ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 ANKARA 002975 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 WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2003 THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE THEMES: HEADLINES BRIEFING EDITORIAL OPINION -------------- HEADLINES MASS APPEALS Pentagon threatens Turkey - Milliyet Wolfowitz: Turkish rapprochement w/ Syria, Iran a mistake - Milliyet Wolfowitz: Military could not display leadership - Milliyet Wolfowitz: Admit your mistake, partnership will continue - Hurriyet Odd words from `brain' Wolfowitz - Sabah The `Hawk' bombs - Sabah U.S. still furious at Turkey - Turkiye Wolfowitz: We won't easily forgive you - Aksam Wolfowitz remarks hit stock markets - Vatan Turkey's defense minister is denied meeting in U.S. - Vatan Washington drafts bill to prevent looting of Iraq's antiques - Aksam OPINION MAKERS Wolfowitz: Military, government disappointed us on Iraq - Radikal Wolfowitz: Turkey must admit mistake - Cumhuriyet Wolfowitz: Won't stay if we're not wanted - Zaman Gul: Wolfowitz's remarks well intentioned - Radikal `Hawk' Wolfowitz criticizes, but leaves door open - Cumhuriyet Kusay robs Iraqi Central Bank $1 billion - Zaman Bremer Iraq's civilian governor - Yeni Safak Israel's Ankara Ambassador: Mosul-Haifa oil pipeline not realistic - Zaman Greek Cypriots urge Turkey to open air corridor - Radikal FINANCIAL JOURNALS JP Morgan: Zero inflation not a distant target - Dunya IMF's Anne Krueger in Ankara for meetings - Finansal Forum BRIEFING Iraq: All papers and electronic media lead with reports of CNN-Turk interview with U.S. deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz. DepSecDef is quoted as saying on Tuesday that Turkey should admit it had made a mistake when it refused to allow U.S. soldiers to operate from Turkey in the Iraq campaign,. Turkey's military wasn't powerful enough to sway politicians, Wolfowitz noted. `Turkey has attempted to make deals with one of the worst dictators the world had seen. Turkey should admit its mistake. We believe that Iran and Syria must their change attitude, and Turkish relations with them should be parallel to U.S. policy,' he stressed. Papers state Wolfowitz complained that the Turkish government and public have not grasped the Iraqi reality. He also said that Turkey would not be given an immediate role in peacekeeping activities in Iraq, as that the Iraqi people were not positive about their neighbors, including Turkey. He is further quoted as saying,`We were told to leave Incirlik Air Base. We will not stay anywhere we're not wanted. We don't think Incirlik will maintain its significance in the future,' Wolfowitz added. He also made it clear that U.S. would not allow unilateral military action in Northern Iraq, and warned that Turkish troops should act in coordination with the coalition forces. "Hurriyet" opined that Wolfowitz has openly said things thus far uttered only behind closed doors in the Pentagon. "Sabah" finds the remarks from the `brain of U.S. policy- making mechanism' as strange. "Milliyet" regards the comments as a `threat' to Turkey when Wolfowitz urged Ankara to change its attitude about Iraq if it wanted to repair the strain in ties with the U.S.. "Aksam" says that Turkey's "new neighbor" (the USA with its army in northern Iraq) has issued strong messages, and proposed that Ankara's Iran and Syria policies should be in line with the U.S. conduct." "Turkiye" believes that U.S. is still `angry' with Turkey. "Cumhuriyet" believes that despite the strong criticism, Wolfowitz also offered a formula to sort out problems in bilateral relations. Commentaries say Wolfowitz has disclosed the deepening rift between the two countries. Op- eds in mainstream papers agree that without zigzags, the U.S. has openly indicated that Turkey's significance as a strategic partner would decline if Ankara does not change its attitude, Foreign Minister Gul said Wolfowitz has issued positive messages for the betterment of ties between the two countries, adding that the Wolfowitz comments were `honest, pragmatic and future-bound.' Deputy Chief of Staff, General Buyukanit reportedly said that such remarks were indicative of Wolfowitz's style. Opposition party CHP's leader Baykal said on Wednesday that Wolfowitz's words reflected a `personal disappointment,' and criticized Wolfowitz, `the representative of a country aspiring to bring democracy to the Middle East,' for blaming the military's `ineffectiveness' vis--vis politicians. `The matter has two sides,' said Justice Minister Cicek on Wednesday. `Turkey, in the last 50 years, has always responded positively to U.S. demands. Wolfowitz must remember that U.S. has not always kept its promises to Turkey, as lately seen in the First Gulf War,' Cicek told the press. MOD is denied appointment in U.S.: Dailies report that Minister of Defense, Vecdi Gonul, who arrived in Washington on Saturday for NATO defense ministers' meeting, was denied appointment by senior U.S. officials except for U/S of State Grossman. Papers remind readers that Gonul, who was in the U.S. together with Turkey's foreign and economy ministers before the March vote, had held meetings with high level officials, and was received by President Bush at the White House as well. Papers agree this to be another indication of deteriorating U.S., Turkey ties. (In fact, Gunul had a tight schedule, and had not asked for DOD appointments). Iraq's rebuilding: MFA's Iraq rebuilding coordinator, Ambassador Gunduz Okcun said that contrary to general belief, Iraq's reconstruction would not offer a business volume of $150-200 billion, papers say. Iraq will have to pay, in war reparation and other fees, $500 billion to Kuwait, Iran and some international institutions, Okcun noted. Having significant experience in the region, Turkey is the best candidate for partnership and subcontract work in Iraq, Okcun stressed. Earthquake: "Milliyet" reports that 14 boarding schools in various Turkish provinces are built close to fault lines, endangering lives of thousands of primary school children. President Sezer and TGS Chief General Ozkok have paid a visit to the earthquake-stricken area in Bingol, papers report. Sezer called for the punishment of those who constructed the sub-standard buildings where 167 people lost their lives during last week's earthquake. EDITORIAL OPINION: Wolfowitz remarks about Turkey "US has settled the accounts with Turkey" Ismet Berkan commented on the Wolfowitz remarks in liberal- intellectual Radikal (5/7): "Wolfowitz stated in a very clear tone that Turkey has to accept its mistake on the Iraq issue in order to improve US-Turkey relations. This statement in fact suggests to Turkey a condition to normalize the bilateral ties, which Turkey would never accept. My conclusion from the Wolfowitz remarks is that the US will remain distant toward Turkey as long as the basis of the March 2 atmosphere [the date of parliament's decline of motion] continues to exist. It seems nothing will ever be the same again as far as Turkey-US relations are concerned, because `the vase' is broken and cannot be repaired any more. The only way out is to be able to find a `new vase' and replace the older one." "The Turkey-US Fault Line" Erdal Safak editorialized in mass appeal Sabah (5/7): "The remarks by Wolfowitz very clearly indicate the huge gap in Turkish-American bilateral ties. The Iraq war has turned into a litmus test between the US and its relations with the others. Some passed the test, some -including Turkey-failed. . Now it is the time to settle the accounts and the US is preparing the bill for the losers of this game. Among them, the UN, France and Germany have started receiving `the bill' already. The UN is out of the Iraqi rebuilding program. France is facing punishment by not getting any share in the Iraqi reconstruction projects. . As for Turkey, we can see what type of bill we will have to pay. As Wolfowitz openly stated, Turkey's bill is related to northern Iraq. Turkey will no longer have a say in this area and related developments. . Wolfowitz on the other hand is not closing the door and is showing the way out to normalize the ties again. Yet it remains to be seen if Ankara -both its military, parliament and the government-will be able to admit the mistakes that it made." "AKP is like a thorn in the eye for the US" Murat Yetkin wrote in liberal-intellectual Radikal (5/7): "Wolfowitz claims that the army is the real decision mechanism in Turkey. He does not conceal the serious disappointment in Washington toward the AKP government and questions the reasons for army's reluctance to stand against the AKP approach during the Iraq crisis. At this point, it seems that the AKP looks like a thorn in Washington's eye." "Pentagon speaks its mind in the end" Mehmet Ali Birand wrote in mass appeal-sensational Posta (5/7): "Frankly, though I had expected some reaction, I had not expected it be so bold. The fact that these bitter words come from the Pentagon, the establishment that had always protected Turkey and spoken in its favor, indicates the gravity of the situation. It also indicates the depth of the problem. It is extremely important that Wolfowitz uttered these words-which were of a kind heard in Ankara for the first time. Wolfowitz chose his words with utmost care. However, reading between the lines I get the following message: Northern Iraq is no longer Turkey's back garden. You cannot get into it and exit from it according to your wishes. You cannot act freely there. You have to notify us of your activities, obtain permission from us. And, in the long run, it would be hard for you to remain in Northern Iraq-even if we managed to rebuild our relations to their former level. Stop being preoccupied with the Kurds. What surprised me most was Wolfowitz' remarks about the Turkish Armed Forces. Pentagon used to see the Turkish military as its best ally and never criticized them. This rule too has now been broken. Wolfowitz stressed, for the first time and with special emphasis, that they were bitterly disappointed by way the Turkish General Staff kept quiet when an issue vitally important for Turkey-that is, the U.S. troop deployment in Turkey motion-was about to be put to a vote in Parliament. When certain Pentagon officials called Ankara and received the following answer: `Sorry, we are not the proper interlocutor. Call the government,' and the American military reportedly went crazy. Wolfowitz made it all too clear that Turkey gives the impression that it is very close to Syria and Iran. I read his message in the following manner: If you are going to Syria and Iran in the framework of our policy and in order to relay our views, then there will be no problem. If not, your stance will create the impression that you are against us." PEARSON