Cablegate: Ankara Media Reaction Report
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SIPDIS
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
SUBJECT: ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT
MONDAY, AUGUST 28, 2006
In Today's Papers
Struggle Against the PKK; US to Name Coordinator
Milliyet, Hurriyet, Zaman, Sabah and others: Milliyet reports
Kurdistan Democratic Party officials in Iraq have been disturbed by
Turkish troop activities in Kanimasi and Bamerni towns in Northern
Iraq and pressured the US to use its influence on Turkey to withdraw
its troops. The paper reports that Turkey has put its 1500 troops
deployed in Northern Iraq since 1997 on alert, in cooperation with
KDP. The mountainous region in Zako and Dohuk, which is believed to
be a transit route for the PKK to penetrate Turkey, is being
patrolled by Turkish troops. Saturday's Zaman and Monday papers
report that the US is going to appoint former NATO Supreme Allied
Commander of the US in Europe Joseph Ralston as a special envoy to
coordinate efforts in combating the PKK. Zaman and Sabah also
mention that General Ralston, as vice-chairman, was the top
candidate to succeed the Chief of Joint Staffs position in 1997,
however his affair with a CIA employee during the 1980s while he and
his wife were separated became public, and he was forced to withdraw
his name from consideration.
Change of Command at the Turkish General Staff (TGS)
All papers report that in a ceremony at the TGS headquarters to be
held at 16:30 Monday, General Yasar Buyukanit will take over duties
as the Chief of General Staff from General Hilmi Ozkok. At a
ceremony last Friday, General Buyukanit handed over his post as the
Land Forces Commander to General Ilker Basbug. Both Generals made
strong remarks about the principle of secularism, separatist
terrorism and the unity and integrity of the country.
Three Options for Deciding on Troop Deployment in Lebanon
Cumhuriyet reports that despite the objections of the President, the
Military and the opposition, the Turkish Government is determined to
send troops to Lebanon. Within this framework, the government is
working on three formulas: The first possibility is to pass the
resolution in Parliament prior to Kofi Annan's visit on September 6.
The second plan is to bring the resolution to the Parliament right
after Kofi Annan's speech to the Parliament and finally, take action
according to the reaction after the UN Secretary General's speech at
the Parliament. Saturday's papers gave extensive coverage to
President Sezer's objections to Government plans for sending troops
to Lebanon. Saturday's Sabah reported that at the change of command
ceremony in the Land Forces on Friday, Sezer stressed that the
priority task of the Turkish Government is to solve problems at
home. Sezer was quoted as saying that "Turkey is not responsible
for protecting the interests of other countries or for solving
security problems abroad."
In the Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak Fehmi Koru notes what he
believes is justifiable mistrust of Israel among many countries,
causing them to hesitate in committing to peacekeeping
participation: "Israel is the main reason for this hesitation.
There is a clear mistrust of Israel in almost every country. A
recent comment by respected Washington Post reporter Thomas Ricks
actually says it all. Apparently Israeli forces were intentionally
not countering some of Hezbollah's missiles during the recent
conflict because they thought they could have moral supremacy in the
Lebanon operations as long as missiles continued to strike Israel.
Can we possibly trust a country like Israel which apparently did not
even care for the lives of its own citizens? Considering similar
examples of the incredible Israeli tactics, if the countries
contributing to the peacekeeping force are hesitant because of
Israel, we cannot blame them."
Bomb Explosions in Marmaris, Istanbul
Papers and TV channels reported that a total of 21 persons --10
British citizens and 11 Turkish -- were wounded in the explosions
which occurred in Mugla's Marmaris district on Saturday night. The
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first explosion in Marmaris occurred inside an inner-city minibus
when the bomb exploded, which was placed under the seat of the
minibus. Approximately 45 minutes after this explosion, bombs
placed in garbage bins at the seafront of the Ataturk Boulevard and
at the Siteler neighborhood exploded one after another. There were
no wounded in Siteler, however, six were wounded at the seafront
boulevard. Meanwhile, six persons were wounded when a bomb placed
near the wall of a school exploded in Istanbul's Bagcilar district.
There have been no claims of responsibility for any of the
explosions.
TV News:
(NTV, 7.00 A.M.)
Domestic News
Q Seven people were killed when a car plunges into a construction
hole on Ankara-Konya road.
Q Forest fires in Bursa and Bolu have been brought under control
Q State arms producer MKEK has started campaign for the sale of its
handguns for customers using credit cards
Q DYP leader Mehmet Agar extends support to President Sezer in
debates about the dispatch of troops to Lebanon
Q Seven people were killed in an explosion at a fuel oil station on
the Adana-Konya road
International News
Q Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah said that he would not
have ordered the capture of two Israeli soldiers if he had known it
would lead to such a war
Q Delta Air Line commuter plane crashes shortly after takeoff in the
US, killing 49
Q Two Fox-TV journalists kidnapped two weeks ago in Gaza have been
released by their captors
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/
WILSON