ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 003401 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 23, 2003 THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE THEMES: HEADLINES BRIEFING EDITORIAL OPINION -------------- HEADLINES MASS APPEAL UN decides U.S., UK to control Iraqi oil - Aksam Saddam gone, fighting in UN over - Aksam Chirac expected to attack Bush at G-8 Summit - Miliiyet U.S. kicks France out of Red Flag military exercise - Sabah Propaganda in Kurdish excluded from the EU package - Hurriyet Denktas: I'll never sign Annan's Cyprus plan - Hurriyet Cenbank could not halt diving Dollar - Vatan Greek Cypriots' Hagia Sophia joy - Milliyet Government: Everything's fine with IMF - Turkiye OPINION MAKERS Sanctions lifted: U.S. can sell Iraqi oil as it pleased - Radikal UN endorses Iraq's occupation: Sanctions removed - Cumhuriyet U.S. Embassy: No hidden agreement on Iraq - Yeni Safak Government's EU reforms revolutionary - Yeni Safak Armenian Genocide bill to U.S. House - Zaman Greek Cypriots in Turkey after 40 years - Radikal Kazakhstan wants to get into BTC pipeline - Cumhuriyet FINANCIAL JOURNALS Diving Dollar deliberate U.S. policy to hurt Europe - Finansal Forum U.S. got it: Iraqi sanctions removed - Dunya Turkey, Kazakhstan 10-year economic cooperation agreement - Dunya BRIEFING Iraqi sanctions: U.S. has made various concession to France, Germany and Russia, and managed to get UN sanctions on Iraq lifted, dailies report, adding that Iraqi oil will soon begin to flow through the Kirkuk-Yumurtalik pipeline to Turkey. Iraqi oil revenues previously controlled by the UN will be transferred to the Iraqi Development Fund, papers note. Foreign Minister Gul hailed the `historic' decision adopted by the UN. U.S. Ambassador to Ankara, Robert Pearson said on TV on Friday that it would be in Turkey's interest if Ankara pursued an Iraq policy parallel to the American one. Ambassador Pearson stressed that Turkey would play a role in the U.S. projects of bringing democracy to Iraq, and peace to the Middle East. Pearson reminded viewers that the U.S. has been working with Turkey to provide natural gas, food and water in Iraq's rebuilding process. Ambassador Pearson also noted that Iran and Syria should accept the new reality in Iraq. Iraq: U.S. Embassy Ankara has released a statement denying the former Prime Minister Ecevit's claim last week of a `hidden agreement' between the U.S. and Kurdish nationalists living outside Turkey, "Milliyet" reports. The paper quote the press release as saying that the `U.S. has worked clearly and openly to ensure the maintenance of the territorial integrity of Iraq and will continue to do so,' the statement said. "Radikal" notices a `slight improvement' in Turkey-U.S. ties as seen in the `first high- level visit' by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Lynn Pascoe's meetings with the MFA and government officials on Thursday. Pascoe has expressed disappointment with Turkey's reluctance to cooperate with the U.S. in war with Iraq. Turkish officials explained it as a by a `democratic reflex' of the regime, Radikal says. A "Milliyet" op-ed believes Turkey's interests require good relations with the new Iraq and the Iraqi Kurds. Bearing in mind the Arab region's enmity of Israel and the Jews, U.S. cannot discard Turkey, the commentator thinks. The column also stresses that some `miscalculation' by Ankara had a damaging effect on Turkey, U.S. ties. EU reforms; IMF: The latest EU harmonization laws reform package brings some significant changes, papers report: The National Security Council (NSC) will not be represented any more in a censor's board checking the content of films and songs. Article 8 of the Law on the Struggle Against Terrorism, which bans propaganda violating the integrity of the state, will be scrapped. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) decisions will be taken into account as grounds for retrials, and the powers of State Security Courts (DGMs) will be curtailed. However, some reforms considered earlier by the government are not included in the package: Propaganda in Kurdish will not be allowed during elections, and NSC will continue to be represented at the media watchdog Radio and Television High Council (RTUK), reports underline. Meanwhile, State Minister Babacan said that completion of the fifth IMF review might be delayed due to the scheduled timetable of the Parliament. The IMF team will leave Turkey on May 31, and IMF's Riza Moghadam is expected to replace Turkey Desk Chief Juha Kahkonen, papers report. Greek Cypriots visit Turkey after 40 years: A 40-year taboo ends and 270 Greek Cypriots on board six buses came through the Greek, Turkish border on Thursday to Istanbul after the GOT decision to allow Greek Cypriots into Turkey without visas, all dailies report. Papers say Greek Cypriot visitors were surprised by the warm reception given to them in Turkey. Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot leader Denktas said that the emerging oil pipelines from the Caucasus to Turkey have added to the geo-strategic importance of Cyprus, which, he believes, is a trump card in Turkey's hands. Denktas claimed the UN plan for Cyprus was designed to provide legitimacy to the Greek Cypriots' EU accession, and that he would never sign it. EDITORIAL OPINION: Genocide resolution on the Congressional agenda "A litmus test at the Congress for Turkish-American Friendship" Fatih Altayli warns against the Judiciary Committee-approved resolution in mass appeal Hurriyet (5/23): "The US House of Representatives is being manipulated by the Armenian lobby. The recent draft resolution, which was sent to the floor, is skillfully crafted to disguise the real goal: to have the US Congress approve the Armenian genocide claims. . Turkish- American relations have gone through a similar case during the Clinton era. It was the time of much better relations between the two countries, and Clinton intervened at the last minute to prevent a similar resolution from adopted by the Congress. It remains to be seen whether President Bush is going to take the same move this time. It is also possible President Bush might use the same argument, just like the Turkish leaders Gul and Erdogan did during the parliamentary rejection of the motion on the Iraq war, i.e. "such things happen in a functioning democracy". . Thus the whole issue will be like a litmus test vis--vis the Turkish- American relationship and its future prospects." "Turkey needs the Pentagon's support" Zeynep Gurcanli wrote in tabloid Star (5/23): "The draft at the Congressional agenda has a reference to the genocide against Jews, therefore the Jewish lobby did not take any action in support of Turkey. State Department tried to block the draft or at least to omit the expression `Armenian genocide' yet failed. In the past, a similar draft was prevented from receiving Congressional approval following the Pentagon's intervention. At that time, the Pentagon listed the facts about military sales to Turkey and used this argument before the congressmen by underlying that the US should avoid moves that could harm its loyal ally. . However, the basis for this argument has collapsed when the motion allowing US troops in Turkey was rejected by the Turkish Parliament. The hawks in the Pentagon were deeply disappointed with the attitude of Turkey. For this reason, Turkey will now be deprived of Pentagon support in a very critical time. And the fact of the matter is that for Turkey there will be very hard times ahead if they must deal with mojor issues in the absence of Pentagon's support." PEARSON