ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 001359 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, MARCH 3, 2003 THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE THEMES: HEADLINES BRIEFING EDITORIAL OPINION -------------- HEADLINES MASS APPEAL Powell eases Turks' concerns - Milliyet Erdogan: No damage in relations with U.S. - Milliyet U.S. is shocked - Milliyet 3/2 Arinc target of AKP administration - Sabah AKP: No decree in foreseeable future - Hurriyet Disillusionment and hope in Washington - Hurriyet 3/2 Arinc speaks like opposition member - Hurriyet 3/2 Gul warns Saddam: Don't exploit the parliamentary refusal - Turkiye Europeans praise Turkish Parliament - Turkiye 3/2 Powell: No break in our economic cooperation - Vatan Government seeks new guarantees before new decree - Aksam Annan: Lack of compromise would doom peace effort - Hurriyet 3/1 Annan is fed up: Accept plan, or I'll withdraw - Milliyet 3/1 OPINION MAKERS Early crack in AKP - Cumhuriyet Parliamentary refusal a heavy blow to Bush - Cumhuriyet Peace wins - Cumhuriyet 3/2 Erdogan, Gul at odds over decree - Cumhuriyet 3/1 Democracy wins: Refusal upgrades Turkey's democracy - Yeni Safak Parliament says `Peace' - Yeni Safak 3/2 World says `No' to war - Yeni Safak 3/1 AKP shelves decree until after March 9 - Radikal NSC denied government support on decree - Radikal 3/1 Tough week for markets - Zaman Wolfowitz admits U.S. did not meet past promises - Zaman 3/1 FINANCIAL JOURNALS Anatolian businessmen: Iraq war's yearly cost $15-20 billion - Dunya IMF holds $1.6 billion loan tranche until April - Finansal Forum BRIEFING Iraq: The parliament has voted on Saturday to reject a government decree for deployment of foreign troops on Turkish soil. Although 264 lawmakers voted for the bill and 250 against, the motion was rejected for failing to secure an absolute majority of 267. 19 MPs abstained in the voting. Dailies point to the fact that the number of deputies supporting the bill was below the required threshhold for a vote of confidence. Prime Minister Gul said on Sunday that the government would respect the decision. AKP officials view as unlikely the possibility that parliamentary will take up to the issue again this week. Papers expect the AKP to wait for the by-election in Siirt on March 9 before a new decree is submitted. "Radikal" suggests that if the party opts to wait until Erdogan is Prime Minister and a new government is formed, disccussion of a new decree could slip to at least March 20. 98 AKP deputies either voted against the bill or abstained, and the government is seeking to avoid further steps that could increase tension in the party ranks. The Siirt elections will prove advantageous for AKP, according to reports, because for the government will win a new vote of confidence and gain time to see the attitude of the UNSC. PM Gul said on Sunday that the bill would not be taken to the parliament again unless Turkey is given guarantees regarding the rights of the Turkomen and the weapons to be given to the Kurds. Monday's "Cumhuriyet" argues that the motion was rejected due to the rivalry between Erdogan and Gul, the negative stance of Speaker Arinc, and the NSC's failure to provide guidance regarding deployment of foreign troops at last week's meeting. Some columnists see a kind of parallel between the attitudes of Arinc and Gul. They blame the U.S. for refusing to concede in political and economic negotiations, and for alienating Turkey from debates regarding the future of Iraq. They also note the fallacy of Erdogan's assumption that he was in firm control of the AKP parliamentary group, and his underestimation of Speaker Arinc's influence in the party. Comments stress that the U.S. will not easily forget Turkey's refusal, and many expect a gradual decline in Washington's support: The Congress might shift to a hard-line position against Ankara, and it will be tougher to stop initiatives like the Armenian genocide issue. The refusal of the motion has stripped the Turkish military of a legal framework for an incursion into northern Iraq, and Turkey is afraid that the U.S. will now seek closer cooperation with the Kurds. Observers claim that TGS Chief General Ozkok and Prime Minister Gul explored the possibility of an extraordinary NSC meeting this month during Ozkok's call on Gul on Sunday. Monday's papers report Secretary Powell as saying that the U.S. will continue its economic support for Turkey, as well as consultations between the two countries about the future of Iraq. "Milliyet" says Powell's statement has eased concerns in Turkey. AKP leader Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that his government is reviewing its options to allow U.S. troops into the country, but did not rule out a second attempt to win permission. Erdogan said Turkey's relationship with the U.S. is strong enough to ride out the problem. Erdogan also appealed to financial markets for calm on Monday. Prime Minister Gul said on Sunday that parliamentary refusal to allow U.S. troops in Turkey would not damage friendly relations with the U.S. Gul also warned Iraq not to exploit the Turkish parliamentary decision as encouragement to delay cooperation with UN arms inspections. Cyprus: Weekend papers report that UN Secretary General Annan will meet with Cypriot leaders Denktas and Papadopoulos at the Hague on March 10 to get their final say about taking the third UN plan to a referendum on March 30. If his proposal is rejected, Annan threatened to withdraw from the Cyprus negotiations. Although Annan said he has received positive signals for a referendum from Athens and Ankara, Denktas and Papadopoulos indicated they would go to The Hague but would not accept the proposal. Annan's revised Cyprus plan, which envisions two founding states on Cyprus, is regarded by the mainstream media a significant step forward in favor of the Turks. EDITORIAL OPINION: Iraq/Turkish parliament's decision "The voting at the parliament" Yilmaz Oztuna wrote in mass appeal-conservative Turkiye (3/3): "The parliamentary vote is a reflection of the national will, but we should not refrain from interpreting the decision. . It is possible to sum up the criticism of the parliament's decision as follows: The decision does not reflect Turkey's future interests, nor does it shape a perspective based on Turkey's future security requirements. The government failed to enlighten the parliamentarians about the facts. The Speaker of the Parliament acted as if he were the opposition leader. The president made certain discouraging remarks, and the National Security Council did not take an active position on a very crucial matter. . We were all caught very unprepared. This decision will certainly have an impact domestically as well as internationally." "The decree crisis" Hasan Unal advised in Islamic-intellectual Zaman (3/3): "The parliament's decision deserves respect, but it is not exempt from criticism. Unfortunately, the AKP party board handled the issue badly, and failed to control its own members after carrying out an intense negotiation process with the US. The parliamentarians should think of the issue in a very broad perspective. Their action will not be enough to stop the war, and if Turkey stays uninvolved in an inevitable war, it is to our harm. Foreign policy should not be formulated by ideological considerations, or by looking at reaction in the streets." "Turkey's decision" Fehmi Koru argued in Islamic-intellectual Yeni Safak (3/3): "The Turkish parliament was asked for permission for the deployment of foreign troops, while the people of Turkey stand against the war by almost one hundred percent. What is peculiar is not that the permission failed, but the fact that the request was brought before parliament in the first place. . Turkey's decision enhances the values of democracy and boosts hope for a settlement without war. Let's hope that now the US begins to think with common sense, and acts under the principles of international values, human rights, and the supremacy of law." PEARSON