Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ANKARA4911
2003-08-05 13:53:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:  

ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

Tags:  OPRC KMDR TU 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 004911

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, AUGUST 5, 2003

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


HEADLINES
BRIEFING
EDITORIAL OPINION
-------------- -
HEADLINES


MASS APPEAL
The First Bachelor As Four-Star General - Hurriyet
PM: Expelled Military Officers Should have Right to Appeal -
Sabah
UN Envoy DeMello: Turkey can Play Important Role in Iraq -
Hurriyet
Markets Inspired by IMF Decision - Sabah
IMF Decision Boosts Morale - Aksam


OPINION MAKERS
No Surprises in Military Appointments - Radikal
Fundamentalists Expelled from the Military - Cumhuriyet
DeMello: Too Early for New Decision on Iraq - Zaman
FM Gul Talks to UN Rep About Iraq - Cumhuriyet
Rocket Attack Against Turkish Trucks - Radikal
Turkish Truck Attacked in Iraq - Cumhuriyet
IMF Decision to Extend Loan Repayments Eases Market Concerns
- Zaman




BRIEFING
High Military Council (YAS) Decisions: All papers
extensively cover the results of the four-day long High
Military Council (YAS) meeting. The sessions concluded
yesterday with President Sezer's approval of all decisions.
Papers report that with the current promotion decisions, the
path to the position of Chief of General Staff has been
opened to General Yasar Buyukanit in 2006, General Ilker
Basbug in 2008, and General Koksal Karabayi in 2010. In a
banner headline, "Hurriyet" notes that Lt.Gen. Fethi Remzi
Tuncel is the first bachelor to reach the rank of general in
the Turkish army. Following his promotion, General Tuncel
was assigned as Land Forces Staff Commander. Lt.Gen. Sukru
Sariisik was promoted to the rank of general and appointed
as NSC Secretary General for one year. "Radikal" reports
that 18 officers have been expelled from the military for
fundamentalist activity. Both PM Erdogan and Defense
Minister Gonul placed a reserve on the expulsions, arguing
that those expelled should have the right to appeal.


UN Iraqi Envoy Sergio De Mello: All papers covered the
meeting of UN Iraqi envoy De Mello with FM Gul. "Hurriyet"
draws attention to De Mello's views of how Turkey could play
an important role in the reconstruction of Iraq. De Mello
said that `it is too early for a UN decision authorizing the
dispatch of international peacekeeping troops to Iraq.'
"Cumhuriyet' reports that FM Gul DeMello's attention to the
importance of Iraq's territorial integrity, equal treatment
of different ethnic groups, and the importance of a
nationwide census followed by fair elections.


Iraqis Attack Turkish Convoy: "NTV" reported that two
Turkish truck carrying goods in a convoy for the Turkish
Embassy in Baghdad was hit in a rocket attack yesterday.
The trucks sustained heavy damaged, but the drivers escaped
without serious injury.


IMF Decision to Extend Credit Repayment: Most papers report
on the positive mood in Turkish markets following the IMF
decision to extend the schedule for Turkish debt repayment
and the release of low inflation numbers for June and July.
The stock market rose by 4.5 percent, while interest rates
dropped by nearly three points.




EDITORIAL OPINION: Liberia; Afghanistan
"Justice in Liberia"
Erdal Guven opined in the liberal-intellectual Radikal
(8/5): "The brutal civil war in Liberia led to a UN decision
to form a new international peacekeeping force. It was also
interesting to see that Liberia, even though a stabilization
force already existed there, was begging the US to
intervene. . The UN force, however, has a major flaw. The
contributors to the UN force will not be subject to the
International Criminal Court. Instead, they will be tried
according to the laws of their own countries. It might be
dangerous to assume that the UN peacekeeping force
represents the `good' side, not the bad. If the
International community aims at bringing responsible
Liberian leaders to justice, the same rules and regulations
should also apply to members of the UN peacekeeping force,
at least for the sake fairness."


"End of the Karzai model"
Ibrahim Karagul wrote in Islamist-intellectual Yeni Safak
(8/5): "It seems things are not working well for the US and
its puppet Karzai regime in Afghanistan. Members of the
Karzai administration have met with Taliban representatives
in Pakistan. This was followed by Iran's `counter-move,'
which resulted in the return of Hikmetyar to Iran. All of
these developments show that the Afghan equilibrium is in
constant flux. The fact of the matter is that the `fight
against terrorism' is only a pretext to cover the real goal,
which is a war against Afghan sovereignty and for a share of
its resources. Afghanistan is only a part of the US plan
for global occupation."


DEUTSCH