Viewing cable 09ANKARA1218, TURKISH MEDIA REACTION
Created 2009-08-19 11:24
Released 2011-08-30 01:44
Classification UNCLASSIFIED
Origin Embassy Ankara
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001218
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EUR/SE, EUR/PD, NEA/PD, DRL
JCS PASS J-5/CDR S. WRIGHT
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TAGS: OPRC KMDR TU PREL KPAO
SUBJECT: TURKISH MEDIA REACTION
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2009
In Today's Papers
Atalay Meets DISK, TUSIAD Under 'Kurdish Initiative' Media outlets report that under the frame of the ruling AKP government's 'Kurdish Initiative,' Interior Minister Besir Atalay visited Tuesday the leftist labor union DISK and Turkey's leading business grouping TUSIAD. Atalay said after his meeting with DISK officials, "This process, which is full of painful experiences, is not only the problem of the AKP or the government but is the responsibility of all of us." Atalay later met with TUSIAD board members. Speaking after the meeting, Atalay said the association had contributed to a number of social issues, adding the government attached significant importance to the contributions of TUSIAD.
TUSIAD chairperson Arzuhan Dogan Yalcindag said the democratization process and public consensus were essential in solving the problem.
Erdogan May Meet Baykal, Bahceli On 'Kurdish Move' (Hurriyet) Mainstream Hurriyet the AKP government will also consult its 'Kurdish Initiative' with the military General Staff (TGS) and the National Security Council (MGK). The issue will be discussed at the MGK meeting if requested by the military members of the council. The government has reportedly taken into consideration the messages coming from opposition CHP leader Deniz Baykal, and sources say Prime Minister Erdogan was likely to meet Baykal as part of the "democratic move." Erdogan may also meet Devlet Bahceli, leader of the MHP, after the party's congress scheduled in November, comments Hurriyet.
CHP Holds 'Secret Talks' With Opinion Leaders On Kurdish Question (Zaman) Islamist-oriented Zaman says on its front page the opposition CHP has launched a "secret initiative" and that it meets with opinion leaders regarding Turkey's Kurdish question. CHP met with over 20 opinion leaders and tribal leaders last week, and will make public a report next week. The last touches on the report will be made after examining the roadmap to be released by the PKK leader Ocalan, according to Zaman. Islamist-oriented Yeni Safak says in spite of its criticism of Prime Minister Erdogan's recent meeting with the Kurdish DTP leader Ahmet Turk, CHP was now holding "secret meetings with the DTP. In a meeting between the CHP's Kemal Kilicdaroglu and the DTP's Fatma Kurtulan, the AKP government's "democratic move" was discussed. The DTP asked CHP to support the new process, says Yeni Safak.
Ocalan's Road Map Will Be Revealed At Conrad Hotel Mainstream Vatan reports that jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan's
lawyers will go to Imrali today to collect Ocalan's "road map" for the Kurdish issue. It has been learned that the lawyers are
planning to have press conference at the Conrad Hotel in Istanbul tomorrow and press, including the foreign press have been informed about the event. Reportedly, Ocalan's lawyers contacted some other hotels for the press even arrangements but, none of the hotels accepted to host this event. According to Kanal D, agreement with Conrad has not finalized yet but the media already started to get accredited to the event.
President Gul Gives Message Of Unity All papers: At a reception given by the Foreign Ministry, President Gul said that the country's unity was the top priority. Gul interrupted a journalist's question regarding the road map of jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan and said "Forget Imrali (where Ocalan is serving life imprisonment). They are not our interlocutor. Every
country should solve its problem by itself. Turkey's unitary structure must be strengthened as a result of all works under way, there should be no threat to this structure."
Editorial Debate on Kurdish Initiative
Taha Akyol wrote in mainstream Milliyet: "What imprisoned leader Ocalan has been talking about is about a project of division based
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on ethnic differences. Instead of focusing on impossible ideas, the DTP and others should take the reaching out EU standards as a main goal to achieve which will certainly be a facilitative tool in this process."
Mehmet Yilmaz wrote in mainstream Hurriyet: "The way Ocalan acts looks as if he is a commander with achieved victory who offers a peace plan. This kind of approach, along with some inflammatory remarks by DTP members will not be helping the process at all. Instead PKK has started to sabotage it already."
Hakan Albayrak wrote in Islamist oriented Yeni Safak: "There are sensible statements coming from the DTP while Ocalan statements work in the opposite direction. However it is a healthy thing to be able to discuss every opinion in a complete free platform. This is the very time to address the Kurdish issue because it is backed by people strongly."
Bejan Matur wrote in Islamist oriented Zaman: "Turkey's Kurds are in a struggle for their existence which will make Turkey a more democratized country in the end. This process will have an impact not only on Kurds' relations with the state but also it will transform relations of Alevis, religious and minority groups with the state. In addition to that, Iraqi Kurds are also in need of getting closer to Turkey."
Muharrem Sarikaya wrote in tabloid HaberTurk: "The best description regarding the Kurdish initiative came from Minister Babacan who underlined the parliament as the venue for solution process."
Foreign Minister Davutoglu: "There Is No Special Request For Afghanistan" Mainstream Hurriyet quotes Foreign Minister Davutoglu as saying "Turkish military performs duties in Afghanistan under the ISAF. Naturally, when Turkey takes over the commanding duties, there will be an increase on the troop numbers. However, there is absolutely no request received for the combatant troops to be sent to Afghanistan."
Afghan Elections
Media outlets note the elections in Afghanistan will be taking place under the shadows of the Taliban, terror, bombs, poverty, and weapons. Mainstream Sabah headlines, "An Election in the Shadow of The Taliban," and the article reports, "The Afghan public is going to the polls for the second time to select a president," but, "However, the Taliban has killed 19 people in attacks over the past 72 hours and they have threatened those who go to vote." Sabah also comments, "A war-weary Afghanistan is electing a president amid the bombings." Mainstream Milliyet headlines, "An Election in the Shadow of Terror," and notes, "The radically Islamist Taliban are hoping there will be a low turnout." Islamist-oriented Zaman headlines, "An Election in the Shadow of Weapons," and the paper notes, "Afghanistan has been at war for the last 30 years," and "Afghans are heading to the polls for the second time in the country's history." Mainstream Haberturk headlines sarcastically, "It's Democracy Time for Afghanistan," next to a photo of the wreckage from a suicide bomb in Kabul.
Liberal Radikal carries a photo next to the headline, "This is The Afghanistan-Type Electoral System."
Next to this photo, mainstream Haberturk headlines, "It's Democracy Time for Afghanistan."
Khamenei: "Muslims - Let's Unite, Mahdi Is Coming" (Radikal) Media outlets note Iran's religious leader has called on the Muslim world to form an army in anticipation of the coming of Mahdi, Islam's messianic savior. Mainstream Hurriyet reports on its front page that Iran's Ali Hosseini-Khamenei called on "Muslim countries" including Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, to "unite and form an army" for the "imminent coming" of Islam's
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messianic savior, Mahdi. Hurriyet notes "Khamanei made a call to the Islamic World," to "fight the U.S. and Israel."
U.S. Prepares A New Peace Plan for A Palestinian State (Zaman) Islamist-oriented Zaman reports, "Barack Obama has a new plan to solve the crisis in the Middle East," as Israel's PM Netanyahu is considering "an un-armed Palestinian state" in which "Jerusalem will be a capital shared between Palestine and Israel." Leftist-nationalist Cumhuriyet headlines, "A Plan for An Unarmed Palestine," and notes, "Washington is greeting (Egyptian President) Mubarek by preparing a new plan," for the establishment of a Palestinian state.
TV News (CNN Turk)
Domestic
- Turkey's National Security Council (MGK) will convene Thursday. President Gul said the government's Kurdish initiative will be discussed at the meeting.
- On Wednesday, the religious affairs directorate (Diyanet) will hold the third Alevi Workshop in Ankara with the participation of theologians and government officials.
- A 16-year old drug dealer is killed in a children's penitentiary in Pozanti in Adana. The parents of the boy have applied to the authorities, awaiting an explanation about the murder.
- Jordan's Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh will visit Turkey on Wednesday. Judeh will be received by President Gul.
- The second round of collective bargaining talks between the government and civil servants' unions will be kicked off Wednesday.
- Around 1,000 teahouse owners rallied in Ankara to protest the expanded smoking restrictions introduced by the government.
World
- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki visits Damascus for security talks with Syrian President Assad.
- Iranian President Ahmadinejad will submit his new cabinet list to the parliament on Wednesday.
- Georgia's parliament votes unanimously to leave the Commonwealth
of Independent States.
- A Turk who owns a construction company in the Netherlands has been stabbed to death in the fifth slaying of a Turk in the country over the last one month.
- The IMF says global recession is now over and a recovery has begun.
- South Korea is preparing to launch its first space rocket.
SILLIMAN
