ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 003458 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 TUESDAY, MAY 27, 2003 THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE THEMES: HEADLINES BRIEFING EDITORIAL OPINION -------------- HEADLINES MASS APPEAL Gen. Ozkok: No disagreement among TGS command - Milliyet Wolfowitz continues firing at Turkey - Hurriyet 5/25 Wolfowitz: Turkish military should have supported government - Radikal 5/25 Papadopoulos: Turkey's EU entry will help solving Cyprus problem - Turkiye Gul thinks EU might lift sanctions on TRNC - Sabah Athens, Ankara might sign `Aegean Accord' - Aksam Dogfight in Aegean to end - Vatan Turkey wants to host Israel, Palestine summit - Hurriyet Israel says `Yes' to Palestine state - Hurriyet 5/26 20,000 additional U.S. troops to Iraq - Milliyet U.S. intends to topple the Iranian regime - Sabah 5/26 U.S. moves to incite rebellion in Iran - Milliyet 5/26 OPINION MAKERS Gen. Ozkok: I'm proud to be a democrat - Radikal Gen. Ozkok denounces military coup rumors - Zaman Gen. Ozkok: TGS concerned about AKP partisan moves - Cumhuriyet Arabs, Turkomans might boycott Kirkuk elections - Radikal 5/26 The Observer: Americans mistreating Iraqi POWs - Yeni Safak Denktas: Don't need the Annan Plan - Radikal Greece wants solution by Annan Plan - Zaman FINANCIAL JOURNALS UN: Iraq's needs must be met from Turkey - Dunya Foreign Capital Ass'n. (YASED) plan meetings in New York, London, Tokyo - Finansal Forum BRIEFING Gen. Ozkok on TGS `discomfort' of AKP: In a meeting with bureau chiefs of dailies on Monday, TGS Chief General Ozkok responded to press reports about the young military officers' uneasiness with the AKP government's `regressive' policies. Gen. Ozkok condemned the report, and said there was no such thing as `hawks' and `doves' in the military. Gen. Ozkok has strongly stood against the possibility of a military take over, papers say. However, he also stressed that if the reasons that had drawn military intervention in the past emerge again, the result would be the same. Gen. Ozkok denied recent press reports about `orchestrated' cooperation between the government and military. He openly voiced discomfort over the AKP government's assignment of fundamentalists to key bureaucratic posts, reports note. `Not only the young officers, but the whole military is upset with such partisan appointments,' Gen. Ozkok said. He also added: `A NATO member, the Turkish army has been part of Europe for 50 years. Our military is not against EU membership. However, we believe that Turkey should join the EU on equal conditions, and by preserving its national and geographical unity.' Mainstream papers agree that Gen. Ozkok has issued serious warnings to the AKP government. Commenting on the Ozkok remarks, Prime Minister Erdogan said they were part of the democratic process in Turkey, and that everything was normal. U.S., Turkey relations: Dailies carried on Sunday excerpts from Deputy Secretary of Defense Wolfowitz's op-ed in the Boston Globe, in which Wolfowitz allegedly `reiterated' his criticism of Turkish military for failing to display leadership during the Iraq crisis. Wolfowitz has sent supportive messages for the AKP government, papers claim. Had the military encouraged the government to support the U.S. in war with Iraq, it would have backed the new civilian government rather than interfering in Turkey's international affairs, Wolfowitz is cited as writing. Wolfowitz said that Foreign Minister Gul, who has read the transcript of his interview with Turkish journalists, saw his strong support for Turkey's democracy, papers note. Meanwhile, Monday's papers report recent meetings General David McKiernan held with Iraqi political groups. Gen. McKiernan is quoted as saying at the meetings that he would disarm all Iraqi groups except the Kurds, and proposed that the `peshmerge army' should protect Iraq's borders, according to papers. Such a `rewarding' of Kurds drew significant reaction from Arab and Shiite leaders, who believe the move will bring `Lebanization' of Iraq. A Washington official said Gen. McKiernan's decision was `controversial,' and that it would probably be withdrawn, says `Sabah.' A UN decision on Iraq will enable Turkey to get paid for $1.5 billion of agreements Turkish companies have tied with Iraq within the oil-for-food program, Sunday's "Hurriyet" reports. $948 million of the agreements are approved by the UN, the report claims. State Minister Kursad Tuzmen, who had paid a controversial business trip accompanied by a large delegation of businessmen to Iraq under Saddam Hussein's rule, said he saw no problem regarding the agreements that were tied with Baghdad on that visit. Tuzmen claimed a recent UN decision said the oil-for-food program would be valid for six months, and that Turkish companies should act fast to get their money. Cyprus: Greek and Turkish foreign ministers, Papandreou and Gul came together in the Greek island of Crete have worked out `confidence building measures' such as the exchange of army officials and cooperation between military hospitals, Tuesday's papers say. Papandreou welcomed free passage on Cyprus and Ankara's decision to allow Greek Cypriots in Turkey without visas, while Gul called for removal of international sanctions on Turkish Cypriots, and promised, in exchange, additional positive steps forward from the Turkish side. All papers expect an end to dogfights between Turkish and Greek pilots over the Aegean. Eurovision Song Contest; Soccer; Plane crash: A military plane carrying 62 Spanish peacekeepers returning from Afghanistan crashed near Turkey's Black Eastern province of Trabzon while attempting to land in thick fog on Monday, papers report. Spanish soldiers and the 13-memebr crew all died in the crash. Turkish singer Sertab Erener won the Eurovision Song Contest, weekend papers report. Greek Cypriots and Greeks contributed to Turkey's success by giving high points to Erener's song `Every Way That I Can,' reports underline. Papers tie this outcome to the prevailing sympathy in European countries for Turkey's defiance of U.S. in war with Iraq. Istanbul's `Besiktas' soccer club has become Turkey's soccer league champion after defeating its closest rival Galatasaray in the derby game on Sunday, all papers report. Besiktas is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. EDITORIAL OPINION a) Iraq sanctions lifted b) US-Turkey "United Nations of America" Haluk Ulman argued in economic-political Dunya (5/27): "The UNSC resolution is a declaration of the US shaping the Iraq issue. The resolution which passed after France and Russia failed to block it, provides extraordinary authority to both the US and the UK on Iraq's future political and economic structure. This means that the Bush administration has now obtained international legitimacy which did not exist during the Iraq operation. . The latest resolution at the UN is an indication of France and Russia `turning themselves in' before the US supremacy. Therefore the US will not be looking for a new international organizational system in order to have its policies approved. From now on, the United Nations will serve to provide approval for the unilateral acts of the US." "Tuning the relations with Washington" Zeynep Gurcanli wrote in tabloid Star (5/26): "There is going to be an important visit from Turkey to US, --a first after the parliamentary motion-led crisis about Iraq. Details are still in the works for a visit by Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ziyal to Washington. His mission will be `tuning up' the bilateral relations. . This visit is designed to take place in a silent fashion so that a follow- up by Foreign Minister Gul can be done. FM Gul hopes to go to Washington if Ziyal comes back with `continuation of strategic partnership as well as normalization' messages from Washington. . The main issue for discussion during U/S Ziyal's visit to Washington will be Iraq, and Turkey's possible role in the rebuilding process. The US is distant to the idea for Turkey being part of multi-national stability force, therefore, Turkey is very much interested in involving economic and social projects for Iraq. . Among other things, Turkey will offer Washington to train the whole Iraqi police force. Ziyal's visit is an important one to eliminate `back channels' in the bilateral relations. And the follow up visit, when it takes place, will be even more important." PEARSON