ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 006053

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
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2003


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


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


MASS APPEALS
Powell expects a division from Turkey - Aksam -
Gul: No motion to parliament if it won't pass - Hurriyet
AKP considering closed parliamentary session on Iraq - Sabah
Safire: Turkey must join coalition forces in Iraq - Vatan
Bush, Schroeder new partners on Iraq - Milliyet
Israeli pilots refuse to bomb Palestine - Turkiye


OPINION MAKERS
Iraqis believe foreign peacekeepers will increase chaos -
Radikal
American families launch protest demonstrations on Iraq -
Radikal
U.S. troops' families furious, Bush cornered - Cumhuriyet
NYT's Safire: Turkey will determine Iraq's future - Zaman
Americans hunt for spies in Guantanamo - Yeni Safak
Jimmy Carter warns U.S. against human rights violations -
Cumhuriyet
25 Israeli pilots resist orders - Cumhuriyet
U.S. bargaining with Taliban - Cumhuriyet
Varosha to be opened to settlement - Zaman




BRIEFING


Secretary Powell on Turks to Iraq:

SIPDIS
All papers report the interview by Secretary Powell with
Business Week, in which he voiced the expectation that
Turkey would deploy a division of peacekeepers in Iraq if
the Government opts for a troop deployment. Powell said the
U.S. is looking forward to contributions from countries with
large armies like Turkey, India and Pakistan.


GOT to seek parliamentary authorization for Iraq:
Foreign Minister Gul said on Wednesday that the government
would not submit to parliament a motion to send peacekeepers
to Iraq if it becomes clear that lawmakers will vote against
it. "Cumhuriyet" claims that opposition is rising within
the ruling AK Party to approving unrestricted authority to
the GOT for dispatching troops abroad.


U.S., Turkey to discuss PKK/KADEK:
Turkey and the U.S. are to hold a second round of
discussions next week regarding the elimination of the
PKK/KADEK threat, "Zaman" reports. Ankara expects concrete
steps from the U.S. to crush the organization. A second
round of talks will be held between State Department counter-
terrorism coordinator Cofer Black and MFA officials in
Ankara on October 1. "Zaman" claims the PKK problem is the
largest obstacle to deployment of Turkish peacekeepers in
Iraq.


Possible location of Turkish troops in Iraq:
Turkish peacekeepers will be deployed in Iraq's al-Anbar
province or to the north of Baghdad around the city of
Salahaddin, according to "Cumhuriyet." Although more
dangerous than other areas of Iraq, the area north of
Baghdad is probably Turkey's preference, given that it it
closer to Northern Iraq and home to a large Turkmen
population. The other sector being considered for the Turks
is from the west of Baghdad to Iraq's borders with Syria and
Jordan. This 400 km-wide area is to be divided into five
zones from which Turkey can choose one. This region, home
to a population of one million Iraqis, includes key water
resources and a large number of dams.


FM Gul meets Iranian counterpart:
During a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Kharrazi in
New York on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Gul urged Tehran to
be transparent in its nuclear programs and to cooperate
fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency, dailies
report. Kharrazi assured Gul that Iran is pursuing
peaceful, civilian goals in its nuclear program.


Public opinion research a `warning' for AKP:
"Vatan" carries on its front page a SONAR Co. research poll
of 2,019 randomly chosen Turks in 25 provinces taken during
the month of September. 44.2 percent of Turks believe that
the ruling AK Party has not fulfilled its election promises,
and 20.2 percent hold a favorable opinion of AKP policies.
34.7 percent find the government's economic policies as
successful, while 53.5 percent believe them to be failing.
24.6 percent of those polled are favorable to deploying
Turkish peacekeepers in Iraq, but 72.5 percent are against
such a move. The research gives percentage support for
political parties as follows: AKP 28.03, CHP 14.86, Genc
Party 8.87, DYP 6.54, DEHAP 5.15, MHP 3.52.


Denktas plans of opening Varosha to settlement:
Papers report that Turkish Cypriot leader Denktas is
planning to open the deserted town of Varosha (Maras) to
settlement before the general elections in the Turkish
sector in December. A recent Denktas offer for opening
Varosha to settlement by the Greek Cypriots in exchange for
the joint use of Lefkosa International Airport, which had
remained unused for 29 years, has already been rejected by
Nicosia. The Turkish Cypriot foreign minister said in New
York on Wednesday that Turks are considering opening Varosha
for settlement under the auspices of the UN or unilaterally.




EDITORIAL OPINION: President Bush @ UNGA


"US alienated"
Soli Ozel commented in mass appeal Sabah (9/25): "During the
UNGA address, President Bush pledged support for the
American political mission in Iraq. The very country he
represents undermined the UN's internationally-recognized
rules and principles, yet he repeatedly tried to justify to
the UNGA members the correctness of US policy in Iraq.
Along with the Iraq issue, Bush voiced concern and showed
sensitivity towards some vital humanitarian issues despite
the preconceived image within international public opinion
that the US never cared for those issues. However, the
whole speech highlighted one single fact, that the United
States did not receive any enthusiastic support within the
UNGA. Members did not take the `let's do it together'
message seriously because the US has already carried out its
plan by passing the UN. Interestingly, there was more
silence than applause. . Nevertheless, a new UN resolution
is still very likely. It is yet not clear which side will
be giving more concessions."


"UN is at the Crossroads"
Turgut Tarhanli wrote in liberal-intellectual Radikal
(9/25): "The current US administration itself started
digging the hole for the demise of United Nations. And
President Bush's UNGA address proved that the US
administration is determined to continue with this approach.
This is an alarming situation, as UNSG Annan highlighted
during his speech. . The Bush administration simply put
aside any consideration for establishing a civilized order,
and adopted exertion of force as policy. In the US's book
`using force' becomes `legal means.' This is what the US
argument is all about although that does not mean it will be
taken as a legitimate and legal method to deal with
international issues. . As UNSG Annan clearly put it, the
whole world stands at a crossroads; i.e. we must make a
choice between legality and the use of force."


EDELMAN