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TAGS: OPRC KMDR TU
SUBJECT: ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT
THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 2008
In Today's Papers
Court Cancels Authority to Monitor Citizens Nationwide
All papers report Court of Appeals (Yargitay) has cancelled a High
Criminal Court decision which gives authority to the gendarme forces
for nationwide monitoring of suspects. "No institution can be given
authority to monitor the entire country, or consider the citizens of
the democratic and constitutional state of Turkey as suspects,"
according to the Court's decision. Mainstream Sabah says the ruling
related to the gendarme will stipulate the annulment of similar
wiretapping authorizations given to police and the intelligence
service MIT. After the Court of Appeals ruling, the courts in
Ankara will not be able to authorize wiretapping in other provinces;
authorization for wiretapping must be obtained from local courts.
Paper: "The Obama Wind Blows to the Whole World"
All media outlets feature Barack Obama's victory in attaining the
majority of delegates needed to be the Democratic Party's
presidential nominee. Coverage focuses on the groundbreaking nature
of an African-American's rise to the presidential nomination.
Mainstream Milliyet carries the banner headline, "A First in
American History," as "Obama becomes the first black presidential
nominee in U.S. history." Milliyet columnist Sami Kohen calls this,
"The First Sign of Change in the U.S." Liberal Radikal writes,
"Some Said They Would Never Live to See This Day" and "The Obama
Wind Blows to the Whole World." Islamist-oriented Zaman carries the
headline, "Obama Writes History," as Obama fulfills, "Martin Luther
King's Dream." Leftist Taraf writes, "From Now On, America is a
Different Country." Mainstream Vatan quotes the candidate in its
headline, "Our Time is Now." Mainstream Sabah's headline reads, "An
American Dream Comes True," as, "A black candidate will run for
president for the first time in U.S. history, 150 years after the
abolishment of slavery, and 50 years after racism is banned." Sabah
columnist Soli Ozel writes, "Obama is the better preference from the
perspective of the world," as "He encourages a new approach to the
way the U.S. sets its international agenda." Ibrahim Karagul of
Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak writes, "Obama has two choices - he can
reverse the current U.S. foreign policy and begin to compromise, or
he can surrender to the war-mongering lobbies." Leftist-nationalist
Cumhuriyet writes, "The American Media Declare Obama the Winner
after His Five-Month Marathon to the Nomination."
Editorial Commentary on U.S. Elections
"The African American Candidate"
Soli Ozel wrote in mainstream Sabah (6/5): "Barack Hussein Obama
will be the Democrat Party's 2008 candidate for President. Hillary
Clinton pursued a very harsh campaign against Obama and sometimes
even used indecent manners. However, all of her tactics will serve
Obama's interests in the end. The Clinton campaigners brought up
every possible negative thing about Obama but he never lost his
cool. In fact, the way he dealt with the attacks enhanced his
leadership qualities. The fact that a minority has nearly reached
the White House is a revolutionary thing in U.S. history. If he
becomes the new president of the United States, he should not be
expected to create miracles. Whatever the president's personal
agenda, the system is based on checks and balances, which does no