ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000462 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, JANUARY 17, 2003 THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE THEMES: HEADLINES BRIEFING EDITORIAL OPINION -------------- HEADLINES MASS APPEAL Ankara calls regional countries to peace summit on Iraq - Milliyet Ankara to ask NATO for Patriots on Iraqi border - Sabah Shocking news: Empty chemical warheads found in Iraq - Hurriyet Blix warns Saddam for the last time - Turkiye Safire: Turkey must fulfill requirements of strategic partnership - Vatan `Secret voice' Safire angry at Ankara - Aksam U.S. bombardment will hit historical monuments too - Turkiye OPINION MAKERS Ankara concerned about post-Saddam period - Radikal Safire has gone too far - Yeni Safak Berlin, Paris cautious about NATO shield for Turkey - Zaman IMF not convinced about privatization package - Cumhuriyet FINANCIAL JOURNALS Wertheimer: If Turkey fails, the region fails - Dunya TUSIAD complains to Krueger about government, IMF, EU - Finansal Forum BRIEFING Iraq: Dailies report that the U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Richard Myers, will visit Turkey on January 19-20. After inspecting Incirlik airbase, Gen. Myers is expected to hold meetings with the TGS, the Defense Minister, and the Prime Minister in Ankara on January 20. Papers report that 20 U.S. experts inspected the Yenice train station in Mersin province. "Hurriyet" emphasizes Yenice's significance as the main ground route for transporting military equipment to the front ivia the Mersin- Baghdad railroad. Reports note that U.S. experts were denied access to a Turkish military arms storage facility near Yenice station. Meanwhile, dailies report that the U.S. Embassy in Ankara has stepped up lobbying efforts on the Iraq issue, and will brief the heads of some parliamentary committees and deputies from AKP and CHP. Ambassador Pearson is expected to host Parliamentary Speaker Arinc at a dinner at his residence Friday evening. All dailies carry a William Safire op-ed in the NYT urging Turkey to allow deployment of U.S. soldiers and to mass 100,000 troops on the Iraqi border as a warning to Saddam Hussein. Papers carry Safire's strong criticism of the `government which has Islamic, rather than secular, roots,' and his reaction to Turkey's reluctance to open a front against Iraq. Dailies report that President Sezer, Prime Minister Gul, Foreign Minister Yakis, TGS Chief Gen. Ozkok and senior officials will meet at the presidency on Friday to discuss a proposed summit meeting of regional countries in Istanbul on January 23. MFA U/S Amb. Ziyal discussed the initiative on Thursday with the ambassadors of Egypt, Jordan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Gul is due to embark on a new Middle East tour soon, and papers anticipate that he will visit the U.S. and EU countries as well. Visit by IMF's Krueger: IMF's First Deputy Director Anne Krueger is dubious about the ambitious privatization package announced by the AKP government, and issued strong warnings in her discussions in Ankara. Krueger met with bureaucrats in the economic ministries as well as the Finance Minister, the State Minister for the economy, the Deputy Prime Minister, and the Prime Minister on Thursday. Krueger warned that a prospective tax amnesty would result in lost revenues, and advised the government not to change the public procurement law. Krueger also urged the government to undertake rational moves for strengthening the banking sector. QIZ: "Hurriyet" reports Israeli industrialist Stef Wertheimer's initiative to build a technology park on 124,000 sq. meters in the organized industrial zone of Gebze, near Istanbul. The U.S. Embassy has told Washington that Gebze may be the most appropriate location for implementing a possible U.S.-Turkish deal on QIZs. The new government is expected to invite Wertheimer to a meeting of foreign investors in Ankara, according to Hurriyet. Wertheimer is quoted as saying that he would show assist small and medium-scale companies in Gebze to gain access to the U.S. market. Since the U.S.-Turkey QIZ has been proposed within the framework of the U.S.-Israel Free Trade arrangement, an Israeli partner enhances Gebze's chances of being included as a location for the QIZ. EDITORIAL OPINION: a) Iraq b) Cyprus "The visit of Myers: Are you in or out?" Kamuran Ozbir commented in nationalist Ortadogu (1/17): "The visit of General Myers an attempt to get Ankara's response about cooperation against Saddam Hussein. In fact, the Turkish military, even in the absence of a political decision, is rapidly preparing for a war. The Turkish and American militaries are working on joint operational plans. Washington apparently considers the decision to allow site survey teams as a signal for more comprehensive cooperation. Yet conflicting remarks from government figures continue to cause frustration in Washington. Therefore, the purpose of the Myers visit is to ask Ankara whether Turkey is `in' or `out.' . Turkey's hesitation is fully justified, and it is the right approach to work for a peaceful settlement. Yet realism should also be attached to this consideration. First of all, Saddam Hussein is not part of Iraq's future, but the United States is. Secondly, the UN embargo continues, and any bilateral trade agreement with Iraq is doomed to be futile. Iraq is Turkey's neighbor. However, it is Turkey and the US which are friends and strategic partners. Thus it seems against Turkish interests to harm this partnership by going hand-in-hand with Iraq." "What has changed in Cyprus?" Sami Kohen wrote in mass appeal Milliyet (1/17): "The most significant change in the Turkish side is the explosion in calls for Cyprus settlement. Recently, 40-50 thousand people -- one quarter of the total population of northern Cyprus -- gathered in Nicosia to demand a rapid solution to the Cyprus issue. Some might interpret this as a result of manipulation or provocation. However, Denktas and Ankara should evaluate the demonstration in a cold-blooded manner, and accept that their wrong policies have contributed to the increase of tensions in Northern Cyprus. . There are some changes in Turkey as well. Many circles share the view that Turkey should undertake more energetic steps for peace. However, this trend is against official state policy. The indecision of Turkish officials is clearly seen in controversial statements made by the government, especially the Foreign Ministry. Turkey first announced that it was sticking to its official policy on Cyprus, than said that there were some changes in its stance, then later explained that the changes were not related to the fundamental issues. . There is still confusion in Ankara about the policy change, but the rhetoric is linked more to Turkey's tactics. First of all, Turkey will not consider proceeding with the Turkey-TRNC integration plan if no agreement is reached by 28 February. Negotiations will continue for a while, but there will be no change in the other elements of the official policy. The situation in Southern Cyprus has not changed. In contrast to the wide public support for the UN plan in the north, the Greek Cypriots are not happy with the plan because they feel the Turks have been given too many concessions. Despite the negative public mood, Clerides is ready to discuss the plan. . The Greek Cypriots and Clerides might not be willing to change, because in any case they will soon join the EU. Some observers say that Clerides's goal is to take his place in history as a politician who worked out a settlement on Cyprus. . In fact, Southern Cyprus also needs a change. There will be no breakthrough on Cyprus if both leaders fail to demonstrate a new approach to the disagreements at the negotiating table." PEARSON