ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 000215 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 THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2003 THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE THEMES: HEADLINES BRIEFING EDITORIAL OPINION -------------- HEADLINES MASS APPEALS Plane crashes, 75 burned to death - Hurriyet Rumsfeld: We prefer Saddam exiled - Hurriyet UK pressures Turkey about Iraq - Milliyet `No' to British troops in Northern Iraq - Vatan WP: Mosul, Kirkuk to be controlled by U.S. troops - Aksam WHO, UNHCR report: 5 million Iraqi lives in jeopardy - Hurriyet Two planes for Turkish businessmen to Baghdad - Turkiye Gen. Ozkok: No concession on headscarves - Milliyet Strong warnings from military - Sabah OPINION MAKERS U.S. tired of waiting for Ankara's Iraq decision - Radikal Gen. Ozkok: Oil resources must be controlled by central Iraqi authority - Yeni Safak Gen. Ozkok: Cyprus significant for Turkey's security - Cumhuriyet Radical shift in Turkey's Cyprus policy - Zaman FINANCIAL JOURNALS Upcoming Krueger visit relieves stock markets - Dunya Turkish trade delegation to Baghdad angers U.S. - Finansal Forum Lehman Bros: AKP disillusioned investors - Finansal Forum BRIEFING Iraq: Ankara has turned down British demands conveyed by visiting Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon and deputy Chief of Staff Anthony Picott for using Turkish bases and facilities in a military action against Iraq, dailies report. Turkish officials recalled the dispute between Turkey and Britain over Iraqi oil in 1924, and assessed that the nation's sensitivity prevented them from allowing Turkish facilities to be used by the UK. "Radikal" believes that Hoon was not given a clear response, and that TGS told him that the decision would be made by the government. "Sabah" says that Hoon has asked for transit passage of 10,000 British troops to Northern Iraq via Turkey. "Milliyet" claims that UK officials urged Ankara to make a decision before January 27, warning that if Turkey refuses to join the international coalition, its role in restructuring a future Iraq would be diminished. Dailies echo U.S. disappointment over Turkey's reluctance for cooperation against Iraq. The U.S. is also upset about the upcoming Turkish delegation trip to Baghdad, and Prime Minister Gul's recent Middle East tour, reports say. "Milliyet" quotes Washington sources as complaining that compared to Turkey, Arab countries have taken a clearer and more positive position on the issue. The same sources said that the Congress might react to Turkish non- cooperation by blocking financial assistance with Turkey. "Vatan" reports a senior State Department official as saying that Turkey will be denied a share in Iraq's reconstruction, and won't be allowed to continue military incursions into Northern Iraq. "Cumhuriyet" says that Ankara has presented Washington a list of prospective Turkish support in the event of war. The U.S. will be able to use Turkish bases and ports, but will not be allowed to station large numbers of troops. The `modus operandi' for site surveys will be agreed soon, and 150 U.S. experts will begin inspections, according to Cumhuriyet. Meanwhile, Northern Iraqi KDP leader Barzani arrived in Ankara on Wednesday for talks. "Zaman" comments that Turkey's military presence in Northern Iraq was covered extensively by the press, and no international reaction came. Turkey, backed by the U.S. and UK over the issue of Iraq's territorial integrity, is now in a strong position to question Barzani regarding Kurdish intentions for a federal Iraq, and the status of the Turkomen, Zaman reports. "Radikal" claims that the Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Richard Myers, will visit Turkey on January 24. Dailies expect Gen. Myers to demand a clear response from Ankara regarding the use of bases and ports, and note that the U.S. sees the Myers visit as the last chance for working out a compromise with Turkey. Cyprus: Papers report that Turkey has made `historic' changes to its Cyprus policy by abandoning plans of integration with the Turkish Cypriot sector. AKP's new Cyprus approach has dictated changes at the MFA, according to the reports. An MFA spokesman said on Wednesday that the government will make new arrangements within the framework of negotiations on the UN-sponsored Cyprus plan. Papers report that the Greek Cypriot Administration has welcomed Turkey's declaration of change, and urged rapid implementation. Papers also report Turkish Cypriot leader Denktas as saying that the economic imbalance between Turks and Greeks on the island requires that any agreement on Cyprus should not be implemented before Turkey achieves full EU membership. TGS Chief slams Gul: Dailies extensively cover TGS Chief General Ozkok's warning to Prime Minister Gul for allegedly `encouraging fundamentalists.' Papers say that the military is responding to Gul's stated objections to the TGS decision to expel fundamentalist officers from the army at the High Military Council (YAS) meetings in December. Prime Minister Gul and Defense Minister Gonul have signed the YAS decision to expel fundamentalist officers, with a protest note claiming that decisions taken by the military council should be open for appeal in the courts. Plane crash: A Turkish Airlines (THY) RJ-100 passenger plane crashed while trying to land in Diyarbakir airport in thick fog, killing 75 of the 80 passengers and crew on board. Reports see the reason for the crash as the lack of Instrument Landing System (ILS) equipment in Diyarbakir. Such equipment enables planes to land in unsuitable weather conditions. EDITORIAL OPINION: Iraq "US implicitly threatens Turkey" Yasemin Congar wrote from Washington in mass appeal "Milliyet" (1/9): "Turkey's decision to wait for the UN report before determining the extent of its cooperation with the US has caused a potential problem between the two countries. Washington is disappointed both in Ankara's current Iraq policy as well as the decision to send a Turkish trade delegation headed by State Minister Tuzmen to Baghdad. Officials in Washington note that this disappointment could be reflected when Congress takes up the issues of economic, military, and commercial aid to Turkey. A US diplomatic source warns that `the degree of US cooperation with the Arab world seems to becoming more significant than with Turkey.' . Sources close to the Washington administration comment that due to Ankara's reservations and `wait-and-see' attitude, the goal of creating a deterrent show of force against Iraq has not been achieved. It seems that the visit of General Myers to Ankara will play a determining factor for Washington in deciding whether or not to include the northern front in the war scenario." "What kind of policy?" Sami Kohen criticized in mass appeal Milliyet (1/9): "It is quite possible to believe that the AKP government does not have an Iraq policy. There are many conflicting statements from various official bodies, and it is mind-boggling to try to figure out which is the real policy. . On the other hand, we should also see that developments related to Iraq have caught the government in a helpless position. The `great advantage' of Turkey, its geo-strategic location, has now become a painful liability for Ankara. Because of Turkey's location and political ties, as well as its current economic situation, it is not possible to define Turkey's role with a `yes-or-no' kind of clarity. Thus Ankara is trying to shape its policy based on developments, keeping its options open and maintaining flexibility. . Turkish officials note that Ankara does not want to hurry, but that the plan for a front in northern Iraq will be taken into consideration `when the time comes.' Reacting to Washington's complaints about Turkey's position, one Turkish official said that the problem stems from the definition of time limits. Ankara wants to shape things in the course of time, while Washington is asking for an immediate answer." PEARSON