ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 003052 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 FRIDAY, MAY 9, 2003 THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE THEMES: HEADLINES BRIEFING EDITORIAL OPINION -------------- HEADLINES MASS APPEAL U.S.: We are hurt. However, we will continue to cooperate- Hurriyet Bush gives guarantee to Sezer for Iraq's Integrity-Hurriyet U.S. is against PKK-Kadek-Hurriyet Defense Minister Gonul criticizes Military for AWACS sale- Aksam The New PKK Step-Sabah Denktas: We will explain the situation to Erdogan today- Sabah Defense Minister Gonul: If the Military did not want it, AWACS would not be purchased-Milliyet Integrity promise from Bush to Sezer-Milliyet OPINION MAKERS Powell: Turkey was not asked to apologise-Radikal A Heavy Cyprus Agenda for Erdogan-Radikal Advise to AKP from IMF-Radikal AWACS crisis between the government and the TGS-Cumhuriyet Perle speaks like Wolfowitz-Yeni Safak Amb.Pearson: Turkish-U.S. relations need mending-Zaman FINANCIAL JOURNALS Perle: Inexperienced government in Turkey is the cause of the crisis-Finansal Forum Erdogan: IMF trusts our determination-Dunya BRIEFING Turkey-U.S.A Relations: After the harsh criticizes of A/S Wolfowitz and U/S Grossman, more criticism comes from the former Pentagon adviser Richard Perle, today's papers report. Speaking at `Forum Istanbul 2003', Perle stressed that Turkey missed big opportunities in Iraq and the relations between Turkey and the US was damaged but continues. Mending Turco-American bilateral ties depended on Turkey's cooperation on Syria and Iran policy. "Zaman" reports that US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher in turn stressed that Richard Perle is a private citizen and he does not speak for the U.S. Government. "Zaman" also reports (inaccurately - Ed.)US Ambassador Robert Pearson saying that `the ties between Turkey and the US would not be the same anymore after the crisis faced during the Iraq war. The article further alleges that the Ambassador said that Turkey had disappointed the US with its stance during the war and that relations between the two countries needed mending.' "Hurriyet" and "Milliyet" report that President Bush, in order to ease the tension between the two countries, gave a guarantee to President Sezer on Iraq's integrity, during his condolence call after the Bingol earthquake. PKK: "Sabah" reports that Turkey and the US decide to take new steps against the PKK. While US issues a call to surrender to PKK militants, Turkey, as it was discussed at the last NSC meeting, debates on a "repentance plan" (limited amnesty) for PKK militants. "Hurriyet" columnist Sedat Ergin writes that `The PKK-KADEK is in the US' terrorist organizations list, among others. He adds that if Turkey had not rejected the motion for cooperation with the US, Turkish army would be given the right to fight against PKK in Northern Iraq. The refusal of the motion left the control of 5.000 PKK-KADEK militants to fellow Kurds, Barzani and Talabani. It is clear that Turkey has not given any intelligence reports to the US about the PKK and the Turkish side complains that so far US had given Ankara no details about its plan on this issue. The US might issue a call for surrender to the militants, and Turkey might pass the repentance law. In this case PKK militants will have to choose between taking advantage of the repentance law and incurring US reactions. The PKK-KADEK issue will become a new test for Turco-American relations. Mass appeal Milliyet's Fikret Bila noted the intention as well as the efforts for alternate solutions to the PKK/KADEK issue, in Turkey's military and civilian authority. One of the ideas is to announce a `repentance law' to have the PKK militants to put down their arms and give in. AWACS: All papers report that Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul denied the press reports that Turkey had bought AWACS just to please US. He said that the government had decided to approve the purchase because the General Staff had indicated that it needed the AWACS systems. IMF: "Radikal" covers the meetings with IMF deputy director Ann Krueger and the Turkish government officials. Krueger warned the officials on two issues; the money collected in a recent tax amnesty campaign has to be used for debt repayments and Turkey should avoid the changes in the public tender law. Krueger warned the government against the bureaucratic reshuffle and added that the government should carry out reforms in social security. Cyprus: All papers and TV channels cover Prime Minister Erdogan's visit to Cyprus today. He is expected to undertake new moves on the Cyprus issue. "Zaman" describes the visit as "critical" and NTV reports that Erdogan's visit can trigger the tensions with TRNC President Denktas by issuing a message for resuming Cyprus talks. EDITORIAL OPINION: US-Turkey "Wolfowitz pushed the heads out of the sand" Mass appeal daily Hurriyet's Fatih Altayli notes that Wolfowitz was forced to be blunt on Turkey (5/9): "Both the Wolfowitz and Grossman remarks came as no surprise. These views reflect the press commentaries in the near past because, from the very beginning, Americans did not conceal their thoughts. The comments were necessary for putting the bilateral relations back into track. Yet the Turkish side deliberately ignored or avoided the facts. Foreign Minister Gul, for instance, did nothing but repeat the same line as `our relations with the US are going well.' When pressed, he acknowledged the differences about Turkey within Pentagon and State Department, but he ended his statement with an optimistic tone. Now Wolfowitz is applying `shock therapy' in order to stop the never-ending `putting heads in the sand' policy." "The way to repair the damage" Sami Kohen wrote in mass appeal Milliyet (5/9): "Both sides have made mistakes in the course of the Iraq war. And it should be for the experts and concerned officials to work on the mistakes and make sure they will not happen again. Yet in the meantime, both sides should refrain from making provocative remarks and sending messages via the media. If this happens to be the case, then the damage will be easier to repair. . The way out of the crisis is to take lessons from the past and move on together. . There are some areas, which make the cooperation easy, such as Iraq's economic restructuring. Yet there are some other areas, which seem to be tough on reaching consensus, such as policies on Syria and Iran. The best way is, regardless of tough or easy issues, to ensure a good way of communication. And it is better to discuss projects rather than focusing on polemical rhetoric." "Turkey has to decide" Erdal Guven argued in liberal-intellectual Radikal (5/9): "There is no need to fool ourselves. Turkey has never been a strategic partner of the US in genuine terms. The US has two strategic partners, UK and Israel, and that's all. . This does not necessarily mean that the US cannot engage in strategic cooperation or cannot form strategic alliances with the others, including Turkey. A strategic alliance with Turkey is regional and multi-faceted. But the Iraq issue caused mistrust, and the bilateral relations are going through a trust test right now. . Actually Wolfowitz is clearly telling us that `you have made a mistake but it can be made up.' Thus the decision is to us." PEARSON