ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 000489 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, JANUARY 21, 2003 THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE THEMES: HEADLINES BRIEFING EDITORIAL OPINION -------------- HEADLINES MASS APPEAL Ankara wants U.S. troop numbers below 10,000 - Hurriyet Ankara to U.S.: Three bases are sufficient - Milliyet Gen. Myers: We prefer a peaceful solution - Turkiye Gul: No war for the sake of economy, humanity - Sabah Bagistani: U.S. met with PKK six times - Milliyet OPINION MAKERS Gen. Myers: No lack of cooperation with Turkey - Radikal Gen. Myers: We aim to guarantee stability - Cumhuriyet Gen. Myers: We are strategic partners with Turkey- Zaman Ankara finds Washington's demands excessive - Yeni Safak Iraq promises UN full cooperation - Yeni Safak Bargaining for venue of Iraq summit - Zaman Gul letter to Bush: Turkey's economic program will continue uninterrupted - Radikal FINANCIAL JOURNALS War risk has not halted investors - Dunya Gul wants a smaller budget - Finansal Forum BRIEFING General Myers visit: Dailies report that Ankara asked Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Myers, to reduce the U.S. request for the number of U.S. troops to be deployed in Turkey to no more than 10,000. Turkey's decision regarding the other demands of the U.S. will be made after the release of the UN arms inspectors' report on January 27. Reports claim that Gen. Myers bargained for the use of eight Turkish bases, three ports, and transit passage for 80,000 U.S. troops. Ankara prefers that 30,000 U.S. be sent to Northern Iraq, and 10,000 deployed in Turkey. In his meetings with the TGS and MOD, Gen. Myers said the U.S. supports Turkey's regional peace initiative. Reports claim that TGS officials told Gen. Myers that Incirlik, Batman, and Diyarbakir bases would be sufficient for the U.S. in a war with Iraq. The TGS believes that international legitimacy is essential for military action, and the two sides have agreed to get a NATO decision for the operation. Reports suggest that Ankara has agreed to allow the stationing or transit of 15,000 U.S. troops, and that the issue will be discussed at the January 31 National Security Council (NSC) meeting in Ankara. In a press conference before departing Turkey, Gen. Myers stressed that the President of the U.S. has not yet made a decision for war. The U.S. is massing troops in the region to show support for the UN, and to show determination to destroy Iraqi WMD. Iraq: Ankara has started preparations for holding a regional peace summit meeting in Istanbul, but Syria insists that the venue should be Damascus. Papers add that Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Jordan have agreed that the summit should be held at the foreign minister level. Turkey says that Baghdad should be urged to abide by UNSC resolutions, while Iran and Syria want to add to the final communique a warning against `the hostile policy pursued by the U.S.' Diplomatic observers believe the prospective meeting of foreign ministers could fail if no compromise is worked out today. Some papers see the main problem as being the competition between the regional countries for the leading role in the Middle East. Meanwhile, papers report that AKP leader Erdogan is to meet with Secretary Powell at the World Economic Forum meetings in Davos January 23-28. Papers expect Secretary Powell to urge Erdogan to push Ankara for a fast decision on Iraq. Prosecutor demands 10 years for Fethullah Gulen: An Ankara State Security Court prosecutor has demanded a ten year prison sentence for Islamist leader Fethullah Gulen, and has asked for his arrest in absentia. Gulen is charged with attempting to replace the secular state with a religious one, according to Turkish dailies. The prosecutor said that the Gulen group aimed to launch a Holy War (Jihad,) which should be considered within the concept of terrorism. Gulen's attorneys have requested that the arrest warrant be waived, saying that their client is undergoing medical treatment in the U.S. The judge turned down the arrest warrant, and postponed the hearing. Cyprus: Turkish Cypriot leader Denktas claimed on Monday that remarks by Greek Cypriot leader Clerides have been reflected in the UN peace plan. Clerides has said that the Greek Cypriots' accession to the EU would render Turkey's guarantor status over Cyprus totally ineffective, Denktas noted, a statement that is repeated in the Annan plan. The plan preserves the former and current status of the Greek Cypriots, Denktas complained. Denktas also slammed the U.S. for offering money for the displacement of 200,000 Turks. `Congressional approval for such a fund may take years. How can we solve the problem of a new settlement for those who will lose their homes,' Denktas asked. He proposed instead a payment to Greek Cypriots to remain in their homes instead of moving to the Turkish sector. U.S. meets with the PKK: "Milliyet" quotes the manager of a UN human rights project in Northern Iraq, Davut Bagistani, as claiming that U.S. officials have met six times with the PKK, the last meeting being held one and a half months ago. Bagistani said he personally organized the non-official meetings between the PKK and U.S. officials. The two sides have agreed that in return for the PKK abandoning its armed struggle, the U.S. would pressure Turkey for democratic improvements, Bagistani noted. Bagistani said that the Kurds cannot trust the U.S., since PKK leader Ocalan was handed over to Turkey by the Americans. At the same time, Bagistani added, Kurds cannot dare to defy the superpower. Bagistani claimed that U.S. supports the Kurds as part of a huge American project for the Middle East. The project allegedly includes Pakistan, Afghanistan and the Central Asian republics as well. EDITORIAL OPINION: Iraq "Saddam and peace are incompatible" Hasan Cemal wrote in mass appeal Milliyet (1/21): "Saddam and peace are completely incompatible with one another, because Saddam Hussein represents trouble and instability. Those who rush to Baghdad in the name of peace might unwittingly fall into the traps of war. They may in fact be a comrade of a bloody-handed dictator even without realizing it. . In fact, nobody in this region will mourn for Saddam, yet it is also impossible to argue that getting rid of Saddam is a piece of cake. This brings up the worry of the post-Saddam aftermath, and the related fear of `opening Pandora's box' in the region. Due to the fact that certain worries remain unanswered, war in and of itself is a reason for fear. All of this provides a justification for the ongoing peace efforts to continue to the bitter end." "Nothing new in the northern front" Murat Yetkin analyzes the Myers visit in intellectual- liberal Radikal (1/21): "Those who expected US General Richard Myers to hold a `war summit' in Ankara and to force Turkish officials to make a `final decision' about Iraq have got it wrong. The Turkish government continues its diplomatic initiatives, so it would be unrealistic to expect any radical decision from Ankara at this stage. General Myers told reporters that the impression about the US being impatient is wrong. However, his statement does not reflect the approach of the `hawks' in Washington, which interpret Turkey's limited support for the US as a refusal to cooperate. . At every opportunity Ankara is reminding the US that Turkey's support is subject to parliament's approval, and there is still a possibility that it will be rejected by the Turkish parliament. The US is not pleased with this message, but trying to understand where Turkey stands. . A similar message was also given to Myers. The visit of Myers showed that the Turkish military is ready to discuss the details about Iraq. This means that the US has been given a positive response about its request for cooperation, i.e. making preparations for a conflict. The permission for that request was granted to the US side on January 15. However, both Turkish and American officials note that this permission was not politically binding, because the parliament will have the final say about the deployment of foreign troops in Turkey. . The Turkish support to the US at this stage can be characterized as `nonbinding support,' or support `in principle.' . The US officially supports the Turkish initiative for holding a regional summit with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Jordan and Iran, so regional countries will be able to give the message that they have exerted every effort to prevent the war. If their efforts produce no results because of Iraq's refusal to comply, it will be easier for the parties involved to have their parliaments pass the necessary decisions for cooperation with the US." PEARSON