MASS APPEALS Bush: Saddam regime has collapsed - Aksam Bush: Those murderers were enemies of the Iraqi people - Sabah Talabani informed on Uday, Kusay - Turkiye Mosul center of Iraqi resistance - Hurriyet Bremer cold to UN umbrella for Iraqi peacekeeping - Milliyet Pakistan asks Turkey before sending troops to Iraq - Milliyet
OPINION MAKERS Powell says U.S. ties with Turkey strong - Yeni Safak Iraqis vow to avenge killing of Saddam's sons - Cumhuriyet Mahmud Osman: PKK not a terror organization - Yeni Safak Turkomen to rally in Baghdad - Zaman Amnesty International blames U.S. for torturing Iraqis - Cumhuriyet AI: U.S. a torturer - Radikal `Hi' magazine targets Arab youth - Radikal
BRIEFING
FM Gul in the U.S.: Foreign Minister Gul will meet with Vice President Cheney, Secretary of State Powell, and Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld in Washington on
SIPDIS Thursday. Dailies expect Gul to make clear that Turkey does not want to act as a gendarme force in Iraq, and does not want to come into conflict with the local people. Gul will also say that Ankara will consult with the EU and Islamic countries before deploying its troops to Iraq.
Turkish troops for Iraq peacekeeping: President Sezer said on Wednesday that Turkey should deploy troops in Iraq only in the event of a UN resolution, and that a new motion must be approved by the parliament in order for Turkey to contribute to the peacekeeping force. Foreign Minister Gul is expected to tell Washington about Ankara's preference for a UN or NATO umbrella for Iraqi peacekeeping.
Turkey, Greece sign cooperation agreements: NATO Secretary-General Robertson said on Wednesday that
SIPDIS Turkey and Greece had signed two new confidence- building agreements regarding the exchange of military personnel. The agreements will help to reduce tensions caused by Greek complaints against Turkey at EU and NATO platforms last month.
Cabinet approves EU reforms package: The Council of Ministers approved a 7th package of EU harmonization laws on Wednesday and submitted it to the parliament for approval. The package limits the authority of the National Security Council (NSC) Secretary-General, and envisages that a civilian will be assigned to that post. Based on objections by the TGS, however, the principle of secrecy in the oversight of defense spending will be preserved.
Parliament rejects amnesty bill: The ruling AKP failed to pass a controversial amnesty bill for members of terrorist organizations. About 60 AKP lawmakers voted against or abstained from the motion that would have brought reductions in criminal penalties for defectors from terror organizations. The rejection has forced the AKP to pull back the draft for further review in committee.
Former ministers charged with corruption: A parliamentary commission investigating corruption has opened the way for legal probes into two former prime ministers, DSP leader Bulent Ecevit and ANAP leader Mesut Yilmaz, and 23 other former ministers. Yilmaz and Ecevit could face between six and ten years in prison for irregularities in state-owned banks and facilities. Papers criticize the fact that some AKP cabinet members, like the ministers of transportation and finance, are immune to corruption charges against them, while former ministers will be investigated.
EDITORIAL OPINION: Saddam's sons dead/Iraqi stabilization
"Two sides of the truth" Sami Kohen wrote in mass appeal Milliyet (7/24): "The deaths of Saddam Hussein's sons represent the elimination of one more reminder of Saddam's regime. The operation was not only a military success, but also boosted morale for the US following the increase in attacks against American soldiers in Iraq. . On the other hand, continued resistance from the Iraq people, whether motivated by ideology or economics, is a bad sign for the US in Iraq. The Bush administration has so far pursued a unilateral, even arrogant policy. Yet it remains to be seen to what extent this policy will be revised in light of current situation. It is certain that the Bush administration is considering the issue due to the growing reaction of the American public. Initial signals from Washington show renewed US interest in dialogue with its friends and allies, and the possibility of establishing a security mechanism under a UN umbrella. If all of this really happens, the Bush administration will be able to win over the natural friends of the US and overcome the difficulties in Iraq's critical transition period."
"The mistakes of the Hawks" Cuneyt Ulsever commented in mass appeal Hurriyet (7/24): "Turkey should send its troops to Iraq. Yet we should also be able to discuss the mistakes made during the Iraq crisis. Turkey's hawks made many mistakes, and Turkey has been left without any coherent policy on the issue. . The US hawks have also made many mistakes, however. The ongoing mess in Iraq is proof of that. Hawks are good at military strategies, but fail dramatically when it comes to political planning and social order. Their narrow-minded approach tells them to act with physical force at the expense of social and political factors. Hawks not only lost in Iraq, but also managed to create seriously high anti-American sentiment in Turkey, which used to be staunch ally and friend of the US. Hawks think and act unilaterally, which in itself is incompatible with societies that are changing in a dynamic way. . A Turkish military presence would help the US to overcome this problem."
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