call for a CBO is even being made by
Turkish General Staff increases the problem because it is not the
duty of TGS to formulate foreign policy. Don't we have a government
and a parliament in charge of foreign policy, including the
declaration of war? Everybody should focus on his or her own
responsibilities and remain within those defined boundaries. That's
what we need."
Sami Kohen wrote in the mainstream daily Milliyet: "There has been
too much talk about the possibility of a cross border operation in
northern Iraq. Given the border activities, terrorist attacks and
military build-up, it seems an operation is inevitable sooner or
later. Turkey could have carried out a fast and limited operation
in northern Iraq just as in the 1990s. If that were the case, there
would not be too much opposition from the international public.
Yet, the question we have to think over is whether such a
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limited-scale operation would end the PKK presence in Iraq. Another
question is about defining the targets in northern Iraq. If and
when the Turkish army enters northern Iraq, will it be dealing with
sweeping out the PKK or will it have to deal with regional Kurdish
leaders at the same time? There are circles in Turkey who feel very
disturbed over the Kurdish entity in northern Iraq and stance of
Kurdish leaders there. According to them, Turkey should include
regional Kurdish figures in the targets category. Of course, it is
debatable to what extent such an approach would serve Turkish
foreign policy interests. In any case, signs related to a cross
border operation indicate that even if Turkey carries one out, it
will be limited only to the PKK presence in northern Iraq."
Paper: US Wants to 'Part Ways' with Maliki
Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak claims the US, having changed two prime
ministers in Iraq over the last three years, is now "trying to part
ways" with Nouri al-Maliki. The paper cites The New York Times as
reporting that US Middle East forces commander Admiral William
Fallon warned Maliki to make "concrete political developments" in a
month, warning the Iraqi PM that otherwise, he could "anger" the US
Congress. The long-awaited hydrocarbon law envisages division of
oil revenues among regions in the country, says Yeni Safak.
NATO's Scheffer Meets Gul
Cumhuriyet, Star, Zaman, Radikal, Milliyet: In a press conference
after a meeting with NATO Secretary General de Hoop Scheffer, Gul
said issues like Afghanistan, Europe, Kosovo, and Turkish-NATO
relations were discussed at the meeting. "Turkey attaches great
importance to cooperation with NATO. Turkey is a 50-year member and
one of the essential allies of NATO", added Gul. De Hoop Scheffer
reiterated support for the Turkish fight against terrorism. De Hoop
Scheffer also met with PM Erdogan, Parliament Speaker Arinc, Defense
Minister Gonul and Chief of General Staff Buyukanit. During the
visit, Turkish officials expressed Turkey's uneasiness over its
exclusion from decision-making and command mechanisms in the
European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) operations, as well as
the Greek-Cypriot participation in the ESDP.
Al Gore in Istanbul for a Conference on Global Warming
Milliyet, Yeni Safak, Star, Zaman, Radikal, Milliyet: Former US
Vice President Al Gore was in Istanbul yesterday to support Live
Earth concerts to raise awareness of global climate change.
Istanbul is among nine cities around the world holding concerts on
July 7. Mainstream Milliyet reports that Gore visited the
Greek-Orthodox Patriarchate yesterday for twenty minutes and said
'It is an honor and very important for me to pay a visit to the
Ecumenical Patriarchate. Because he includes in his prayers the
importance of protecting everything God created, Patriarchate
Bartholomew is addressed as 'Green Patriarch''. The Patriarchate is
part of the heritage of the world metropolis of Istanbul.'
US 2006 Human Trafficking Report
Milliyet, Sabah and Cumhuriyet report the US 2006 Report on Human
Trafficking praised Turkey's efforts to prevent trafficking in
persons, but also underlined shortcomings in areas such as
collecting data and penalizing state officials involved in such
activities. The report says Turkey has become a transit route for
women from the former Soviet republics and central Europe who are
taken to Turkish Cyprus as "sexual workers".
TV Highlights
NTV (6 A.M.)
Domestic News
- Visiting Italian Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema
will meet President Sezer, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, Parliament
Speaker Bulent Arinc and CHP chairman Deniz Baykal on Wednesday.
Gul and D'Alema will hold a joint news conference following their
meeting.
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- Based on reports of a Belgium-based Kurdish news agency,
Associated Press said the PKK declared Tuesday it would halt
attacks, but added that its fighters would defend themselves if
attacked by Turkish forces.
- The Turkish military will use air transportation to dispatch
troops to the Iraqi border in a move to avoid PKK landmines.
- A Turkish F-5 military plane has crashed near the Kuyubasi village
in Konya province. The pilot escaped the crash unhurt.
International News
- French police have detained eight suspected members of the PKK in
and around Paris under a probe into attacks against Turkish owned
bars and cultural associations. The detainees, aged between 17 and
29, are suspected of being members of the PKK's youth organizations.
- Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Iran will make the US
"regret" its detention of five Iranians in Iraq since January this
year.
- Hamas declared northern and central Gaza a "closed military zone"
on Tuesday after bloody clashes that killed at least 20 Palestinians
over the weekend.
- President Ahmadinejad has appointed a 15-member advisory council
to create a compilation of his "works and opinions" to be issued as
books, CDs and pamphlets.
WILSON