ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001201 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, FEBRUARY 24, 2003 THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE THEMES: HEADLINES BRIEFING EDITORIAL OPINION -------------- HEADLINES MASS APPEAL Shocking Dialog Between Bush and Yakis-Milliyet Turkey and the US had mainly agreed on many issues-Sabah FM Yakis: If we reach an agreement with the US, the decree can be on Parliament's Tuesday agenda-Hurriyet US Troops are coming-Turkiye US Military Vehicles wait for Parliament decision in Iskenderun harbor-Hurriyet(2/23) Critical Day in Cyprus-Milliyet OPINION MAKERS Turkey and the US agreed on political issues, economic issues on hold-Zaman Bush Wants to use the base in Batman also-Cumhuriyet Perle: If Besar Esad (Syrian President) does not consider the reforms he can be the second target after Saddam-Yeni Safak Yakis: The main problem is the agreement on military issues Cyprus condition to the US-Radikal(2/22) The last tour in Cyprus-Radikal(2/23) BRIEFING Iraq: Papers report Turkey and U.S. have reached agreement about political issues, but uncertainty continued regarding compensation of Turkey's economic losses. Turkey, positive about the U.S. plan to arm the northern Iraqi Kurds, offered to distribute and collect light weaponry to the groups in the region, but U.S. turned down the offer, reports say. Ankara has found unacceptable the U.S. demand for exemption of American troops from VAT. Monday's papers carry Foreign Minister Yakis' remarks that compromise about political and economic issues was near. Yakis stressed Turkey would not accept minority status for the Turkomen. U.S. is against Turkey's demand that Turkomen should be represented in the post-war Iraqi administration, papers add. Saturday's "Milliyet" says Ankara wanted the militia in northern Iraq dissolved into a single national Iraqi army after the war. Weekend reports say if the GOT accepts the economic and military aid package by the U.S., the parliament will probably approve on Tuesday deployment of U.S. troops in Turkey. Saturday's papers report Ankara wanted a Turkish representative in the interim administration to be set up by the U.S. in post-Saddam Iraq. Monday's papers carry concerns of northern Iraqi Kurdish officials' concerns over Turkish military presence in the region. "Milliyet" reports that KDP leader Barzani has promised to refrain from declaring an independent Kurdish state, stay away from Mosul, Kirkuk, and respect the rights of Turkomen if Turks do not enter northern Iraq. Weekend papers report ongoing Turkish military buildup on the Iraqi border. Papers claim Turkey has deployed 100,000 troops in the Southeast. Sunday's "Hurriyet" reports U.S. military equipment was kept at the port of Iskenderun to be deployed to northern Iraq after the parliamentary decision to allow U.S. troops in Turkey. Cyprus: "Milliyet" reports that the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has arrived in Ankara to present to Turkish officials a new version of the UN plan for resolving the Cyprus issue. There were five important changes in the plan in line with the demands of the Turkish side, paper says. The UN deadline for settlement in Cyprus expires on February ¶28. Annan will hold meetings today with the Turkish officials and present the plan to the parties in Cyprus on Wednesday. "Milliyet" lists the positive changes in the plan, as follows: ¶1. Karpaz will remain part of Turkish Cypriot territory and the Greek Cypriots in the region will be allowed to set up their autonomous administration. In exchange for Karpaz, Turkish side will give territory from the Guzelyurt region, to Greek side ¶2. Greek Cypriots who migrate from south to north will exercise their political rights in the Greek Cypriot zone, not in the Turkish zone ¶3. 50.000 of the migrated Turks (Turks from Anatolia who have come to Cyprus since 1974) will stay in the island ¶4. The number of Turkish and Greek soldiers on the island will be a total of 7200 ¶5. The expression `partners' used in the plan in connection with the two parties will be replaced with the expression `founding partners'. EDITORIAL OPINION: US-Turkey cooperation on Iraq "The grant should be IMF-linked" Enis Berberoglu commented in mass appeal Hurriyet (2/23): "Are we going to wait for another miracle to happen every year in order to save the Turkish economy? It started first with the IMF support which followed by the Iraq war. Yet what is to happen next year? There is only one way to make Turkey a prestigious debtor: An economic program pursued by the IMF's control and support instead of politics-engaged governments. Thus the IMF condition for the US grant is a must. It is a must, not because the US wants it so, but because of the high risk of political abuse." "Just one more step" Fehmi Koru argued in Islamic-intellectual Yeni Safak (2/24): "It may be called `negotiations' between Turkey and the US, yet a closer look will provide us the truth. It is about a tactical game played by the US in order to manipulate Turkey in its own war. The bilateral relations are presented under the `strategic partnership' rhetoric, and it becomes a tool in the US hands to exert pressure on Turkey. . Washington not only used moral pressure via strategic partnership rhetoric, but also tried to close a deal with Turkey at almost. Therefore a propaganda war has begun saying that `the US is not desperate for Turkey's support and it will be Turkey's loss to stay away from the war.' . Thanks to the Turkish government's efforts, US tactics regarding imminent Turkish support failed so far. There is still hope for a settlement without having a war. Turkey can wait for a second UNSC resolution and can pursue diplomacy with Washington in the meantime. There is no need to rush the authorization decree to the parliament." "Result will not be obtained in the short term" Osman Oralat wrote in economic/politics Dunya (2/24): "There are enough indications to believe that the driving force behind the US plan is about energy resources and oil fields. The US wants to ensure its hegemony over the resources as early as possible. Therefore the Iraq operation is going to be the first of the many more to come. Even if the Iraq operation is concluded in a short term, there will be new operations on the way." PEARSON