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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001628
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EUR/SE, EUR/PD, NEA/PD, DRL
JCS PASS J-5/CDR S. WRIGHT
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR TU PREL KPAO
SUBJECT: TURKISH MEDIA REACTION
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2009
Media Highlights: A/S Gordon in Ankara; Turkey's Efforts on Iran
Nukes; Amb. Jeffrey on Haberturk;
France as ME Mediator; Phone Tapping Frenzy
Assistant Secretary Phil Gordon in Ankara
Intellectual/Islamist-oriented Zaman's reports that A/S Phil Gordon
had meetings with FM Davutoglu and Undersecretary Sinirlioglu in
Ankara yesterday. Foreign Ministry officials said that the purpose
of the meetings were preparations for PM Erdogan's visit to US on
December 7. Zaman reports that Davutoglu briefed Gordon on his
meetings with Iranian President Ahmedinejad regarding Iran's nuclear
energy. Zaman noted that Gordon expressed reservations about
Turkey's signing an energy agreement with Iran by saying "the US
thinks that it is not time to have business with Iran." Liberal
Radikal headline reads "There is no Slipping on Turkey's Axis" and
says that following his visits to Berlin and Geneva, A/S Gordon in
Ankara said that the US welcomes Turkey being in a good cooperation
with the Western World as well as with its neighbors and the Eastern
world. Gordon was quoted as saying "Turkey's ties with Iran and
Arab countries are as important as its ties with Europe and Israel.
I don't see any changes in Turkey's axis. We have full trust that
Turkey remains as a key partner to the US." Gordon emphasized that
it is only natural not to be in full agreement with Turkey regarding
Iran and that Turkey's relationship with Iran neither disturbed nor
shocked the US. Gordon also mentioned that the US would welcome it
if Iran decides to send the enriched uranium to Turkey. When he was
asked about Israel's nuclear weapons, Gordon said "Israel has
exhibited a stable nuclear situation for a long time. We are
trying to establish an atmosphere in the Middle East where no
country would feel the need for nuclear weapons." Mainstream
Milliyet's senior columnist Semih Idiz wrote that A/S Gordon
criticized PM Erdogan's support to Iran and Sudan without giving any
names. Even though it was done in diplomatic style, Gordon
mentioned that the US was disturbed by the strong support Turkey
gave to Iran and Sudan, according to Idiz. However, Gordon said he
did not agree with the speculations that there was a slip of axis in
Turkey's foreign policies. Regarding Turkey-Israel relations,
Gordon said "We hope that Turkey includes Israel also when it says
'zero problems with neighbors'." When he was asked about AKP's
democratic opening and military coup allegations, Gordon said "since
these are Turkey's domestic issues, I will not make any comments on
them."
Iran's Nuclear Program: FM Davutoglu Discusses With Baradei
Mainstream Sabah's diplomatic correspondent Duygu Guvenc's headline
is "Nuclear Attack by Ankara" and says "after being successful in
convincing Iran about an international mechanism to inspect its
nuclear program, Ankara is trying to convince the members of the
Security Council." Guvenc reports that with this as a framework, FM
Davutoglu held a phone conversation with Atomic Energy Agency
Director-General Baradei yesterday and then met with A/S Gordon.
During his meeting with Gordon, FM Davutoglu gave him the message
that "Turkey opposes the sanctions against Iran and believes that
the dialog process should continue, " according to Gunvenc. Zaman
also covers the same story and says that Davutoglu shared with
Baradei the results of contacts held by Turkish officials with
Iranian President Ahmedinejad, FM Mottaki and other Iranian
officials during a recent meeting in Istanbul. Nationalist Haber
Turk reports that Tehran was positive about the proposal for storing
uranium in Turkey.
Amb Jeffrey Answers Range of Questions on TV Interview: Karabakh
ANKARA 00001628 002 OF 003
Response Picked Up in Azerbaijan
In an interview on popular TV channel HaberTurk, the Ambassador
responded to a range of questions regarding Iraq and the PKK,
domestic Turkish debates, Turkey's recent position on Sudan and
Iran, Turkey Armenian normalizations and PM Erdogan's upcoming trip
to the U.S. Amb Jeffrey focused on the strength of bilateral
relations with Turkey noting that "we have a great deal of
cooperation, a great deal of exchange with this country and this
government." His response concerning Karabakh was reported by the
Azeri State news agency, AzerTaj which quoted hims as saying
"Azerbaijan is a strategically important country. . . we want the
meetings to continue"
Turkey - France: ME Mediation and EU - Nbucco
Mainstreams Milliyet and Hurriyet report that French President
Sarkozy told the Syrian Al-Vatan newspaper that France is ready to
take on a role in indirect peace talks between Israel and Syria.
Sarkozy added that "the peace negotiations can resume under the
coordination of the EU and Turkey. Hurriyet notes that Sarkozy met
with Netanyahu the other night and is going to pass on a message to
Syria's Assad today that Israel is ready to talk with Syria whenever
they are ready. Speaking to Le Figaro Assad mentioned Turkey's name
as the mediator but reiterated his wish for the US to take action.
Mainstream Aksam carries an interview with Energy Minister Yildiz
and quotes him as saying "Turkey will do its best not to include
France in the Nabucco project unless chapters on energy are opened
for Turkey-EU negotiation process."
Phone Tapping Tremors (Hurriyet)
Mainstream and Islamist/conservative papers differ significantly in
their front page reports on the latest Ergenekon scandal regarding
wire tapping of some 56 judges and prosecutors connected to the
case. Islamist oriented Yeni Safak says the phone tapping was
justified because "those judiciary members were having conversations
with the Ergenekon members" and one of its columnists, Tamer Korkmaz
defines Ergenekon "as an entity designed by the US and NATO."
Another Islamist outlet, Zaman, draws parallelism between the "clean
hands" operation in Italy and the Ergeneokon case by saying "this is
a part of the operation within the judiciary and it is normal to see
reaction and fury." Mainstream Hurriyet calls it "Phone Tapping
Tremor" and liberal Radikal depicts as "Open War Within the State"
emphasizing that the Ergenekon riff within the bureaucracy has hit a
peak. Milliyet's Mehmet Tezkan has concerns about Prime Minister
Erdogan's approach and the way Turkey is headed: "This is all about
how one-man ruling fashion ends up and as far as Turkey is concerned
we are moving toward a non-democracy." Meanwhile, Hurriyet's
Mehmet Yilmaz calls Turkey "a police state" because "even the rule
of law does not work for judicial members."
Upcoming events:
November 13: Parliament debate on the Kurdish initiative starts this
afternoon
November 16-18: PM Erdogan will attend the United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) summit held in Rome
November 23: Israeli Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Binyamin Ben
Eliezer will visit Turkey
TV News (CNN Turk)
Domestic
- 8 PKK members surrendered themselves to security forces in Habur
yesterday
- 6 Children in Adana are given five to eight years in prison for
throwing stones at the security forces
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- DTP deputy Selahattin Demirtas said PKK militants will not return
to Turkey before the Turkish government changes its stance.
World
- European Parliament gives support to plan for abolishing visa
requirements for nationals of Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro
JEFFREY