ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002173 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, APRIL 3, 2003 THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE THEMES: HEADLINES BRIEFING EDITORIAL OPINION -------------- HEADLINES MASS APPEALS Gul: Turkey in the coalition - Hurriyet Warm dialogue with U.S. - Vatan Logistical support without decree - Milliyet Powell: Turkey best model for Iraq - Milliyet High-level U.S. officials: Powell visit very productive - Hurriyet Turkey to provide humanitarian aid in N. Iraq - Turkiye Small anti-war groups protest Powell - Sabah Offensive on Baghdad in 48 hours - Hurriyet `Red Line' broken; Baghdad attack soon - Aksam 30 km to Baghdad - Milliyet U.S. needs to find chemical weapons. fast! - Milliyet Civilian volunteers won't leave Baghdad - Turkiye U.S. stop peshmerges from revolting in Kirkuk - Aksam Saving Private Jessica - Vatan OPINION MAKERS Powell got what he wanted - Cumhuriyet `Logistical peace' with U.S. - Radikal Powell leaves Ankara happy - Yeni Safak Powell didn't ask for the impossible; `decree' damage repaired - Zaman They're killing patients: Maternity hospital bombed - Yeni Safak U.S. not precise, hits hospital - Cumhuriyet American bombs don't recognize civilians - Cumhuriyet Losers in the war: Civilians - Radikal U.S. war methods worse than Halabja - Cumhuriyet CHP's Baykal: Let's not become part of Iraq error - Radikal U.S., UK tiff over post-war share - Cumhuriyet Tarik Aziz: Ending regime in Baghdad will hurt Ankara - Zaman FINANCIAL JOURNALS Boycott on U.S., UK goods growing worldwide - Dunya Randy Cunningham (R) against aid for Turkey - Finansal Forum BRIEFING Iraq: Mainstream papers agree that SecState Powell's visit made a positive contribution to normalization of ties with the U.S. after the decree crisis. Most papers predicted that the Powell visit would be a "Kiss and Make Up" meeting after weeks of tension between the U.S. and Turkey over rejection by the parliament of the deployment of foreign troops on Turkish soil. In a joint press conference Wednesday, Powell and Gul said Turkey would support search and rescue operations in Northern Iraq and facilitate transfer of humanitarian aid to the region. Gul stressed that Turkey is part of the U.S.-led coalition, and that a new decree is not needed to meet U.S. requests. Turkey will allow delivery of fuel and water for coalition forces through its border. Secretary Powell has asked the Turks to ease measures on its border to facilitate trade among the Kurds, papers report. Ankara rejected this idea, saying border trade money could go to terrorist groups. Powell stressed that the U.S. wants to stabilize Northern Iraq, and that a Turkish intervention is not necessary. The U.S. gave Ankara further assurances that troublesome scenarios would not take place in the region. He vowed that the U.S. would ensure control of Mosul and Kirkuk, adding that regional oil revenues would go to all Iraqis, not just to the Kurds. Secretary Powell also declared that Turkey would be given a SIPDIS share in the reconstruction of post-war Iraq. Gul reportedly outlined for Powell the negative impact of a war on Turkey's economy, and the Secretary promised that U.S. support for Turkey's relations with the IMF and WB would continue. Commentaries regard the $1 billion grant and a share in Iraq's reconstruction as gains for Turkey. Small anti-war groups of NGOs, unions, and students protested against the U.S. during Secretary Powell's meetings. Meanwhile, the TGS denied reports about 25 American trucks carrying arms and ammunition via Turkey's Habur gate to the Northern Iraqi town of Erbil, saying that the trucks took Hummer jeeps -- but no weapons -- to the region. EDITORIAL OPINION: War in Iraq / Powell visit "The Iraqi Ministers" Fatih Altayli notes the Iraqi propaganda war in mass appeal Hurriyet (4/3): "Iraqi ministers are becoming more popular every day with the help of their constant television appearances. Always wearing their military uniforms, they are telling the world about Iraq's victory, and they have won the sympathy of the anti-war group. Yet who are they actually? A bunch of lunatics who normally should be tried at the International Tribunal of Human Rights had the US had not carried out an operation in Iraq. A bunch of killers responsible for gassing thousands of Kurds. A bunch of invaders responsible for occupying Kuwait. . Standing against the war is certainly the right thing. However, it is appalling to see that those anti-war groups are looking for a victory on the criminals' side." "Repairing relations with the US" Murat Yetkin analyzed Secretary Powell's visit in liberal- intellectual Radikal (4/3): "It seems that Washington has realized that punishing Turkey -something the hawks have been insisting on --because of the decline of parliamentary motion is not a wise move regarding the future of Turkish- American bilateral relations. Secretary Powell emphasized this by calling Turkey the `best model' for the future of Iraq and the only Muslim democracy. Powell's visit underscored the intention by both Ankara and Washington to move forward together." "Powell and his `kiss-and-make-up' visit" Mehmet Ali Birand wrote in the sensational-mass appeal Posta (4/3): "The visit of Secretary of State Colin Powell to Ankara provided a basis for settling issues of concern to both sides. Both Turkey and the United States have made clear that they understand their responsibility for mistakes or belated actions. There was a happy ending in terms of the future of Turkish-American relations. The Powell visit was very timely, and certainly prevented continued deterioration in bilateral relations. . The positive atmosphere will overcome the negative developments in the past unless the bilateral understanding and agreements are violated, or unless something unexpected happens during the course of war." PEARSON