US embassy cable - 05ISTANBUL1313

UNCLAS ISTANBUL 001313 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/SE, DS/DSS/OSAC, DS/IP/EUR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC, KPAO, TU, Istanbul 
SUBJECT: MEDIA GETS IT WRONG ON TWO TERROR STORIES 
 
 
1.  (U) On July 26, TGRT TV station, a part of the Ihlas 
Group of companies, aired a mistaken report on its daily news 
program that there had been a large explosion with many 
injured in Istanbul's Taksim Square.  (Note:  There was no 
such explosion.  End note.)  The report was supplemented by a 
TGRT reporter calling in "live" from the scene, who confirmed 
the bombing.  Several other channels, including Haberturk and 
reportedly some international wires, picked up the story, as 
did police who rushed to the area to verify reports.  Minutes 
after the story was broadcast, TGRT reported that the 
"explosion claims proved unfounded."  Turkish national police 
detained two TGRT reporters who were released after giving 
statements. 
 
2.  (U) It is unclear if this incident was the result of a 
bad hoax for which there will be punishment, or if it simply 
resulted from the two reporters' incompetence.  When the CG 
queried Istanbul's Police Chief about the TGRT story in a 
July 27 outcall, the Chief simply stated the TGRT report was 
a "false report" and did not elaborate on the case. 
 
3.  (U) TGRT and the Ihlas Group are owned by the Oren 
family.  The group also owns Ihlas News Agency, one of 
Turkey's news agencies, with a wide network of reporters, 
that is often used as a source by other channels.  They are 
generally considered to be professional and post has worked 
with them in the past. 
 
4.  (U) In an unrelated development, Vatan newspaper on July 
29 reported that Istanbul's Deputy Police Chief Sammaz 
Demirtas said he expected an Al Qaeda attack in Istanbul by 
November 2005.  When queried about the story, Demirtas told 
RSO his remarks had been taken out of context and that he had 
been misquoted.  He claimed Vatan would be printing a 
retraction. 
 
5.  (U) Comment:  The attacks in the U.K. and Egypt, on top 
of the recent bombs incidents in Cesme and Kusadasi, may have 
some Istanbul residents feeling nervous, with memories of the 
2003 bombings not so distant.  Some Turkish media outlets may 
be seeking to capitalize on that sense of unease by pursuing 
terror-related stories that sell, whether the story is there 
or not. 
ARNETT