ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 004131

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, JUNE 27, 2003


THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE
THEMES:


HEADLINES
BRIEFING
EDITORIAL OPINION


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HEADLINES


MASS APPEAL
Iranian students warn Khatami - Sabah
Bush's company Vinnell to train new Iraqi army - Hurriyet
State Dept., CIA disagree over Iraqi weapons program - Aksam
Arafat expects support from Turkey - Milliyet
Turk and Armenian women's Yerevan summit - Hurriyet


OPINION MAKERS
Mideast cease-fire attempts in vain - Radikal
Arafat: Peace depends on Israel - Radikal
U.S. official: U.S. unprepared for post-war Iraq - Zaman
Annan: UN unprepared for Iraq - Yeni Safak
CIA's dirty company Vinnell in Iraq - Yeni Safak
As-Sahaf was released after a short detention - Cumhuriyet
Historic agreement for London, Moscow natural gas pipeline -
Cumhuriyet




BRIEFING


NSC meeting: The National Security Council (NSC) has
discussed on Thursday the EU adjustment package, and amnesty
for PKK/KADEK members. A NSC declaration said Turkey's EU
harmonization attempt should be carried out in line with
"republican principles", and that EU should not delay
accession negotiations with Turkey. All papers say that the
NSC's military wing is concerned that amendment to the Law
on Struggle Against Terrorism, and broadcast in languages
other than Turkish could boost terror.


President against unrestricted access to bases: President
Sezer has voiced objection to a government decision to give
the U.S. and its coalition partners unlimited access to
Turkish bases and harbors, and advised the cabinet to limit
the access period to one year, papers say. Sezer approved
the classified government decision to open bases for Iraqi
humanitarian efforts after access for foreigners was limited
to one year, reports note. Foreign Minister Gul is reported
as saying that combatant forces would not use Turkey's bases
for transit passage to Iraq.


Susurluk suspect acquitted: Former DYP deputy Sedat Bucak,
who was charged for sheltering criminals and involvement in
underground activities was acquitted in the Susurluk case
for investigating links between the state and mafia, dailies
report. Bucak, a southeastern tribal leader, has survived a
crash while travelling in the same car with a high level
police officer and a former right-wing terrorist near the
Aegean town of Susurluk in November 1996.
7th EU harmonization package underway: Foreign Minister Gul
said that a 7th "adjustment package" drafted by the
government for Turkey's EU drive would primarily regulate
relations between the military and civilians, papers say.
The new package will expand freedom of expression, bring
reforms to the judiciary, and raise the level of
accountability in the public sector, Gul noted.


HR commission meets Armenians: A delegation of the
parliamentary human rights commission has paid a visit to
the Armenian Patriarch Mesrob II in Istanbul on Thursday to
hear complaints and problems, papers report. The commission
will continue meetings with other minority groups in Turkey,
reports say.


Run Agra Co. to breed cattle in Turkey: Turkey's Yasar
Holding Group of companies has tied a preliminary deal with
the U.S. Run Agra company for breeding of beef cattle,
"Hurriyet" reports. U.S. Ambassador to Ankara, Robert
Pearson, will attend the signing ceremony in Izmir on June

30. The U.S. government has guaranteed a $460,000 grant for
the project, Hurriyet says.


EDITORIAL OPINION: Iraq


"Things are getting messy"
Hasan Unal argued in Islamist-intellectual Zaman (6/27):
"Despite the media overlook, the fact of the matter is that
things in Iraq are getting messier for the US everyday.
Arabs are becoming more displeased with the occupation
itself as well as the occupation forces. . The anti-American
or anti-British incidents seem to be individual cases yet
the US should not be surprised if this kind of resistance
turns into an organized movement in the course of time.
Americans in Iraq did not take the necessary steps for
establishment of a new Iraqi administration in the post
Saddam era. Instead their focus somehow shifted from
administrative issues to organize Kurds in the north. The
US plan might be using the Kurds in order to block the rise
of Arab nationalism, yet it does not seem to be working
well."


"US in the post war era"
Fehmi Koru observed in Washington in Islamist-intellectual
Yeni Safak (6/27): "It seems the popular support that both
US and UK administrations have been enjoying before the war,
has started diminishing. There are many confused minds in
Washington and they all seem to be in the process of
recalculation. The US administration is not presenting a
unified picture, and Pentagon's power has become a
disturbing factor for the other administrative departments.
There are more comments and analysis than before about the
neo-cons being solely influential over the Bush
administration. . Turkey, on the other hand, had proven its
functioning democracy before the Iraq war. And its
importance was once again underlined by President Bush as he
was reaffirming US support for Turkey's EU accession."


PEARSON