ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000586 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 24, 2003 THIS REPORT WILL PRESENT A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY UNDER THREE THEMES: HEADLINES BRIEFING EDITORIAL OPINION -------------- HEADLINES MASS APPEAL Bush welcomes Istanbul Summit for Iraq - Hurriyet Summit issues warning to Saddam - Vatan Tough compromise at summit - Aksam Gen. Ozkok says `No' to Brits - Milliyet Bush Administration considers $14 billion for Turkey - Sabah Powell targets Iraqi oil reserves - Turkiye Bush: France, Germany will pay for not supporting us - Turkiye OPINION MAKERS Peace winds over Bosphorus - Yeni Safak Istanbul issues warning to Saddam, peace call to U.S. - Zaman U.S. will let Turkey control northern Iraq in war - Radikal `Iraq split' between U.S., EU growing - Zaman Washington to Germany, France axis: `Old' Europe's states - Cumhuriyet FINANCIAL JOURNALS Future of the world shaped in Davos - Dunya Economic confidence in government melting away - Finansal Forum BRIEFING Iraq: In a joint communique, the foreign ministers of Turkey, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Syria, and Saudi Arabia urged Iraq to abide by UNSC resolutions. Turkey and Egypt blocked Iranian and Syrian attempts to include a warning to the U.S. in the final resolution. In the end, the communique issued a warning to Saddam Hussein, and a peace message to the U.S.. The declaration said that Iraq must provide open evidence that it possessed no WMD. The foreign ministers will decide whether to meet again in Damascus, Syria after UN weapons inspectors release their report on January 27. In a message to Prime Minister Gul, President Bush welcomed Turkey's willingness to cooperate with the U.S. on the technical level for preparing a possible operation against Iraq, according to reports. In his message, Bush praised Gul's diplomatic efforts for peace, and added that an economic package to meet Turkey's possible losses in a war is being finalized. In a meeting with TGS Chief Gen. Ozkok on Thursday, visiting British Chief of Staff, Admiral Boyce, asked for transit passage for British troops to Northern Iraq. Gen. Ozkok reportedly turned down the demand, saying that the government had not authorized him to enter into joint planning with the UK. Amb. Pearson rejects U.S., PKK ties allegations: U.S. Ambassador to Ankara, Robert Pearson, appeared live on all- news broadcaster NTV Thursday to strongly deny recent "Milliyet" reports claiming that U.S. officials have held secret meetings with the PKK/KADEK in Northern Iraq. `This SIPDIS is an absolutely repulsive, odious, lie, because it is done deliberately to affect the relationship between the U.S. and Turkey,' Ambassador Pearson said. `Why in the world would anybody think that having shed our blood on American soil for our people and people from 90 countries, that we would have anything to do with a terrorist organization?' Pearson continued. `Our soldiers were on the line in the Balkans to protect the Muslim minorities there against the oppression of those states. Our efforts against the PKK in the late 90's were designed to bring to justice the people who had to be brought to justice, and they were later convicted and imprisoned. So the U.S. has worked closely with Turkey all those years,' Ambassador Pearson stressed. Erdogan reelected party chairman: AKP founders reelected Tayyip Erdogan as party chairman after the Constitutional Court decision rendering his chairmanship null and void, papers report. Meanwhile, the High Election Board (YSK) has decided that the court ruling would have no bearing on the legitimacy of the November 3 election results. EDITORIAL OPINION: Iraq "In the case of war, Turkey will control northern Iraq" Murat Yetkin wrote in liberal-intellectual Radikal (1/24): "Turkish and the US military are about to reach a compromise in technical preparations for an operation against Iraq. If the crisis escalates and war breaks out, the plans for cooperation will be submitted to the Turkish government and parliament for approval. With the approval of parliament, Turkey and the US will divide the main tasks as follows: - The Turkish army will undertake defense and humanitarian aid efforts. The Turkish army's priority will be to block a possible wave of refugees from northern Iraq. The Turkish army will extend humanitarian aid to the refugees and try to control activities which might pose a threat to Turkish security and stability. - US troops will move on to Baghdad. They will not intervene in the refugee and humanitarian aid operations unless requested by Turkey. . In the case of a military operation, US troops will be stationed in Turkey temporarily and then be transferred to Baghdad through northern Iraq. Ankara wants US troops to minimize contacts with the local people in the refugee region, which will be controlled by Turkey. Ankara wants to control Kurdish activities in northern Iraq. This kind of military cooperation requires close military coordination, which will be ensured by a joint command center in Diyarbakir. . Both Turkish and American sources stress that these preparations cannot be put into effect without the approval of the Turkish government and parliament. Official American sources say that Turkish efforts for preventing a war will not paralyze cooperation in the case of war. They say that the Istanbul peace initiative, organized by a Muslim ally of the West, is important for deterring Baghdad. . Both American and British sources say that a peaceful solution would be possible if there is sufficient deterrent power. For this reason, they want to deploy a significant numbers of troops in the south and north of Iraq. . The US understands that Turkey cannot announce its official decision before the finalization of its diplomatic efforts and the release of the UN report. The US wonders whether Turkey will make a decision before the religious holiday. The holiday will run from February 8 to until 16. If Turkey delays its decision until the holiday, the US will have to wait until February 17. The US has asked repeatedly for an idea about when Ankara will come up with a decision, because it might delay planning for a war in Iraq to the end of February." "Diplomatic war against the war" Sami Kohen wrote in mass appeal Milliyet (1/24): "The US, in the midst of preparations for war, is facing a diplomatic war from China to the EU, and from France to Germany. In the meantime, Turkey has launched a regional summit initiative for a peaceful solution to the Iraq issue in the hope for preventing war. . It seems that the Bush administration voices anger about the anti-war sentiment particularly in Western Europe. Bush has made a statement calling for `old friends to take lessons from history' while Rumsfeld reacted very harshly to both Germany and France. . Turkey's policy in fact closely parallels EU views. Turkey had to move very carefully because of its strategic ties with the US, but at the same time Ankara continues its close cooperation with the EU on this issue." PEARSON