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Cablegate: Ankara Media Reaction Report

Published: Tue 3 Jun 2008 02:34 PM
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SUBJECT: ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT
TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 2008
In Today's Papers
Turkey to Ratify Kyoto Protocol
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Radikal, Taraf, Cumhuriyet, Referans,
Zaman and others report
Government Spokesman Cemil Cicek said the Turkish government has
adopted, in principle, the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol.
Cicek said after the Council of Ministers' meeting on Monday, a
proposal to ratify the Protocol would be submitted to the
parliament's approval soon. "In the post-Kyoto agreement era,
Turkey needs to participate in the process to voice its concerns,"
emphasized Cicek. Parliament's Environment Commission chairman
Haluk Ozdalga said the proposal would be passed with support from
all parties. "Turkey has no emission reduction obligations, and it
will not be obliged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions until after
2012," Ozdalga stated. He added the Protocol falls under EU
environmental legislation, and Turkey would face pressure from the
EU to ratify it during membership negotiations.
FM Babacan Leaves for U.S.
Sabah, Star, Zaman, Aksam, Turkiye: Papers report that Foreign
Minister Ali Babacan left for the U.S. on an official visit
yesterday. Mainstream Sabah reports that Babacan will meet with
Vice-President Cheney and Secretary Rice tomorrow. The AKP closure
case will be on the agenda during his meeting with Secretary Rice,
notes Sabah. Conservative-nationalist Turkiye and tabloid Aksam
report that Babacan will meet with Secretary of Energy Bodman and
Secretary of Treasury Paulson as well. Anatolian Agency reports
that after completing his program in Washington DC, Babacan will
proceed to New York to attend an international conference on AIDS on
June 10th and 11th, and to Paris, France to attend an international
conference on Afghanistan on June 12th.
Meanwhile, Islamist-oriented Zaman reports that U.S. State
Department Spokesman Sean McCormack said on Monday at a press
conference that Turkey's mediation between Syria and Israel was
worthy of praise.
Turkiye reports that President Gul will travel to Japan tonight to
boost the economic relations between the two countries, together
with State Ministers Kursad Tuzmen and Mehmet Simsek, as well as 100
businessmen. The paper notes that Gul will be the first Turkish
President to visit Japan.
Former U.S. Officials Join Brookings-TUSIAD Conference in Istanbul
Milliyet, Radikal and Yeni Safak report former diplomats and experts
including Senator Barack Obama's foreign policy advisor Philip
Gordon, John McCain's advisor Richard Burt, former U.S. Ambassador
to Turkey Mark Parris, and Brookings Institute chair Strobe Talbott
participated in the Brookings Institute-TUSIAD conference held in
Istanbul on "U.S. Presidential Elections and Its Effects on
U.S.-Turkey Ties." Both Gordon and Burt said the AKP's closure
would not end Turkey-U.S. ties, but it may jeopardize political and
cultural relations. Gordon said Obama, as well as many Democrat
lawmakers, supported a Congressional adoption of Armenian 'genocide'
allegations. He warned Turks now to begin to think what to do if
the bill is passed. Parris told the conference Turkey had
significant interests in several regional matters. "No matter which
candidate is elected the U.S. President, Turkey's importance will
continue. Turkey is never neglected," said Parris.
Poll: AKP, CHP Losing Votes
Liberal Radikal reports on a public opinion survey commissioned by
Credit Suisse and conducted by A Research Company which shows
Turkey's ruling AKP has begun to lose support in recent months. The
AKP had 54.2 percent of votes in January 2008, and the CHP 13.7. If
elections were held today, the distribution of votes among political
parties would be as follows: Undecided 29.3 percent, AKP 28.1, CHP
13.7, MHP 12.1, DTP 4.6, and DSP 2.2. After the "undecided" votes
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are distributed among parties, the percentages would be: AKP 39.7,
CHP 19.4, MHP 17.1, DTP 6.5, and DSP 3.1. The poll was conducted
May 24-25 with one-on-one interviews with 2,386 adults, including
1173 women, in 33 provinces across Turkey.
France Opens a Diplomatic Representation in Erbil
Sabah, Hurriyet, Zaman, Milliyet and others: Papers report that
French Foreign Minister Kouchner attended the opening of the French
Diplomatic Representation in Erbil town of northern Iraq. Kouchner
met with KRG President Massoud Barzani and at a joint press
conference, Kouchner said that France will increase relations with
the Kurdish Administration and will support the Kirkuk referendum.
The Floating Guantanamo
All news outlets feature extensive coverage of The Guardian's story
which claims U.S. naval ships are being used as floating prisons.
Mainstream Milliyet carries the headline, "Decorated Prisons," and
notes, "thousands of terror suspects have passed through secret
interrogations on up to seventeen U.S. war ships." Mainstream Sabah
writes, "Countless Numbers of Ghost Suspects Were Tortured In
International Waters." Liberal Radikal carries the front page
headline, "Bush Said This Type of Punishment Was Finished, But Now
Ships Are Transformed Into Prisons." Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet
calls the ships, "America's Torture Ships." Leftist Taraf notes,
"It's Not A Naval Ship, It's a Torture Center." In "The U.S.'s
Floating Prisons," far right Ortadogu reports, "the USS Ashland
warship was used by the CIA and FBI in an organized and systematic
operation to capture suspects from Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia,"
and "close to 100 people have completely disappeared from these
ships."
Shops Selling Ladies' Lingerie in Malatya Received Threat Letters
Sabah, Milliyet, Vatan, Cumhuriyet and others: Papers report that
ladies' lingerie shops in Malatya received threat letters delivered
under their shop doors. The letters warned the shop owners to
remove the underwear from their windows because such displays were
against the ethical principles in Turkey. The letters were signed
by the "Sensitive Women of Malatya."
TV News:
CNN Turk
Domestic News
- Government Spokesman Cemil Cicek said the government prepared an
'emergency plan of action' to meet the water needs of 81 provinces,
and that seven provinces in Turkey urgently need water.
- On June 5th, the Constitutional Court will address the CHP
application to annul AKP-MHP sponsored headscarf reforms which were
passed by parliament.
- Conscientious objector Halil Sevda has been sentenced to
five-month in prison for making a call to "reject compulsory
military service" in a press statement he read in support of the
Israeli conscientious objectors during Israel's 2006 invasion of
Lebanon.
International News
- International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors will travel to Syria
this month to investigate allegations that a site bombed by Israel
in September was a secret nuclear installation.
- President Ahmadinejad will arrive in Rome this week to participate
in a UN FAO summit on the global food crisis. Pope Benedict XVI has
cancelled previously scheduled meetings with world leaders who are
attending the conference in order to avoid an encounter with the
Iranian President.
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- In an interview with Germany's Der Spiegel magazine,
Nobel-prizewinning Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk said soccer in
Turkey serves nationalist and xenophobic thinking, but he would
still support the country's team at the Euro 2008 soccer
championship.
WILSON
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