ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 008561 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 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2002 THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE THEMES: HEADLINES BRIEFING EDITORIAL OPINION -------------- HEADLINES MASS APPEAL Copenhagen decision: Turkey will be monitored for six months -Hurriyet Erdogan: Constitutional changes to be completed in one month - Milliyet First visit to Gul is from US - Hurriyet OPINION MAKERS Denktas has objections to UN plan -Radikal Erdogan: Cyprus issue can not be solved with hawkish policies - Yeni Safak Denktas: UN's Cyprus plan unacceptable - Cumhuriyet Erdogan's three keys to premiership - Yeni Safak Gendarme's success in the fight against torture - Radikal FINANCIAL JOURNALS Speaker Hastert: Turkey is a model country BRIEFING EU: "Hurriyet" revealed a roadmap prepared by the EU Commission for Turkey. Reportedly, the roadmap was discussed during recent contacts with AKP leader Erdogan in Brussels. The EU plans to present Turkey with the roadmap, which contains conditions for the start of accession talks, by December 5. According to "Hurriyet", at the Copenhagen Summit Turkey will be given a `meeting date.' The EU will then monitor developments in Turkey for six months. If Turkey meets all the conditions during this six months, it will be given a `negotiation date' at the next EU summit in June 2003. Cyprus: "Milliyet" reports that TRNC President Denktas is against the UN's Cyprus peace plan. Denktas was quoted as saying that `we will not accept measures that will transform the Turkish Cypriots into a minority; the plan leaves no room for Turkish sovereignty in Cyprus; Turkish Cypriots would vanish with the migration of Greek Cypriots to the north.' "Radikal" reports Erdogan's comments concerning Cyprus during his European tour. Erdogan reportedly said that `The Cyprus issue has not been solved in decades. We want a solution now, not new problems. Hawkish policies will get us nowhere'. Constitutional Changes: Most papers report on AKP leader Erdogan's intention to change the constitution in order to lift the barriers that prevent him from becoming prime minister. "Milliyet" reports that in a discussion with journalists on the plane from Dublin to Strasbourg, Erdogan said that article 109 of the constitution, which requires that the Prime Minister be a parliamentarian, would be amended to allow for Erdogan to become the Prime Minister within a month. "Hurriyet" also quotes Erdogan as saying that constitutional changes for his premiership would be passed by the parliament within a month. Speaker Hastert: Most papers cover US House Speaker Dennis Hastert's visit to PM Gul and Speaker Arinc. Hastert, the first foreign dignitary to meet with Turkey's new Prime Minister and the newly-elected Parliament speaker, was quoted as saying that `the United States would seek Turkey's assistance to bring stability to Iraq if the UN's inspection mission to Baghdad fails. The US understands Turkey's concerns for a possible operation against Iraq, including the possible financial losses from such an operation.' Human Rights: "Radikal" reports that the Turkish gendarme has been successful in reducing incidents of torture since 1992, when the gendarme began training its staff on human rights issues. After ten years of training, complaints to the European Human Rights Court originating from regions controlled by the gendarme have decreased dramatically. EDITORIAL OPINION: a) NATO Summit b) UN Cyprus Plan "The NATO Summit" Zeynep Gurcanli wrote in the tabloid Star (11/22): "The NATO summit took place in the land of a former enemy, which has now become a brand new member of the Alliance. The Prague summit in fact brought the answer to the argument that `there is no need for NATO any more.' NATO is changing, and so are its priorities. Communism is no longer enemy, instead it is terrorism. . The tight security in Prague in itself proved the importance of terrorism in this changing world. More importantly, as the events of September 11 showed, every member of NATO is open to the new threat. . The summit also set a series of new rules that change the concept of the fight against terrorism. These rules forbid `undemocratic practices,' `violations of human rights' and `maintaining trade relations with human rights violators.' This means that the new world order led by George Bush is expanding into every aspect of our lives." "No Change in Denktas" Editor-in-Chief Ismet Berkan argued in the intellectual- liberal Radikal (11/22): "Denktas finally unveiled his real intention by describing the UN Cyprus plan as `not worthy of negotiation.' It seems that the main goal for the Turkish Cypriot leader is to preserve the current deadlock on the issue and not to work for a solution. The reason for standing against the Annan plan is the so-called migration issue. If the migration issue in the plan is the big plot against Turkish Cypriots as the voices of opposition claim, I should note that they most likely did not even bother to read the whole text. The plan foresees a transition period of 20 years, which gives everyone time to sort out the territorial and migration details. Besides, this is what negotiation is for, is it not? . What is more important for the Turkish Cypriots: sovereignty or territory? Listen to what former President Evren has said recently: Denktas told him that `sovereignty' was most important, and in fact during the 1974 operation the Turkish side was planning to trade territory for sovereignty gains. . Given these facts, one really cannot possibly understand why Denktas is reluctant to sit at the negotiating table. . The plan is a chance not to be missed, and there should be the basis of an agreement on Cyprus before December 12."